Flat bars making a comeback?
 

read some articles in a few mags saying a few of the winning XC riders are going back to flats with barends or something due to more hand positions. So are they now making a comeback?

Now I got a certain LL Cool J song stuck in my head!

I dunno but seems like it would make sense with folks on niners especially since their front ends might be a little higher.

One bar I'm hoping makes a comeback is one that had zero rise and zero sweep. Seems like they were called Shotgun Bars, but my memory is more than a little spotty.

I think flatbars have made a bit of a comeback because of 29ers and their taller front ends. However a lot of the new school options are wider and have more sweep than the flatbars of yesteryear. I'm using 640mm Titec flatbars and thinking about going wider. If I get more into the endurance racing thing I might go back to risers though.

Yo're also seeing bars like the Ritchey 10d which has a forward sweep before it sweeps back (guess how many degrees) to allow a riser-like hand position, I guess, only without the rise.

After driving with flatbars and Ergon barends on a hybrid for a few years - thats whats going on my next mtb build. That and thumbies. I`m getting pretty bored with the need to buy the latest round of 9 or 10 or 11 speed shifters that will be discontinued in a few years and parts will become unavailable.

DANG, just when i upgrade to a bike with a nice moustache shaped bar (no bull horns) its out of date.......

I love flat bars with bullhorns, it ain't cheating if its helpful.

Lowar! Moar lowar!

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...a/Clip-Ons.jpg

Now thats an interesting build!

So what exactly are we looking at? Are those clip-ons commercially available or did you come up with a one-off that you`re gonna hog all to yourself?

Nice looking rig - what are you using it for and how do you find that goemetry?

The bars were produced by this company called Adobe. Check it out, it's pretty awesome.

Lunchtime letdown! :(

I`m not familiar with any bicycle components that go by that name, but since you didn`t post a link and there are some perspective issues in tht photo - I suspect you`re referring to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Shucks - I was hopin` for something in the real world.

For the record, Pro-Tek (http://www.protekk.com/index.php?mai...dagva8cn3t1om4), Woodcraft (http://www.woodcraft-cfm.com/cgi-bin...&category=OOOX) and a few others make clip-ons that fit 36mm stanchions. Then you'd just have to deal with making the controls work with 7/8" bars :D.

If they ever have - - and I get invited to participate in - - another Red Bull Road Rage, you can bet I'd be shopping me a pair.

Thanks for the link - I guess what piqued my curiousity about that photo posted was because I have long history with sport motorcycles already.

But all the triple crown forks I`ve seen for bicycles have way more travel than what I`d be interested in myself. If someone made a light 100 to 130mm travel fork like that I might bite.

But another dumb question of the day - why would those clip-ons be an issue to put any bicycle components on? The size is the same - yes?

I happen to have a 100mm-travel RS Judy XLC in pretty good shape still in my spare-parts cabinet ;).

http://www.bicyclebuys.com/productimages/1630667.jpg

That's why I included the caveat - - since non-OS moto bar size is 7/8" (which also happens to be BMX size); and moto OS is 1 1/8" (as opposed to bicycle 25.4 & 31.8mm), brake perches, shifters, etc. aren't going to play nice.

LOL, add a 50cc motor to it and this could open up a new category in bikes: Hybrid Downhill/Sport-bike :D.

OK - my mind was still on clip-ons and there I figured the only variable would be stanchon size. I`ve PM`ed you on the Rockshox.

IIRC, the Judy only has 28mm stanchions. I think there may still be vintage and mini clip-ons that are that small.