Recommend me some road drops
 

Going to be doing a 5 day tour later in the year on a rented road bike. Will be training on my fixed gear and wanted to set it up more like a road bike with standard road drops and hoods (either one non-functional or a dummy tandem lever thing).

Anyone have some recommendations for road drops? Would be great if there were some that fit a 25.4 stem as I have several but if I need to switch to a 31.8 to get a better selection I'd do it. Cheap would be good but not essential.

Was thinking maybe these for 25.4:

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...7&category=635

Not sure if double grooves would be annoying.

or these for 31.8

http://www.retro-gression.com/produc...drop-handlebar

Nitto noodle or fsa wing pro. This is kind of a controversial topic though.

You're gonna have to consider the reach and drop and find out what you'll be comfortable with.

Edit: Eff it, just read this, and if you have any sort of preferences, you'll know what to get:
http://ruedatropical.com/2009/03/roa...-bar-geometry/

I just switched to noodles, very happy so far.

noodles for me

is there anything else?

I have Easton ea50, and I'm pretty comfortable with them

Penne?

I find my FSA Wing Pro's pretty comfortable.

Definitely prefer bars like the compact drops where the tops are more flat with bars properly angled than bars where the hoods sit down more on the curves. Will look at the FSA's and the Deda RHM 02 compact drop as well as the hood rats. Have had noodles in the past and probably want more like a modern road bar.

Probably something more like this (poached from another thread http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/...1723d80c_b.jpg

ITM Wing Triango
FSA Wing Pro
3t Ergonovas
Retrogression Hood Rat (I actually think these are awesome budget bars)

pick your poison

The ergonovas and the wing pros have very similar shapes, except the wing pros flare out a little. I like the flare cause my forearms don't rub against the top of the bars when out of the saddle and sprinting.

EFF ESS AYE WING PROS bro.

And if you want a cheap version of the FSA Wing Pro, you can always get the Dimension Flat Top Compact Drop Bar, unless you care about the branding.

The straight on photo of those Dimension bars makes them look like the do not have the outward flared drops. That's one of the nicest features of the Wing Pro bars and makes them worth every cent more that they cost.

Anyone have any thoughts about the flat tops of the Wing Pro vs the round topped Omegas? Never used the flat tops before. Would think they are more comfy unless you don't like the angle the drops sit at when the tops are flat.

Deda RHM01

It's a preference thing. You'll never know until you try it because everyone's geometry is different. Maybe try it at your LBS before buying. I have Omegas and I like em. Never cared for WP's flat tops when I considered them.

Cool. Thanks for all the opinions.

Anyone have recommendations for a 31.8 stem to got with them priced well below Thomson level but still nice.

soma's highway 1's are nice compact drops. FSA has some nice compact drops as well

Most of my bikes have bars with a wing style bar. I love that flat portion.