Has anyone tried a Soma Fabrications Gator bar? This handlebar is sort of a drop bar that has 190mm of space, in the low drop position, allowing one to use “flat bar” style shifters and brakes. It is even possible to use grip shifters on this bar, which I happen to have.

I took the drop bars off my Focus Mares CX and replaced the bar with a carbon riser bar. I am still not happy with the position I am riding in. I matched the position I was in on my Rocky Mtn Sherpa to the Focus bike, in an attempt to get more comfortable.

Riding Conditions
I ride on both paved roads with large amounts of gravel and gravel roads. I am torn between riding the Mountain Bike and the Cyclocross Bike. The Focus bike (with WTB 40mm tires) being more like a road bike does better on the roads. The Sherpa (with 27.5 wheels) may get better traction on the often steep gravel hills. I am now living in “The Mountain Bike Capital of Georgia” with lots of single track and gravel forest roads. I should also mention that I will be turning 70 in a few more months.

One of the reasons I switched to a Riser bar had to do with needing to shift rapidly just before steep hills. I did not feel comfortable shifting rapidly with the Shimano 105 2X shifting system that came on the Focus bike.