I'm hoping someone has experience with the Nitto M109 handlebars. Mainly I'm curious if anyone can speak to their shape. I'm wondering if they will play nice with modern lever/STI shape. They look like they could be very similar or the same shape as the M106 (even have the same drop/reach measurements, but that doesn't tell the shape), which have a perfectly flat transition from bar to hood. I can't find a clear photo on the internet of it directly from the side to judge the shape. I'm interested in the handlebars because:

- Comes in 26.0 clamp
- Come in black
- Much cheaper than M106
- Potentially works with modern shaped brake levers / STI

I have used the M106 bars, which do come in black, but is very expensive. I also have the M151 on a bike, which I like quite a bit, but it does not come in black. If I could just find those in black I'd be set. I much prefer the classy engraved collar over the printed center bulge too. Soma Highway One could fit the bill, but the graphics are busy and clash a bit with the style of the bike. Also find that the Soma ones have almost an inward/negative flare in drops which I don't love. Still, they are the closest to what I want at a good price, but hoping M109 is a little better. Here are photos of M106 (great photo to judge shape) and M109:


M106:




M109:


Thanks!

I feel like I could have written this myself. Excellent questions and research (and ones I've asked myself, being in the same situation!). Those Somas do indeed look like they have negative flare--I don't like that either. [MENTION=506308]ctak[/MENTION] has been around this block as well, and I've had those Somas and M151s, not to mention a slew of modern "compact profile" bars (that the Somas et al ape).

Question: which STIs would you be using or want to use? I ask because the older STIs (say 7800 Dura-Ace era and before) have short lever bodies and are dependent on proper bar curvature to aid in having a flat hood-to-bar transition. 7900-era Dura-Ace (and Ultegra and 105 that folllowed) had a much longer lever body, which gives you a lot more leeway with bar type and not having the base of your palms jacked up and outward due to them landing on a bar. The newest era of Shimano levers from R2000 Claris to R9100 Dura-Ace have longer bodies still and that almost makes it a non-factor for bar choice, or so it would seem. I love a smooth transition, and will always choose a compact profile bar that gets me that as easily as possible.

The M151s and M109s are, to me, in the same group. Look at the bottoms/ends of the drops. That is Nitto's intended orientation for them (horizontal). Now look at the ramps--they angle down. The curve, while nice, is a generous one (radius-wise), vs the tighter snap of Hwy Ones, compact bars, and those M106s. If you angle a 106 or 151 to have the ramps be horizontal, you introduce more reach as well as an awkward drop angle.

If you look at the M106s (GREAT photo/diagram from Nitto) and you see that both the bottoms/ends of the drops and the ramps are parallel (horizontal in this case), as Nitto has intended the bars to be oriented. This is the most ideal for modern STIs and brake levers.

The below photo is my former M151s mounted to my former Medici Pro Strada. SRAM brake levers (same as their brifters, just minus the shifting guts). The lever body was long enough to keep my palms fully on/around the lever body, which was a great thing.

If I had to get 26.0 compact profile bars, I know for myself, I'd pony up for the M106s as they are the profile I like and want. Others may be close, but they won't deliver on profile or comfort for what I put on them. It took me going through various other bars to come to that conclusion, so it's not a matter of paying the most to get the supposed best. Thankfully, you like M151s, so 106s should in theory be fine for you as well. Nothing classier than a new 26.0 Nitto handlebar for a vintage ride, I must say.

have either of you used the soma's? they don't have that negative flare you speak of, imo. i really like the shape for my palm and my wrists clear the tops quite nicely. they don't feel at all turned inward. reaching the shifter paddles is comfortable and easy. they make great gravel bars, to me. i tried some 6500 shifters with them, but never could get a satisfactory flat transition. veloce 10spds worked much better. i imagine any more recent shifter with a longer body would work well with them

i have some nitto 151's, too. the 6500's worked great with them (as did aero 6200 levers) on transition and lever/paddle reach, but the shorter drop extensions felt "weird" to me, so i like them better with bar end shifters.

now, sram shifter/lever bodies (S500 shown above...which i have in silver) fit with anything and everything, it seems...lol! classic and compact bars

i'd like to add, for the best transition with any shifter or lever i've used on a compact bar, the original fsa omega has been the best (i know ....31.8). they even work great with tektro 520 levers for v brakes. those levers are hard to get flat on any other bar i've used. fortunately, i guess, they're big and fit you're whole hand

I currently have Highway 1s on my Impulse. As RiddleOfSteel and OP stated above, they do indeed have a slight "inward" angle or negative flare or whatever you want to call it. Annoys me, but I really like how these bars feel so I've made them work. I'm using Sram Red shifters, which angle outward anyway... so that kind of helps get the look closer to what I'd like. OTOH, absolutely love m151s with old school aero levers and DT shifters. The $90 tag for the heat treated Nitto m106 NAS I was admiring turned me back to the Somas, which are excellent bars imo - minus what has already been discussed.

i've had bars with more dramatic inward flare or camber....like some cinelli's and some ritchey ergos. those bugged the hell out of me. perhaps those were comparatively so dramatic and the soma's reach is so short that it's inward flare just escaped me

yeah, the 151's rock! they look the classic part and still have the compact advantage (smaller hands)