More Bars & Bargains

 

No, not the sort licenced to sell intoxicating liquors. The quiet of Christmas is very welcome and without fail, results in bike-related revisions- whether it's midwinter maintenance- wholesale cable replacement, rings, chains etc, or more specific upgrades.

The festive season can also give rise to expensive flights of fancy- framesets, fork(s), groupsets- unplanned stuff that seems like a great idea in the moment but can contribute to the January fiscal hangover.  

 I turned my attentions to bars. While generally very attached to the WTB Dirt Drops, I find the drop and reach slightly off- too long and deep. It’s worth noting that I am broad across the shoulders but proportionally short in the torso, so getting the front end blissful can require some trial and error. Bike fits are an excellent investment and certainly reduce the guesswork.

Given both the Soma Condor TEST: SOMA CONDOR HANDLEBAR and WTB “in stock” there wasn’t any outlay, just experimentation. I wanted to continue this tradition, without being pointlessly tight. Genetic D-Riser 16 GENETIC D RISER 16 BARS | cycling-not-racing was the obvious contender with its 75mm reach and offered an extra 20mm rise.  

However, I fancied something with a shallower drop. Some NOS Ridgeback Gravel Drops going for proverbial pennies came under my radar. While the Ridgeback don’t feature any rise, they have an 8-degree flare, mm reach, drop. I’d also had half an eye on Genetic’s Digest, which feature a very favourable 76mm reach and 110mm drop.  

One thing led to another, and I found myself acquiring a set of each. It didn’t take me long before I switched Denise’s WTB Dirt drops for the Genetic Digest. Thankfully, though it took a while to port everything over, prune a brake cable outer and similar quick tweaks, no replacements required- this also applied to the Ergon Orthocell Bar Tape Ergon Orthocell Handlebar Tape | cycling-not-racing.

Out on the road, the Digest’s flare is very discernible and gives tremendous leverage, which, aside from trail duties is particularly helpful if you’re towing a trailer, or tagalong. That said, coming from a traditional road bar, steering will feel barge-like to begin with.

Another similarity with On-One’s Midge, they open the chest cavity, which really helps when powering up the climbs- great for cyclo cross, or indeed climbing on the fixed. The only other significant consideration is that greater width can make navigating tight spaces trickier- negotiating congested traffic, or indeed doorways.  

I’ve decided I’ll keep the Ridgeback as spares, should Muffins’ D-riser 4 show any signs of fatigue. As with Ursula, I’ve reach and height absolutely bang on for my needs. Though I’m a fettler, the old saying “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” resonates strongly.      

Another thing to consider when choosing drops, at least for mixed terrain, or indeed, dedicated trail duties (as distinct from cyclo cross, where there’s a lot of dis and re-mounting when things get more technical) is the bar’s uniformity, meaning that lights and other accessories are easily mounted-at the desired angles. 

I’d contemplated retiring the Giant Continuum 9 function computer, but found replacing the batteries, giving the contacts a quick squirt of maintenance spray restored the original performance and appears to have addressed some connectivity issues, especially when riding through areas of high electrical interference. A New Old Stock Blackburn Atom 4 (the wireless version) may well be finding its way to Ursula, assuming I can successfully troubleshoot some minor niggles.

 New contact points and indeed, adjustments always feel different to begin with, hence I leave things set that way for a couple of hundred miles and tweak accordingly

Obviously, a longer threadless steerer and spacer play will have the same effect and overcomes some of the limitations of quill stems and in this instance, adaptors. However, I should also point out, higher end models such as this Profile design are infinitely superior to the generic types found on auction sites. Yes, I’ve used those and they’re adequate, but that’s it.   

Several months down the line. I’m also very impressed by the Wolf Tooth Morse Bottle Cages Wolf Tooth Morse Steel Bottle Cage | cycling-not-racing. Ours were the stainless versions combining a timeless aesthetic with high degrees of adjustability and bottle tenure is excellent. 

 

Revisions & Regaining Trust

 

I’d found myself a little tentative, following the blowout and subsequent long walk home with Denise. Rationally, I’d switched the tube, replaced the rim tape- both fresh, so no reason I’d succumb to a mechanical. I’d also given the cassette and chain a good clean, stripping the Peaty’s Link Lube All Weather for its dry counterpart. The chain was worn to .5, so still had some life, maybe three hundred miles, depending on conditions.

Against this backdrop, I’d decided the best tactic was to pop out on a shorter evening loop-8 miles, taking in some gravel and rougher roads, ruling out any tyre, or tube issues and also getting a better idea of how the big wide, swoopy WTB bars would improve control in these contexts.

I’m still very fond of the original Soma Condor TEST: SOMA CONDOR HANDLEBAR and would recommend them to those seeking a shallow reach drop, whether it be a cyclo cross, touring, or drop bar mountain bike. However, the WTB Mountain Road Drop definitely have an edge on the control front off road. I’d forgotten how good they were and so glad I kept them. On-One’s Midge were another surprisingly good budget buxom bar and these were also available in 25.4 and 31.8, catering for old school mountain bike stems and obviously, more contemporary models.

The larger diameter was less whippy, giving a more direct feel on the road but without feeling harsh off road. Aside from the control factor, flared drops open the chest cavity further, improving climbing prowess on longer ascents, which is something I’ve traditionally enjoyed on the fixed gear winter trainer.

However, I’ve settled to subtle riser drops, these Genetic D-Riser 4 GENETIC DRISER 4 HANDLEBARS | cycling-not-racing have struck the best balance for road duties, their D-Riser 16 GENETIC D RISER 16 BARS | cycling-not-racing arguably win by a nose if gravel, cyclo cross and possibly trailer tugging duties are your primary duties.

The other advantage the Genetic offer over the likeable Soma is uniform diameter across the top section, meaning accessories are easier to fit.  More subtle designs such as the Genetic also have an advantage when riding into headwinds, given the narrower surface area.      

Five miles under the tyres, turning right along a section of disused airfield I began to relax, engaging with the evening sun and letting rip. Though I hadn’t intended to change the bars, this proved an inspired choice and sensibly undertaken when the bike was already awaiting minor work. I’ll switch the Leatt Endurance 6.0 over to Denise and the M540 back to Muffin.

The Leatt 6.0 have proven very impressive on the fixed. The Cro-moly axles and 6061 bodies provide a very rigid, supportive platform, which was particularly apparent when climbing out of the saddle or otherwise accelerating hard. Obviously, Muffin’s relatively lofty bottom bracket and 165mm cranks help, but there’s generous clearance, so no fear of grounding a pedal during enthused cornering. The black anodised finish is also wearing well with the regular clippings in and out. Bearings are not only incredibly well sealed but employ needle and ball bearings.  It will be interesting to see how they fare off road.    

Staying with off road rubber a moment, here’s my review of the CST Patrol CST Patrol Folding EPS Tyres | cycling-not-racing

I’d had Muffin’s Giant Continuum 9 Wireless Computer head unit go rogue. Changing the CR2032 cell seemed the most obvious solution-the sensor cells can go with little warning, regardless of whether premium or generic cells are used. I always apply a thin lick of Vaseline or silicone grease to the contacts, optimising connectivity, while sealing the elements out.

However, the head unit would not calibrate correctly, so I decided to salvage what I could- CR2032 cell, fork sensor and silicone casing, since Ursula and Denise still run them. I’ve had a year’s service out of it, and some might say my £9 worth. I spotted some NOS Blackburn computers and went for a pair, just in case another of the Continuum should fail unexpectedly.    I’ll close here with this review of the Velo Tool Mini Adjustable Torque Wrench Velo Tool Mini Adjustable Torque Wrench | cycling-not-racing