Has anyone tried the Origin 8 Pro-lite compact handlebar with the 26.0 clamp? There aren't really good pics of it online to show the bend. The Origin 8 site says it has a large flat center section for comfort. Does this mean a regular old quill stem won't be able to slide onto the bar? Oh, it only comes in black also. I rode my friend's Cannondale with a compact bar and it felt perfect. Anyone try these bars? Thanks

Link: https://www.origin-8.com/?page_id=91&...cl1=HANDLEBARS

I like the Ritchey Bio Max I have on my cross bike. Good ultra ergo shape, shallow drops and nice large flats.
JensonUSA has some deals on bars with 26.0 you might look at.

I got some fairly recent Cinelli b-groove bars at my LBS. They're 26.0 and have a modest depth bend. Pretty affordable...

THEJAPINO, I have to wonder if the flat section will even be that noticeable once the bar is taped and you're possibly wearing gloves.

Brad

Oh, I don't mind how it would look or feel. I don't usually ride in the tops. My biggest concern is if whether the flat spot will keep me from sliding a quill stem clamp onto this bar. Specs are 70mm reach, 120mm drop. Supposedly in this new 'compact' that I like. I put in an order with my LBS and the bar is backordered until the 1st if April so we'll see how it goes...

EDIT: here is the compact shape I want.

Found one! I polished the center section(shot-peeked finish, I hate you), wedged the quill open with pry bars and finessed (forcefully) it onto the bars.

Before:


After:

Was it worth the effort? Quite a difference WRT drop.

Brad

I gave it a quick spin up and down the street last night after finishing the install. "Confidence inspiring" is what I would call it. I have short arms so riding in the drops before was an awkward position for me. The saddle to bar drop combined with the depth of the handlebar made it feel unnatural for extended periods of time. During fast descents, I felt I would soon "tip over".

With the new setup, the drops actually feel usable. It has a bit longer reach but it feels ok because I'm not so hunched over anymore. I feel more stable climbing out of the saddle and on the hoods b/c of the reach.

In summary, the new bars/stem changed the bikes behavior from twitchy to stable. A good ride is planned for Monday! Let you know how it goes.

Worth it

Did you find it locally(Bay area?) or order it off Amazon? What were the previous bars?
I think I'd like to try the same.

The other choice would be the Bontrager VR-C which has a slightly different shape with a little more reach and deeper drop.

get these instead: https://store.somafab.com/hwyonebar.html

Anybody know if the Origin8 bars are single or double groove. From the pictures it looks like single.

Single groove in front. Actually it's a very shallow almost non existent groove.

Found it locally through the Bontrager site. I did a 'find a retailer' search and called each store until I found someone to stocked it. Tip Top Bike Shop in Oakland stocked it.

EDIT: so far, it looks like our options for 26.0 compact handlebars are Bontrager SSR VR-C, Origin8 Pro-Lite Compact, and SomaFab Hwy One (available in silver finish).

nitto has a few 26.0 compacts. 42mm widest.

very, very expensive last few months due to the yen.

Oh yeah, forgot that one. Nitto M106 neat. Isn't it around $100?

Nitto model 136AA -

Reach is 100 mm and drop is 128 mm. Clamp diameter is 26.0. Available in 40, 42 and 44 cm widths.



https://www.jitensha.com/eng/nittorandbar.html

Just to be clear, the bars you went with are the Bontrager SSR VR-C correct?

Yeah, that's it. Be prepared to spread a stem farther than a stem has ever been spread before!

THEJAPINO, would you mind sharing with me how you removed the black, shot-peened finish from the Bontrager bars? I'm getting the same bars, and I would like to do the same. Thank you in advance! (I'm sorry if you covered this in another thread. I did a search but couldn't find anything.)


-kevin

I think the general method involves heavy duty oven cleaner and lots of elbow grease.

Thank you, Bianchigirll! I appreciate the info. Sounds... "fun"? Ahem.

No but I wish they had their Prolite Alloy https://www.origin-8.com/?page_id=91&...cl1=HANDLEBARS as a 26.0 clamp and in silver alloy. I have this bar on my '07 Sirrus and it makes more sense than the drops that came stock on my '88. The drops on the '88 are 38cm wide and the drops are almost at the same level as the top of the fork. Which would be fine if I had the arm length of a Chimpanzee. As it is black bars would look out of place on the '88. Not to mention changing the stem out to riser and extension type to handle the 31.8 of this bar.

Reviving an old thread. I recently put Bontrager SSR VR-C bars (44 cm) on my Peloton and like them a lot. The tops are flat, short reach and drop, and the drops are very comfortable. I like them much better than the shallow drop Ritchey Classic or Oval Concepts I have on other bikes. To get the tops fairly flat on these, the drops angle down quite a bit.

I was able to get them on a Cinelli 1-A stem with a lot of wiggling and patience, the transition curve from the drop to top is tight and tough to get past. A Nitto Dynamic II would be perfect and still looking for one of those.

Happen to have any pictures of the new bars on the bike?

I confess I currently have it setup with a Profile H20 stem (the Cinelli was too long) and won't subject the community to the sight of that stem on a nice bike. I'll post a picture when I get a more appropriate stem.