Originally Posted by
the sci guy
I picked up a 2014 CC in December in the hospital foam green. How do you like the bars? I ended up hating them. The ergo bend didn't work for me, the drop was too much, and it put the hoods too far forward.
I ended up swapping out the bars for a FSA compact set that was also more narrow, and a stem with a higher angle rise.
chronicled the swap here:
Putting new handlebars on my Surly Cross-Check | the surly biker
that stem shown though - i swapped it for a 15* salsa guide stem.
I'm okay with the handlebars. On longer rides, the little bump/bend gets a little uncomfy, but I think this is more due to the tape, which I want to replace at some point. As for the reach, I tested two sizes (54 and 52) and ended up going with the 52. I was right in between the two sizes, so the 54 had a little more reach and the 52 had a little less reach, but liked the feel of the 52 better. I rarely use the hoods.
I will admit I'm not very knowledgable about replacing parts. And this is my first "bent-style" drop bar so I don't really have much to compare to. It might not be the most comfortable bar, but I wouldn't know it. The bar on my other bike I got from eBay - a Nitto Grand Raundoneur 135 (42.5cm) - which don't have the bend. Between the two, the Salsa bar on the Surly is more comfy. But I've got no experience other than these two.
Any recommendations on comfy tape, by the way? Also, your bike looks good! I like the orange. It looks more like a red-orange on my screen. Purple could be nice, as it would compliment the green. But... it's purple.