Is there such a thing as CX specific handlebars?

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Permalink Reply by andrew on April 3, 2009 at 12:35am

Salsa has a 'cross bar, their Salsa Bell Lap Handlebars that are flared and wide - a style popular a while back among crossers and drop bar mtbers. I've seen ergolevers on 'em but it looks a bit strange. barcons were popular back then so that always looks the most at home on them to me.

go with what you're comfortable with. many folks like shallow drop for 'cross, and some don't even use the drops.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Clark on April 3, 2009 at 7:59am

andrew is pretty much spot on. i've used both Bell Laps and "regular" road drops and feel like the road drops are gonna be the ones i stick w/. another factor to think about though is frame geometry (sloping top tube?) or how you run your stem (+/- angle)... these things seem to effect how much "drop" i'm comfortable w/ in my choice of handlebars.

fwiw i bent my bell laps in a very muddy crash (ie not very severe) so you might consider that too

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Permalink Reply by andrew on April 3, 2009 at 11:32am

one other thing I thought of is that for in-line brake levers (if you like them), I particularly like the bio max design of ritchey - has a sweep back that works well, especially on wide bars, to give you a more mtb feel. 3t used to make some morphe bars that had a similar shape. i've got a pair of those somewhere.

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Permalink Reply by Rich on April 8, 2009 at 12:23am

I looked up the Biomax bars. I like the sweep but after working with the single groove Deda I have on the Bianchi now, I will not get another single groove bar. And I would rather a more traditional bend in the drops, not any of these "ergo" flat spots in the bends. I like a very flat transition from the tops to my campy ergos. The flat spot in the drops will work but dictates what angle the bar is set at, which compromises how I want the transition from the tops of the bar to my hoods.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Nowak on April 3, 2009 at 12:35pm

Bontrager used to make a CX specific bar, but I don't see them anymore on their website. It was a shorter drop and better anatomically with the brakes being higher on the bar. They were also compatible with the bar clamp on their Mtn. Stems. They also seemed a bit wider at a 44 then my 44 Ritchey's.

My $0.02

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Permalink Reply by the Professor on April 3, 2009 at 5:12pm

Look up a pair of SALSA bell laps. flared drops give you great leverage for muddy cornering.
be aware of sizing!
ie, 44's are 44cm at the "brake hoods" and 50cm wide at the ends of the drops.(where traditional bars are measured)

as far as traditional bars go my previous set ups were ITM anatomic 46's (road riding i would use a 44)
i would suggest using 31.8mm O/S bar/stem for added rigidity.

i was given a set of flat top "wing bars" ...got my money's worth with them....now as you might have guessed...back to Bell Laps'

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Permalink Reply by Rich on April 3, 2009 at 7:15pm

Well, I put a pic of my Bianchi on my Profile page so y'all can check it out. I have in-line brake levers and a 10 degree rise in my stem, if that helps. But, am I right, general consensus one size wider than you use on your road bike? Andrew, I like the sound of the Ritchey bars in this case. Thank you all.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Mayhew on April 7, 2009 at 12:31pm

I really like the VR bars. I have them on my road bike and cross bikes. They have a wide top which is nice w/o having to go a size up. However, for the road you will bang your wrists on the bars when sprinting in the drops.

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Permalink Reply by Rich on April 15, 2009 at 11:33pm

I think I am going with Deda 215s. I just haven't decided on deep or shallow drops. Both come in round bends (anatomical are available). They are dual groove and 26.0 diameter. I was thinking about upgrading to 31.8 but I have the coolest Bianchi stem ever, and I just can't give it up. And staying with Deda bars keeps the whole Italian theme. I'm getting really weird about stuff like that as I get older.

Thanks guys,
Rich

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Permalink Reply by Surly Bastard on April 30, 2009 at 12:49pm

I haven't done it but a buddy that also runs Campy says the classic bar (not ergo design) doesn't mix well with Campy hoods as it leaves no flat tops to hold and creates a little uncomfortable dip. My favorite bar - Ritchey with the ergo bend. Also I think that that Salsa Bell Lap was more style than substance. That abomination is the last thing I want in a packed race with bars sticking out into the crowd to get hooked by passing knees, or snagging tape in the turns. While I know a lot of people seem to go for wider bars I keep them narrow to wiggle through the tight spots. That Deda is a nice bar and if you've got the perfect matching stem keep it. And just think, if you're getting weird at such a young/old age, imagine how weird you'll be when you do get old!

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Permalink Reply by Rich on May 5, 2009 at 10:22am

"And just think, if you're getting weird at such a young/old age, imagine how weird you'll be when you do get old!"

I know, at 32, I'm kind of terrified! :D The past few years I've found myself lusting after Italian frames that I can't possibly afford, and trying to explain to my Shimano riding friends why estitics are as important as weight and performance. But if you think that sounds bad you should see my Mt. Bike, and I built that 6 years ago. I blame it on being a musician. That seems to work. :D

Back to bars. I just put a Bontrager RL with a VR bend and matching XXX stem on my road bike (Chorus erogs) and so far I like it. They kind of feel like ergo bend bars but without the "your hand must go here" feel that I don't like. The bars I took off my road bike were Cinelli Giro d'Italia classic bars (I bent them), and I got a flat top with those. I'm tall (6'2") and long armed and I angle the bar up to create the flat transition form bar to ergo. Then the bar end ends up pointing about at the RD. I like an angle at the drops, I think because of the way I end up reaching for them. If the drops were flat and level I think I'd get sore wrists. But thank you for the input. It's funny how different people set-ups are, and what works for who. When I get the Deda (not for a while) I'll post an update with pictures.

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Permalink Reply by Cincicycles on May 5, 2009 at 10:47am

I run a Bell Lap bar and absoultely love it. When my hands are in the drops, my wrists & forearms don't hit the flat part of the bar like they did with more conventional bars, like my FSA K-Wing on my old Litespeed, or Kestrel EMS. They do flare quite a bit, but I think they rock! I'm considering the WTB Dirt Drop bar for the fall which has even more flare. The hoods seem to be in a nice neutral position I think as well. Just my 2 cents.

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