cs1

I was thinking about swapping out my old Sakae drop bar for a Moustache bar. The bike already has non aero brake levers and barcons. I would probably need a new stem. Anyone using moustache bars no, if so, how do you like them for around town or short tours. The bike they would go on won't see more than a half metric.

Tim

roadfix

They're perfect for around town, commutes, and short rides. I never liked them for long rides.

v1k1ng1001

I like moustache bars! That said, I wouldn't try to ride a moustache bar for 30 miles.

I'd go into your LBS and look at the Quality catalog, see what suits you. WTB used to have a moustachey droppish bar back in the day.

cs1

"On-One" makes a bar that's kind of a cross between a Nitto Dirt Drop and a Moustache bar. It's really too new to get any feedback on yet. The only thing I don't like about it is that it's black.

Tim

dobber

On-One makes several types of bars

The Mary


The Mungo


The Midge


I've got the Midges on two of my bikes. Properly set up, they are fantastic (get em up high). I've also got some Nitto Moustaches on my XO3 and my singlespeed utility bike.

alanbikehouston

Grant Peterson, of Rivendell, has been the biggest advocate for that design since his days as head of Bridgestone USA. He sells his design, made by Nitto, at Rivendell.com. Some other companies sell "imitations", some of which are not well designed, and none of which is better than the "original" from Nitto.

The design is ideal for short urban rides and short trail rides. It is less ideal for multi-day touring, or rides of two or three hours where a larger range of hand positions would be helpful. And, it takes time to get comfortable with. Someone who uses it for only two or three hours won't like it. Some who uses it for a month probably will like it.

FarHorizon

I tried moustache bars twice. Hated them both times. Your experience may vary...

v1k1ng1001

The midge is what I was thinking of.

+1 on the XO3, those are cool bikes. I have an old MB5 but it is not as cool.

Mentor58

I've got a 'stach bar on the fixie, it's nice for tooling around, but more than a couple of hours and I start wishing for more places to put my hands. It is a nice change from the usual drop bar, gives the bike a distinctive look, but not the most practical bar ever designed. Still, I do like the looks.

Steve W

shakeNbake

The midge looks pretty cool.

Anyone has pic of them on a bike?

cs1

I agree, it reminds me of the old Nitto Dirt Drop. Photos would be nice.

Tim

bh357

I have the On-One Mary on my singlespeed mtb, and I love it. Prior to installing it, I was experiencing some numbness in my hands/fingers on longer rides. After I installed Mary, the numbness has disappeared. I did change from a 90mm stem with a 7deg rise to a 100mm stem flipped for a 10deg drop.

dobber

Viola



and

Dalton

I am currently running mustache bars on the attached bike that I use for commuting to work everyday.

Dislikes: gives a rather upright riding position that makes getting aero in a headwind tough. Rather wide. I tend to over-steer, this is probably due to operator error. Not as cool looking as the Midge bars. Not allowed on the velodrome.

Likes: gives a rather upright riding position that makes wrists, back and neck fell good, and keeps head up for on coming urban obstacles. Gives nice smooth ride compared to steel drop track bars on rough surfaces. The width and material give a spring that softens the ride a bit especially on a steel ridged frame like this one. Gives a lot of control. Good for climbing and fast descents. Cool retro look. Good for fast braking.

I think I am going to tryout some Midge bars.

v1k1ng1001

the midge is pretty dope

Dalton

Agreed

Nachoman

And that's a good thing, right?

v1k1ng1001

word.

MotoMan

I have Nitto Mustache bars with dirt drop stems (from Rivendell) in two bikes. I have a vintage Motobecane Grand Touring that I have this bar on, and a Nashbar Road Fra-may that I built with these bars. As one can see, people love or hate em... I love them, and I bet those who hate them have them set up wrong. Set them up higher then the saddle (an inch or two), and use a shorter stem length then with drops. I have found that they relieve neck/shouder pain. Most people with drops never use the drops. The M-bars give alot of hand positions that provide good visablity, braking, both aero (riding the brake hoods) and more relaxed upright. I disagree with those who say they are good for only short distances. I rode a century this summer on the Nashbar, and the bars were great, better then other centurys I have done with drops. I use barend shifters on the Nashbar, which work great. My Moto has downtube shifters. I would go with the barends. In my younger years of living and commuting in Boston I wish I would have had these bars. I went back to the Boston area this summer for a college reunion and took my Nashbar bike with me. Even though I was rusty riding in the urban jungle after cycling bliss in Vermont, I appreaciated the Mbars in the stop and go of city riding. Boy, those T busses seemed bigger when I went back this summer... Anyway, put me in the plus side of MBars! Whenever I get around to it, I have a Bianchi Advantage cross bike with flat bars that I would love to change over to Mbars... Too many projects, not enought time...

merlinextraligh

what is riding on the hoods like with the midge?

dobber

Like slipping your hand into a glove lined with the fur on a newborn bunny. Or some near equivalent.

cs1

LOL, great description.

Tim

jcm

Dobber:

Thanks for the pics. I hate drops in general, for all the usual 'old guy' reasons. Been curious about the Midge for a long time, buthave only seen one on a bike. I found a used set on my local CL and I'm heading over to buy them right now. They'll go on my 520.

Mustache bars look very classy. But I've found that using North Road bars upside down is far more comfortable because of the natural angle of the grips.

https://i12.tinypic.com/4dywdna.jpg

tjw97

i have 2 bikes set up with Dimension moustaches similar to the Mungo bend. They're mounted upside down and reversed and give me a perfect aero position in the middle, eliminating my need for drops in the wind. The multiple hand psotions are so natural for my LD riding that i'm doing the same setup on a new LHT build

cs1

What is a "Dimension Moustache?"

Tim