thebigmrT

Ok, so I'm thinking about new bars, what do you guys think about the Deda track drops? I'd rather have the polished, stiffer Velocita, but the Pista's are lighter and cheaper. Or do you have any suggestions of something similar?

humancongereel

some say they don't like them...i'm fine with them.

thebigmrT

almost forgot..
the Velocitas or..
the Pistas

wangster

I like the pistas just cuz they're black, but you should see which ones are stiffer. Are these for street use or track? If for street then go with the flexier ones for comfort, track go with the stiff ones for good power transfer.

plantdude

I have the Deda Pista on my new Rock Lobster (https://velospace.org/node/218). So far, I really like it - plenty stiff, comfortable drop position, and is also comfortable to have your hands up on the bend. If you are wanting a bar for the track it's great. To be honest though, on my street track bike (a pimped out langster) I have Nitto bullhorns, which I personally find more comfortable for street riding and climbing than any drop.

In short, as track drops go - the Deda is sweet.

Spor

Yeah, I have the black pistas for track riding and they're sweet. Not too comfy on the street, but they look sooo nice. I especially love how the curves suddenly shift and the oversized 31.7 tubing is way cool. They're especially nice paired with the deda newton stem.

zerobug

I rock the Pistas. I agree they aren't the best for long distance rides on the road but are pretty sweet for the track. I can feel some flex when I'm hard sprinting but that might be the bar/stem combo. I like the light feel and control they give the front end of my bike. The feeling is much different than steel bars.

travsi

^ black

tozovr

My only beef, and this is because I've been shopping for these a while now, is that the don't seem to come in different widths and I have broad shoulders...42cm is a lil tight for me.

RJ

luckycat

I have broad shoulders as well, went with 44cm nitto b123. Only place I could find them at the time was american cyclery in sf, so they were a bit overpriced.

tozovr

I just started looking at the Nitto stuff too, but the bastard of a bike I'm building mike reject Nittos OR Deda's LOL...on one Midge Bars may just make the cut.

Pawls

Black +1

12XU

If people are doing track racing, there's a lot more than bar choice at work for good power transfer. A set of Mavic carbon wheels and a Look carbon monocoque frame would be a good way to be serious about track racing. I ordered a Mercian frame in Reynolds 631 steel, which I ordered exclusively for track racing, but I'm no professional racer so the effects of flex will be negligible. Conclusion, go with the bling unless you plan on getting serious about track racing, then go all out and blow your life savings on gear.

wangster

ofcourse theres more than just bar choices. Your right about that, I'm just saying it cuz he was asking about bars.

Post a pic of the mercian frame when you get it, I love those frames and wish I could get one.

I have a Look carbon track on order right now.. should be here soon...

12XU

The deposit your LBS would require on that frame could pay NYC rent for quite awhile...

The Mercian should be here and built up in about a month, and you bet your ass I'll be posting pictures.

wangster

How long does it take from order to finish? How much for the 631 frame? I'm too lazy to search.

10,000 is only chump change, I paid cash! That's how I roll.

Really though, I don't think anyone ever bought that frame, only sponsored peeps who gets it for free. And if you have that frame, you'd get the Easton Bling carbon bars.

To people who have the bars, why aren't they comfortable in the streets?

plantdude

It's not that they are uncomfortable, but they are really designed to be used while in the drops. If you have your bike set up for the track (being hunkered over the front end), being in the drops all the time around around town is not ideal. Also, to really stand up and power/sprint, again, you pretty much have to be in the drops - not a bad thing - just not ideal for having your head up looking for moronic drivers...

thebigmrT

awesome, thanks for all the input, i dont race on the track, just to commute and ride for fun, but i like the drop bars better than the bullhorns, i actually like the riding "hunkered over" now after riding all the time in the drops on a road bike for awhile now, and i live in philly so there is no climbing ever haha i probably would go with the aluminum pistas because im used to aluminum bars now..definitely good info thanks again

popdelusions

I have the steel dedas on my track bike and a set of Nitto 123s on my street bike. The deda's are really heavy (which is fine, and actually helps since the front end of my bike is a bit light to begin with), and almost ridiculously stiff, and they actually aren't even that bad for riding on the tops if you plan to use them on the street. The only problem you might have with them is that the shape of the drops really encourages an aggressive position -- the return part of the curve (the flat, straight part at the bottom) is fairly short, so if you like to put your weight there and relax in the drops for long periods of time they might not be the best choice. But that depends on hand size and a lot of other factors. They're really great bars.

vomitron

Just to clarify things, frame flex (specifically rear triangle/bb flex) does not "rob" you of power. As Klein pointed out, the rear triangle of a bike is a very efficient spring. If it flexes in a hard sprint, the energy will be returned to you on the next pedal stroke.

Unless you're a very heavy rider, you'll not likely flex the frame enough in a sprint to feel the difference. If you can feel the difference, it might be worth getting a stiffer frame, but only for psychological purposes.

Now, flex in wheels (lateral) makes a difference in power transfer. Stiff bars help you use your arms to stabilize yourself, thus letting you utilize your lower spinal erectors and hip flexors more in a sprint, which is what you want- look at how keirin racers sprint. Their bikes fly all over the place because they're shoving with their hips/glutes, which are larger than your quads.

So yeah, just my $0.02 on stiffness.

beppe

I call shenanigans. When you sprint, almost all of the force is applied on the downstroke. Even if Klein is correct, you still lose the energy on the downstroke, since the frame flexes (i.e., bends).

You get the power "back" (according to Klein) at the top and bottom of your pedal stroke, that is, when the pedals are at 6 and 12. This is also when you are pushing the frame to the opposite side, assuming you are out of the saddle. The power is essentially useless to you then--it won't back the bike go any faster.

I went from an incredibly flexy steel road bike -- though I didn't realize it at the time -- to a super-stiff aluminum-carbon frame, with all the components transferred over. I started climbing hills much faster than I could before.


Agreed. Wheel flex is more of a big deal than frame flex.


/edited for prettiness

na975

i have the deda bar from the bianchi,i was trying hard to sell them,but after putting on my ride, im sho glad i didn't.