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Rigid + Alt BarSS

17K views 81 replies 37 participants last post by  mtnbiker72 
#1 ·
I am looking for inspiration and would love to try alt bars. Stem length and angle info would be nice too. Thanks! :thumbsup:
 
#54 ·
warning geared content

the Blizzard as requested. The idea with this bar was to shorten the reach. Ideally I ride 16.5"-18" bikes, this 19" was just slightly long. I have long legs for my height so standover is rarely an issue. I tried the FME in the drop position, the reach was okay but it was needlessly low. With the bar on the rise this bike is supremely comfortable and a real gas to ride.





 
#2 ·
What alt bars? I've used 17,27,40 degree sweeps and drop bars....Marys are easily my favorite especially on the SS but drops are fun in a scary kind of way...They all set up different I'd be happy to share my experiences
 
#3 ·
i am thinking of a mary knock-off, the space off road 2. cosidered a drop bar but i think road levers is a prerequisite, so that's not happening. i am wondering though if my 70mm stem is long enough for an alt bar config.
 
#5 ·
i am thinking of a mary knock-off, the gary off road 2. cosidered a drop bar but i think road levers is a prerequisite, so that's not happening. i am wondering though if my 70mm stem is long enough for an alt bar config.
The marys forward sweep, not sure about the Gary? This means you can use your current stem...although I personally find 10-20mm longer works well as the different hand position can "feel" like you are closer in reach. On my trail bike I still use a short stem as I like the upright feel.
The tilt of the bars is the most important thing, even a slight tilt changes the bar feel and height quite a lot. I like mine tilted quite a lot but you'll need to play with them and see.

You would need brakes specific to drops to go that route.
 
#4 ·
Carbon/Kevlar Ragley Carnegie's work well for me. 685mm, 25 degree sweep, 31.8mm rise with a bit of forward sweep and I use them with a Thomson 90mm 10 degree stem inverted.

edit to add: I previously used Salsa ProMoto carbon bars with 17 degree sweep, no rise and also on a 90mm stem. The Ragleys stretch me a little bit further, but they're designed so that you won't need to change your stem if you swap from standard bars.



 
#6 ·
edit to add: I previously used Salsa ProMoto carbon bars with 17 degree sweep, no rise and also on a 90mm stem. The Ragleys stretch me a little bit further, but they're designed so that you won't need to change your stem if you swap from standard bars.
thanks steve, nice info and those ragley's are beaut. i am currently using 50mm on riser and the thing is dialed, so i still have to see if 70mm is good enough (hopefully).
 
#9 ·
I am not a huge fan of alt bars. I've had both of Misfit Pscyles FU bars, the Mary and something else... I liked the FU2 the best and used it for over a year. Then I put a riser with a 5 degree sweep on my commuter and I noticed I was getting more torque on it than my wider FU2. The Mary and the FUbar had too much sweep. 100mm on the FUbars, 80mm with the Mary, by the way, don't remember the angle, but not much. 15 or 5 degrees.

I had a WTB drop bar too. Drop bars are pretty cool for descending. Once you are in the hooks you can keep your hands really loose without much risk of losing control. But I hated climbing with them, or navigating tech sections.

So **** it. 660mm flat/risers are where it is at. As in the minimum. I have a 29" bar on my SS right now and I think it is amazing. Probably can't go much wider though, or I'll have to put my face on the stem. I use a 90mm stem with the 29" bar and 660 gets the 80mm. Makes no sense, I know...
 
#10 ·
i do have 28" bars and love it too except that i do experience numbness, tingling fingers once in a while.

maybe i'll hate the alts or maybe not, i think it is worth the gamble. carnegies are sure drool worthy, and quite impressed with that 50mm stem. anyone willing to do a trade? :D
 
#12 ·
I've used Marys, Origin 8 Space Bar OR (now on my SSCX bike), and am currently running Misfit FUbars (with 100mm stem) on my Dissent, and they are perfect. I just wish I could get them in Carbon...

I'm looking hard at the Carnegie Carbons, less sweep (25mm vs 33mm on the FUbar), but more rise (31mm vs 26mm) and wider.

Stevob- How do the Carnegies ride? Any better or worse than a aluminum bar?
 
#13 ·
Stevob- How do the Carnegies ride? Any better or worse than a aluminum bar?
I feel that they ride much better than the carbon Salsa bars I had. A little wider, giving more leverage for climbing, and (for me at least) the perfect amount of sweep back. I bought these bars looking for something stronger than the Salsa bars, with better climbing traits (width and sweep) and I got that but what I didn't expect from them was a huge increase in downhill control. I've gained so much more speed downhill now that I'm using the Carnegie's. Downhills were always my weak point. Now I'm just as fast (if not faster) than most of my mates who use squishy forks.

As for comfort, there's no comparison between these and my aluminium Mary bars. The Carnegie's win hands down.

The only downside is that the paint on mine is cracking, and they're yellowing a little too. They come in black paint or raw kelvar finishes also.
 
#14 ·
I'd like to give the Salsa Bend bars a go. The Carnegies are great, but I wouldn't mind a slighly wider bar for trail riding and leverage - something the Salsa Bend bars offer.

The Carnegies are an improvement on the On-One Mary Bars IMHO because they are a bit wider than Mary Bars.
 
#15 ·
IMG_4977sm

mary with a 70mm stem (I think it is short whatever length it is). I run the stem upside down for lower handlebar height. For me this is the killer technical AZ trail setup: rocky, tight, steep and loose.

IMG_5745

I have used the fleegle and all assortments of handlebars from original Tange Prestige high bend cromo bars in the late 80's through no bend bars in the 90's through all kids of riser in the late 90's early aughts to the fleegle then the mary. The mary is hands down the best bar I have used since and especially so on a rigid application (which prior to fat front I was just using a standard 29er wheel and tire but it also is well suited to the fat front),
 
#17 ·
I have used the fleegle and all assortments of handlebars from original Tange Prestige high bend cromo bars in the late 80's through no bend bars in the 90's through all kids of riser in the late 90's early aughts to the fleegle then the mary. The mary is hands down the best bar I have used since and especially so on a rigid application (which prior to fat front I was just using a standard 29er wheel and tire but it also is well suited to the fat front),
Blah, blah... is that The Enabler you got there?
 
#32 ·
It's got a minty XT drivetrain that shall remain on so I won't be able to post it in this forum, I'll post it in the Rocky forum next week after the bar arrives. The bike is being repurposed.

I purchased in USD, I have a frame and fork coming also, that are SS. I wonder if Misfit deal with overseas manufacturers in USD?
 
#34 ·
review

got mine and loving it. i like the knee clearance when cranking off the saddle, plenty wide and hands is in relaxed position. mind you, this is my commuter so i can't relate it when going downhill and turning on technicals. downside for me is it turns slow and understeer, maybe not used to it still. but for commuting on straights, leverage and knee clearance, i give it 4/5. :thumbsup:

using 70mm stem with 0 deg rise.



 
#35 ·
got mine and loving it. i like the knee clearance when cranking off the saddle, plenty wide and hands is in relaxed position. mind you, this is my commuter so i can't relate it when going downhill and turning on technicals. downside for me is it turns slow and understeer, maybe not used to it still. but for commuting on straights, leverage and knee clearance, i give it 4/5. :thumbsup:

using 70mm stem with 0 deg rise.



OMG that Breezer is DOPE! I can never find anything good like that to build up as a 2nd bike.

I just received my Salsa bend bars in 23 degree and an 80mm 25 degree Salsa Pro-Moto stem (replacement for the recalled Cro-Moto), and I am stoked to get them on my XXIX this weekend. I went with the higher rise stem to try to get my bar height up a bit, mine is the non-suspension corrected version and with the short head tube on the medium I stuggle with getting my bars up enough to not cause lower back pain without using a ton of spacers. I'll post a pic when I get them mounted up.
 
#36 ·
I've got the Carnegie carbon bar on my GF Rig. Had a carbon bar with a slight arc prior to this. Both were good, but I have less fatigue with this one. Great control, great feel, and looks like a "townie" bike (so says a buddy of mine.)

 
#42 ·
I have tried Marys, too flexy by far; Carnegies, not enough control space leaving my brakes too close to my grips; and Fubars which have turned me back into a rigid riding monster. Don't worry about specifics, what works for me in stem length and pitch of the bars may not for you. I tend to prefer a short effective stem and bars that turn down at the ends even when using conventional bars so I have about fifteen degrees of downturn and use a 100mm stem which puts my hands around where a 60-70 stem would put me with a nine degree conventional bar.
 
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