I've just checked the VO website and I think the "
Grand Cru Course Handlebar- Classic Round Bend" would do the job. It looks like I'm going to have to forget about getting vintage bars. Not a big problem as comfort is more important to me on my touring bike than using period/vintage parts.

The
Grand Cru Course Handlebar- Classic Round Bend, lifted from the VO website:

i am always out to save a buck, and these are great bars for a relatively low price.

What bars are those? I can't tell from the pics.

I like those bikes and bars!

What north roads and flat bars are those?

- james



[QUOTE=Dawes-man;14512580]For around town, over short distances, I find styles approximating the North Road bend the most comfortable:

[IMG] Untitled by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

Or what I think are known as 'flat' bars, like these:

[IMG] IMG_8982.JPG by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

[QUOTE=jamesj;14515358]I like those bikes and bars!

What north roads and flat bars are those?

- james

The North Road on the blue bike are Reynolds from the 1950s and what I have called flat bars are, I think, copies of the 1950s GB All Rounders by Nitto. The North Road bars actually snapped while I was riding, luckily at low speed, and have been replaced by these Nitto - I don't like the shape as much but they do the job:

[IMG] Dawes Atlantis - 1979 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

I should mention these Comfort bars, also by Reynolds, which are very good and could even be used for touring:

[IMG] Reynolds Comfort bars, Bluemels grips, GB levers. Olympic 'Regina' bell. by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

The have a very shallow drop but nowhere to rest on the cross, really.

Well, I never! I discovered that Grand Bois is actually a Japanese cycle shop down in Kyoto. I've sent them an email and they do sell the Maes copies, for around $50. I'm about to order some.

Thanks everyone!

Reynolds bars:

[IMG] Reynolds bars by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

I think Raleigh used the GB Maes bend on their bikes up thru the mid 70's. My 73 Super Course has them and I love them. Narrow by todays standards. But I have wide shoulders and the bars are still comfortable to me.

This is the critical part of that statement, IMO.

I've been running the VO rando bars on my Boulder for about 2000 miles so far. I find them to be some of the most comfortable bars I've ever used. I switch between the tops to the drops and sides pretty frequently, riding in the drops sometimes for twenty minutes or so before changing position again. The drop position is very natural and my hands have yet to go numb (so the weight distribution and lengths are correct in the build, which also has a lot to do with handlebar comfort.) My only quibble is riding in the hooks is not as comfortable or natural as on the Cinelli bars.

I have VO Randonneur bars on two bikes and two other builds are getting them (two 46cm and two 48cm). I've used the VO Course and it is also very comfortable, but I've found the slight rise of the randonneur bend very much to my liking. The parallel drops are just like I want them. I use the hand positions behind the hoods a good deal. I also like the Nitto B132 and B135. Basically, I really like randonneur bars, but he narrow versions common in the 70s are just not wide enough for me.

VO Randonneur 46cm



VO Randonneur 48cm







Nitto B132a

The ramp is too sloped for me. But thanks for taking the trouble, illwafer.

I've found what I want from Grand Bois in Kyoto... just $50. It's handy as they have some rims I want, too

They look right, and just like the Grand Bois Maes...

The white bar tape on a chrome bike looks classy! Wouldn't have thought of it...

How do you like the quill to threadless adapter? Is that the one from Origin8?

I actually like it a lot. It's the VO offering, milled to 21.1mm (Schwinn steerer) with a lugged and fillet brazed Nitto stem. It's stiff and gives just the right bar height without looking too goofy.

Thanks for the compliment. I like the look of the white cloth. This has one coat of clear shellac. It's getting dirtier and I'll put another coat of clear on it soon. Eventually it will be amber, I'm sure.

Very nice. I like that a lot.