You make good points and everything you say is true, but . . .These Speeco ABBs are custom. This set does not have the dimensions you are quoting. You might want to check my math, could be I made a mistake. The point of the hoods in the photo is hidden by the riders little finger, so this won't be super exact anyway. I scaled the distance in the profile photo of the Koga between the points of the hoods and the center of the top tube. Then I scaled the diameter of the front wheel. I assumed that it is a 700c wheel, rim diameter of 622 mm.

I did a little calculation and came up with a reach from head tube center to point of hoods of 44.7 cm. Then I measured my bike which has the same fit to hoods for me as the Koga does for its rider, though the dimensions are different, me being smaller. My equipment is a 90mm stem, FSA Omega Compact road bars, and Shimano Ultegra 9-speed brifters. My reach, head tube to point of hoods is 22 cm. The flat portion of his ABBs is 25.5 cm. The other 19.2 cm is in his stem, the hook of his bars, and his hoods.

Thus his reach, hoods to center of head tube is about twice mine though he is not twice my size. The reach incorporated into one's usual bars and brifters is not this long - 35.7 cm (44.7-9) nor, assuming a longer stem than is usual as you did, is it 30.7 cm (44.7-14). If he were in this same position using my bars and brifters even on a 14 cm stem, he would have another 18 cm on his top tube, or about 7" more, which is about what I guessed at in post 24. I.e. this is not this rider's normal frame reach and we see why these bars come almost to this tall rider's elbows when he is down on them.

Whew. Hope other readers can follow all this . . .

However! If we ignore the extreme example in these photos, we can look at your conjecture of a 7 cm stem and otherwise adding all bar dimension into the ramps, Eliminating the curve on my bars plus that 2 cm, I could duplicate the fit of my bars with a custom version of ABBs and come up with flat ramps maybe 7 cm long. That might be nice or maybe not nice. I'd lose my clip-ons and 7 cm will not support my forearm, just give me pain if I leaned on it for a while. I do push ups and can hold the low hoods position for quite a while, as I'm sure you can.

Never said no one would want those. I've seen guys with a full disc rear wheel on a road bike just tooling around.

I have a "pro" level bike, and YES I can tell the difference between it and a lesser version of the same model, and again, if you don't race do you really need them? I also don't have oversized jockey wheels.

I guess some people have to have every little do dad and that's how you made a $15,000 bike a $20,000 bike. But more power to you if it makes you happy.

You wouldn't. But your custom bars would not be the same as the custom bars in the photo. See my post 51.

Aren't you more aero on the drops than the hoods?

Guess you missed or edited out my comment.
If I couldn't tell the difference I would of bought the cheaper model.

I truncated it. It's called editing for emphasis.

You didn't bring up whether anyone could tell the difference; you asked if anyone "needed" them. You obviously don't "need" an SLR, even if you can tell the difference. Thus, irony. Happy to walk you through it again if you still can't keep up.

Is this a great thing, or a curse? What might be if the pro circuit/UCI was much more open to crazy invention?

It's called taking out of context and creative editing.

And i don't need a bicycle at all. I can walk for exercise and drive for transportation.

Let me know when you get your new bars and how much faster you are.

The context was literally on the same line. Which part that I cut changes what I kept?

And I don't need or want these bars... but I do understand the use case. There have been times I would have wanted them. Unlike you, I'm not calling them stupid for existing.

Yes, I race. No, that has absolutely nothing to do with the discussion.

I can't figure out if you're intentionally trying to lead this conversation in a particular direction, or if you genuinely have no clue what you're asking or talking about.

I'm leaning towards the latter.

That you're asking this type of elementary question shows you're just talking out of your rear with zero knowledge or understanding of this thread.

Most people in such a situation would just shut up and read and try to figure it out on their own without repeatedly asking banal and obtuse questions. Not sure why you're so intent on showcasing said ignorance and lack of understanding.

A true exercise in futility with this guy.

Huh?

Exactly.

Hey... my meds finally kicked it so please disregard the up posts.

And have a lovely day.

https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum...d7fa66d1fa.jpg

What a bizarre treble-down.

There was no conjecture on my part about the 70mm stem. If you would have followed the link that I'd provided or read the quote that I'd copied and pasted, you would know that this info comes from the manufacturer. Since you can't be bothered to read facts that I've provided, I'm going to take my leave. You can feel free to keep wasting your time trying to size his set-up via CSI: Bike Forums examination of a wide-angle pic with massive perspective distortion, though, so that you can compare your fit to that of this young man who is an outlier of outliers - makes *perfect* sense.

Funny how heated these things have gotten people.

A track version would be interesting. Of course no hoods (form a bump in the front of the bar?) but the idea might work better than that the 3T sphinx.

You misunderstand my meaning of "conjecture." I certainly did not mean an insult. Rather I meant that your example of a set of ABBs is invented but possible since they are all custom. I guess you did not read past that word. I did follow the link and read the information, indeed looked for more.

Another general observation: I've been designing and building custom artefacts for decades. My guess is that there is exactly one set of ABBs built, the set shown on the Kaga bike. Looking at the Speeco website, it's very noticeable that the "photos" on the website don't look like the set of bars on that bike. I doubt those website images are photos - rather they are digital design representations which do not match the dimensions of the Kaga bars. There are no photos of these or other similar bars on their website. They built that one set and photographed it.

Is it pro or is it "pro"?

Is oversized jockey wheels a euphemism?

Anyone know what kind of shoes he's wearing? Thanks in advance.

Now for the snarky part of the post. That's a lot of seatpost showing. I'd be worried it was going to snap.
And, when did the pros starting riding 24" wheeled bikes? :D

Looks like a good design for solo riders chasing PRs, some time trials with limited climbing -- especially if aero bars are prohibited, such as the January 2020 Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina. The time trial stage prohibited purpose-designed TT bikes in order to give all participants an equal chance. Perhaps that type of drop bar would have been acceptable instead of conventional drops.

If a more affordable variation becomes available I'd try it for my solo rides chasing PRs. My busted up neck can't handle aero bars, but a drop bar that enables efficiently tucking into the forearms-parallel-with-ground position on the hoods? That could well work in my area which has no mountains and few climbs that demand getting out of the saddle.

Yeah, the real market for that design could be the Strava folks.

Strava fans have better, cheaper options.

Is there a cheaper version of that Speeco bar, or something similar? I've tried aero bars on my drops but, nah, can't get comfortable with 'em.