Help me choose a set of handlebars..Nitto...Salsa?
 

I recently got a bike and I am wanting to change out the handlebars. Currently I have the Easton EC90 Carbon bars and I'm not really liking them. Ideally I would like a set of bars with a short drop and ones where I can get the hoods more on the top of the bars. I have a inch or so drop from my saddle to the bars and I'm wanting to sit up as much as possible.
The bars I'm looking at are the Nitto Noodle, Nitto Randonneur, Salsa Poco and the Salsa Bell Lap.
I am leaning more towards the bars from Nitto and think I like the Randonneur the best.....But I wanted to find out some some of you that have actually used these bars. Will the Randonneur bars allow me to mount the brakes up higher on the bar so that I don't have as much drop to the brakes as with some of the other bars? They look like they sweep up just a bit which might be an added benefit as well.
Any suggestions from users?

I tried the Nitto Randonneur. They were 44's but the measurement was at the bar ends rather than the hoods, which were three inches narrower. I mounted brifters on them but the angle was odd due to the way they swept in, the levers flared out. Riding on the hoods pulled my shoulders in and made them very uncomfortable. Replaced them after thirty miles with an Italian bar, old stock my LBS sold cheap, similar to the Ritchey BioMax. The Nitto Randonneurs are in the garage waiting to go on Ebay. I recommend against them.

Al

I have the Bell Lap. It a nice bar. Mine are 46cm. The curve of the bar at the brake levers seems a really natural place to put your hands. They're much better than the Ritchey Biomax or Easton Carbons I've had on this bike and other bikes.

You can see how the drops flare out in these pictures.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...e/IMG_0172.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...e/IMG_0171.jpg

I've used salsa bell laps and short & shallows for touring and much prefer the S&S's. Bell Laps hurt my wrist. Poco is nice too for smaller folks - my wife has them on her bike.

The nitto noodle bars are heaven for long distance riding. Set the brake levers high and the ramp into the lever body is pretty much flat. Highly recommended.

Thread Hijack:

cyccomute - What is the "Space Bar" you have mounted from your bars with the light attachment? My bars are too big at the center to hook up the clamp on the Planet Bike light I have. Looks like what I need for my lights. It would interfer with the handle bar bag unless I mounted it off to one side.

Al

I'm a Modolo guy myself....here's what I ride. (the 6 bend type)

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Old-Stock-Mo...QQcmdZViewItem

some folks like the more classic rounded drops of the Nitto or Salsa bars.

All these bars have shallow drops and work well with bar end shifters or STI brifters.

I'd shop around and try to get a buy for less than $30 and EBAY them if you don't like them and get another style.

It's all personal choice.

It comes from Performance. I modified it with a piece of 1" aluminum tube since the stock bar is a little small. Minoura also makes a version one called the Swing Grip which is adjustable.

Look here for a picture of it mounted on a stem which would solve your problem. I have read that the Swing Grip is a little flimsy but I've never used one.

My experience with the Randonneurs was similar to Trek Al's. I liked them in the drops, but on the hoods, they felt cramped. On long rides, my wrists would end up pretty sore.

Your performance space bar IS a rebadged minoura swing grip, version 1. The nashbar listed one is newer version 2. I have a version 2 and its very solid for the intended application. Not flimsy. Version 2 is a bit longer and has additional articulation point so it can mount above stem as in nashbar pic below. I use mine to hold 2-3 tailights further back, so my legs don't hit the wide ones (cateye ld1000).

http://www.minoura.co.jp/index-et.html <-- see accessory

http://www.nashbar.com/profile_morei...832&brand=1184

The Perf. wheel truing stand is also a minoura. Repair stand, etc. Performance's only original gear is clothing and tires - everything else is somebody else's product thats been rebadged. Funny thing is, the originals are often cheaper than Perf, and sometimes a little better or prettier.

Minoura produces some excellent value bike products - not the best, but biggest bang for buck.

I know that but I was trying to keep the confusion factor down.;)

My wife and I have tried several of these bars. My favorite is Nitto Randonneur and my wife likes Ritchey BioMax. I use the larger of the two sizes available for the Randonneur on my road bike with Campy brifters. They're the best bars I've ever had. My hands are directly under my shoulders on the hoods and a bit wider in the drops. The flare with the brifters doesn't bother me at all. My wife really likes an "ergo bend" (I don't) so she ended up with the BioMax after trying Nittos, Salsas, Profile Design and others. The Salsa S&S had too much ramp. The Bell Lap may have had the same problem. I've got some wider bars and narrower bars on different bikes and, as I said before, I like having my hands directly below my shoulders on the hoods. A wider stance is much less comfortable for me.

Bars are pretty personal. You won't find one everybody agrees is the best. Some people even like flat bars for some unfathomable reason. :)