bar/stem decisions
 

Ok, so here's the deal... I ordered a new 31.8mm stem from Nashbar, only to find out that the sucker was polished silver (the pic didn't show the color well and there was no larger shot)! :eek: I can't have that on my all-black bike, so I'm sending it back. I've already decided on my next bar.. the 3TTT BioMorphe bar. It comes in both 26.0 and 31.8. At this point, I can't decide whether I should stick with 31.8 clamp diameter or switch to 26.0. I'm a small guy, so I don't think flex is going to be much of an issue. As it stands, I can't mount my headlight on my 31.8mm bar so going to the 26.0 clamp would help me out a little bit there. So I'm wondering if there's any real reason for me to stick with 31.8 or what?

Except for worse aerodynamic and increased weight? No, not really.
Some would say stiffer, where you should ask the question back.
How much stiffer? And how can a standard 25.8 be good enough for Lance?

I just ordered a second set of 3T's, I have them on my De Rosa and I really like them. I'm going to put them on the framing I'm building now. You can't beat the price, bar and stem for $100.

3T 4GXL Stem
3T 4GXL Handlebar

I do quite a bit of hill riding and really like the stiffness when climbing.

3T seems to make pretty good stuff... however, here's the bar I'm going with:
http://www.3ttt.com/grafica/home_curve.jpg

as far as a stem goes, I'm not sure. The poseur in me wants a carbon stem to match the carbon bar. However, the miser in me doesn't want to spend $100 on a stem. Nashbar has one for $69, full carbon, oversized. Or I can go with one from Ital Tecno that's a carbon sleeve with aluminum ends for $59. The latter is not oversized and so thus my dilemma.

it's either this stem: http://ital-tecno.com/shopexd.asp?id=278

or this stem: http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=

One is 26.0, the other oversized... the bar is available in either size. Thus making the decision tougher. :p

cryo.. how much was the 3T bar that you posted in the pic? that looks sexy!

i have a cinelli 31.8mm bar. it's nice and it doesn't flex.. but i had problem mounting my astrale 8 computer on there.. but otherwise it's ok.

the 3T is $250 at ital-tecno.com

The ITM K-Sword is infinitely more expensive and doesn't look to have quite as many contours. I figure that 3T is a great deal.

If you'll settle for a carbon sleeved aluminum stem, check out this sale of the
Alpha-Q Pro C Carbon at BikeSomeWhere.com. I have the ITM Millenium Carbon which I found on sale for around $75 a while ago but mine's a 26.0mm version. The lowest price I've seen on the 26.0mm ITM Millenium Carbon lately is $99 and the oversized version is around $110.

The GASS Roach 26.0 that I linked @ Ital Tecno is similar (nearly identical) to the Alpha-Q and $20 cheaper. :p The real decision here is whether I really *need* the 31.8 clamp and from the looks of it I really don't. Plus accessories are easier to mount on a 26.0.

Well, the GASS stem is cheaper because it's a 26.0mm bar-clamp design. For some reason, that seems to be the standard price differential I've seen so far. I'm pretty happy with my 26.0mm bar. I don't think I could generate enough of a load to torque it into flexing. Personally speaking, I don't really like the looks of most oversized bars I've seen. And yeah, I think you'll find it easier/cleaner to mount stuff.

Yeah... I'm probably just going to end up going with the 26.0 bars... I'm light and I don't put that much torque on the bars, to be honest. Also, I'd like to be able to mount my HID headlight if necessary when I decide to go on longer night rides. :)

Here's a better pic of the stem... looks sexy... and appears as though the company is Italian! :D I really should get an Italian frame with all this Italian componentry I'm putting on my bike.

http://www.whatthe****.info/images/roach.jpg

Is Gube an Italian name? I think it might be Dutch or German. I believe GASS itself is Italian or at least Italian-owned but I think the products are designed and manufactered elsewhere.

Or are you looking at the Toray name? Toray is a Japanese company that supplies a lot of carbon fibre to the aerospace industry. I believe the CF prepregs in my bike are made from Toray. I think most Toray used in the US comes out of Toray USA though which is based a little south of my in Tacoma, WA. You can probably take a good guess as to why they have located themselves there. ;)

Also, that GASS stem looks pretty close to my ITM stem.

http://www.neebu.net/~khuon/albums/2...e/pict0008.jpg
http://www.neebu.net/~khuon/albums/2...e/pict0007.jpg

And since mine was made in Italy (if one is to believe the sticker) then it might be that they were both made in the same manufacturing facility and simply sold under different names.

http://www.neebu.net/~khuon/albums/2..._005.sized.jpg

I was actually wondering that same thing... that GASS stem and your ITM are very similar-looking. I wouldn't be terribly shocked to find that the two stems were basically the same stem with different badges on it. :) Either way, I think it looks pretty good overall.