the Perfect Bars
 

OK i have tried a lot of bars over the years for city commuting. Bullhorns come close, if they are narrow enough, but I really don't like the stretched-forward position as a way to get low--I need drops.

My old '80s Cinelli bars come pretty close to perfect, but A.) the drop is a little too deep and B.) 26.4mm clamp diameter does not fly with threadless stems I have found. Another "almost right" is the Nitto 135 Randonneur bars--120mm drop is great, but they are too wide (45cm). Also the tops slope what feels like the wrong way to me.

I also tried out some Deda shallow drops, but I couldn't shell out $100 for not quite shallow enough (135mm drop) bars with grooves on the top.

So I apologize for coming off so damn picky, but can anyone point me to a bar that fits the following criteria:

* under 130mm drop
* 40cm or under width
* no "ergo" bumps or grooves (or at least, only one, inner, groove)
* ideally 26.0mm clamp diam., 25.4 could work too

or hey, if you know where I could get some fabricated, post that too... thanks!!!


P.S. I have searched the forums and all the bike sites I know obsessively, this is kind of a last resort

you might try a used bike shop with a lot of 30 year old junkers out back. that's how i got mine that seem to match your description pretty well. $5.

As posted above, older bars fit this perfectly as long as you don't care about weight. Generally, they'll be steel and quite heavy, though you might luck out and find an aluminum bar.

well yeah I guess I didn't mention weight. Thanks jhnmark and treechunk. I could live with steel. But suppose I wanted Al, any ideas?

There were some bars made that match all your criteria, they're just less common than the steel ones.

I have this on one of my bikes. It's light and comes close
http://www.speedgoat.com/product.asp...t=20&brand=216

There is a heavier version that costs about half as much.
It's a nice bar.

sorry, not close enough! (I suck, I know.)

Salsa short&shallow: 144mm drop (too deep), plus ergo bulges and a groove on the outside

The Nitto Noodle (model 177) matches your needs except they don't go quite to 40cm and it's a little deeper than you like.

But they're basically the same as what you'd find if you went and dug through your LBS's box of old bars from the early 80s.

I have Cinelli pista alloy shallow drop.. check it out...

wait it's 26.4

check out on one's midge.
http://www.on-one.co.uk/index.php?mo...N_position=7:7

also check out on one's mungo. they're the same bar as the wtb mountain drop. wtb stopped making them and on one finally re-created them. i think they're hot stuff.

thanks bostontrevor.

Nitto Noodle (177) 41cm / 140mm drop

it looks like they made the "mouth" of the drops more closed, i.e. the drops are more parallel to the hood position. That might make the drop functionally a little less deep. I may well try these out.

isotopesope, thanks but the On-One bars are all wider than I need (to slip between traffic). They do look cool though...

Have you looked at the Nitto 115 or 105's? The drop is a little more than you want (140mm) but the 105's go down to 37cm and they have no grooves or anything. Very plain, old school bars. 25.4 centers but I've never had problem with Nittos in standard 26mm stems without a shim. My wife has these prefect bars on her Bianchi Eros Donna, they are super small Modolos but I've never been able to find a pair. Salsa Pocos are another option. The 36cm model has no grooves but they are anatomic 140mm drop.

nightfly, yeah the Nitto 115 seems like it would basically do what my old Cinelli did with a smaller clamp diameter (and maybe slightly squarer tops?). I'm really hoping for a shallower drop... but if I give up on that I might wind up at the 115.

Ritchey WCS Classic?
40cm c-c. 82mm reach. 135mm drop. single groove (i think). 25.8 mm clamp

close... but 135 is not that much shallower than 140, and it's double groove. On a side note, 25.8mm clamp?!

yup, non-oversized ritchey bars are 25.8mm


got $200? :D
Easton EC90 Pro.
40 cm c-c, 75mm reach, 130 drop, grooveless (?) carbon, 26.0 or 31.8mm clamp, 180g!

when i get back from school in a few weeks i'm going to work on making a combination bull horn/drop bars, because i like both. message me sometime, and if they turn out well, i may be able to make multiple sets.

Hmm... well putting aside the price, they have "anatomic" bulges. Also, instead of grooves they have a 'Proprietary anatomical "D" shape top-section for single/double cable compatibility without sacrificing strength and stiffness.' I wonder how that feels without the cable(s).

But yeah good digging baxtefer!

the perfect bars are the one you like and ride forever.

S/F<
CEYA!

These are my favorite....

Check out the Salsa "Estrada" bar -- it comes in two sizes, the smaller of which matches your criteria *almost* perfectly: http://www.salsacycles.com/comps_handlebars.html

Some of the Estrada's specs:
- Traditional round bend, double-groove
- 26.0mm clamp
- 121mm drop, 65mm reach, 38-40 sizes

yeah so close--but those damn cable grooves! I remember being pretty unhopeful about fillling them in satisfactorily, last time it was discussed on the board...

the pros are bulgeless. (or am i misinterpreting your idea of bulges?)
from the looks of the cross-section i don't think the D-shape would feel too bad.

http://www.eastonbike.com/images/pro...ec90_r8_c1.gif