jjsinglespeed

Salsa Moto Ace Bell Lap and WTB Dirt Drops are they similar? Whats the differences? Thanks in advance-JJ

kartoffel

Google is your friend. I was curious too, so I saved you the work

Salsa Moto Ace Bell Lap: 42/44/46cm wide, 12 deg flare, 144mm drop, 82mm reach, 26.0/31.8mm stems clamp, anatomic bend.

WTB Mountain Road Drop Bar: 600mm wide, 3 deg flare, ??mm drop, ??mm reach, 31.8mm stem clamp, non-anatomic.

On-One Midge: 580mm wide, 34 deg flare, 112mm drop, 64.5mm reach, 25.4mm stem clamp, non-anatomic.

Nitto Randonneur: 420/450mm wide, ??mm flare, 120mm drop, 105mm reach, 25.4mm stem clamp, non-anatomic.

i_r_beej

Actually, of the bars you listed the Midge is the only one that could actually be called "anatomic". A flat section in the hooks of the bar does NOT make it an ergonomic design.

The flare of the Midge bar places the rider's hands in a much more "neutral" position.

Try this: Stand with your arms dangling by your sides-- relax!. Now look at the angle your hands are in. This is the angle of the Midge flare. Perfect!

Off roading with the Midge is confidence-inspiring. Much more secure than conventional drops (or even the pathetic cyclocross-specific drops) or MTB-type flat bars. Try it sometime!

Furthermore, because your hands are in a neutral position your arms are much more comfortable and you can absorb bumps more easily.

And no-- i DON'T work for On-One. Although i wish i was their sole US distributor because they make some damn fine stuff!

StankApe

I heart midge

kartoffel

The midge does look pretty sweet. It has so much more flare than most drop bars.... does that have an effect on STI or Ergo shifter usage?

I'm thinking it wouldn't be such a big deal for Shimano or SRAM brifters, since you just press inwards/downwards in a natural direction. However, it could really suck to try to reach the thumb levers on Campy shifters.

*sigh* It's a dilemma. Midge is <3, Campy is <3

jim-bob

I've got veloce 10sp brifters on midge bars on my karate monkey. They're great.

i_r_beej

Can't say for Ergo use-- i've no experience with the thumb button.

However-- STI works just fine. Especially in the drops. I have small hands (or short fingers) and have trouble reaching the brake levers on my road bike (with Ritchey Pro drops). The design of the Midge bar puts the levers within easy reach of my fingers so shifting and braking are enhanced (for me). This is another ergonomic benefit of the Midge design.

When riding on the hoods on conventional drops, i'd shift with my index and middle fingers. On the Midge, my ring and little fingers do the shifting. Very relaxed and easy-- so no problem at all.

rlotz

I thought that some regulatory body (UCI?) set the limit on handlebar width at 50cm from edge to edge, which would make the midge and dirt-drops too wide. Has anyone encountered such limitations enforced in a local cross scene?

pinny

I am considering going with some Midge bars on my commuter, which is running Chorus Ergos. Is there any chance you could drop me a pic of your setup so I can envision how the shifting works out? Failing a pic than a brief description of how you have your Veloce Ergos placed would be a good starting point for me.



Thanks in advance.

garagegirl

I've held the new wtb bars (not ridden them mind you) and they seem awesome so far. I think I'd like them better than midges, as they're a little less wide at the point where your hoods would be (the midges feel too big for me), and are slightly more road like. They seem like a nice compromise between drops and midges.