Touring - Nitto Noodle VS. Salsa Bell Lap

I'm at the point choosing handlebars for my new bike. And I want/need the widest drop bars I can get. I have "narrowed" (pun intended) it down to the Nitto Noodles 48 cm C to C, and the Salsa Bell Lap bars 46 cm C to C. The Bell Lap bars have more flare, and are therefore wider at the drops, but at my age 52 I wonder how often I'll be riding using the drops. I'm leaning towards the Noodles because they are wider at the hoods (I think).
One other factor is that the Noodles are made only in a 26 clamp, where the Bell Laps come in over sized. Will I flex the Noodles more (I'm a really big rider).

Anyone have any thoughts. Thanks Ted

I'm at the point choosing handlebars for my new bike. And I want/need the widest drop bars I can get. I have "narrowed" (pun intended) it down to the Nitto Noodles 48 cm C to C, and the Salsa Bell Lap bars 46 cm C to C. The Bell Lap bars have more flare, and are therefore wider at the drops, but at my age 52 I wonder how often I'll be riding using the drops. I'm leaning towards the Noodles because they are wider at the hoods (I think).
One other factor is that the Noodles are made only in a 26 clamp, where the Bell Laps come in over sized. Will I flex the Noodles more (I'm a really big rider).

Anyone have any thoughts. Thanks Ted

I've ridden with 26mm bars forever without problems. I have a bike with oversized bars and all I get out of it is a headache from trying to mount stuff on the bars (handlebar bag, lights, computer, etc). I torque the bars pretty good too and I don't really see a problems.

I haven't used the Noodles but I do have the Bell Laps. They flare out a bit more in the drops than conventional bars but they also have a nice wide top and I find slight inward bend at the hoods to very comfortable. That inward bend seems more natural than other bars I've tired.

I have the noodles in 48cm and love the extra width. The drops are comfortable also.

I used the bell laps half way across the country and didn't like them - uncomfortable in the drops for me because of the angle of my wrists due to the flare. I switched to salsa short and shallow model and and have had no problems.

Noodles look nice and I've never heard anything bad about them.

I haven't tried out the Bell Laps, but I can tell you the noodles are very comfortable, especially the area behind the hoods. (I have my bars rotated so that area is almost horizontal) The drop is not that extreme. I have the same reluctance to use the drops that you do, yet it is nice to have that position for headwinds and such.

I am 230 and have always used 26mm clamps and have never had a problem w/ flex. Unless you are really big and strong and get out of the saddle a lot to do a tie breaking sprint across the finish line, you won't have a problem. Even if you were the above, you would still be OK. I think the only reason manufacturers went to OS clamps for road bars is because they would hope that everyone would upgrade to something they didn't need. IMO, of course.

I have to be one of the only people out there who don't like Noodles. Tried them twice. The first time I just couldn't get a nice flat ramp using STI shifters. After a couple of years, I kept hearing how great they were so thought I needed to try them again. Again, I couldn't get a nice flat ramp and didn't care for the flare, for lack of a better word, of the tops of the bars.

I have three road/touring bikes and they all have Bontrager Flat Tops, which are no longer made but are still out there. They are the only bars that provide a drop that is actually easy and comfortable to use. The drop is parallel to the top and is long. I will try and take a picture and post it but sounds like you have your mind made up and I am not trying to change it.