The Radavist

After riding the PNW Components Coast handlebar for almost a year, John’s got a lot of praise for them, along with a few notes. Let’s check out this short-reach drop-bar below…

Our friends at Sklar Bikes have some exciting news today: the steel “Tall Tale” 29er hardtail mountain bike and the new aluminum handlebar called the “PBJ Bar” are available and shipping now! Let’s look at the details of both below…

Tumbleweed’s Big Dipper and Pursuader handlebars ($125) are now offered in a high polished finish – the polished Persuader bars were sneak-peeked in our Off-Course Bike Shop Visit and come in the 20º and 30º (our fav) back sweep. For those wanting to find a modern, wide handlebars for an all-silver build, these do the trick. Check out our reviews of these bars in the Related archives below.

See more at Tumbleweed Bikes.

Welp, that didn’t take long. Just a couple days ago, Travis shared his first impressions of Forge+Bond’s prototype handlebar, but we didn’t know what it would cost. And we didn’t know when—or if—it would come to market. That may not seem like a normal way to announce a product, but this isn’t a normal product. 

Forge+Bond is probably doing a bunch of ongoing experiments with Fusion Fiber, their signature thermoplastic carbon material (see our first post about Forge+Bond for more details). The handlebars probably happened to be far enough along that they wanted to see what people thought. And maybe they saw a big uptick in traffic from the handful of reviews and handful of teasers that have been circulating. So, they picked a date and a price. The date is today, and the price is $265.

We’ve ridden a handful of Fusion Fiber wheels, and we always wonder when this unique approach to carbon fiber might make the leap to other components. Well, we can keep on wondering, but the prototype handlebar that Forge+Bond sent to Travis last month has us thinking about the future.

Titanium handlebars and titanium seatposts are two great ways to soften the ride quality of your bike without going to suspension components. Crust Bikes pinged longtime buddy Darren Larkin to bend up some mighty fine titanium bars in the same spec as the Juan Bar. We recommend pairing 22.2⌀ clamp bars with a 22.2⌀ Paul Boxcar stem!

Specs:

• Made in Connecticut, USA
• Color Raw Ti
• Clamp Diameter 22.2⌀
• Width 750 mm
• Backsweep 45°
• Outer Diameter- 22.2mm
• Inner Diameter (At the Ends) 18.5mm
• Grip Area Length (End to Bend) ~180mm
• Weight 388g

Check out more at Crust Bikes.

The Columbus Trittico line includes handlebars, stems, seatposts, forks, and bottle cages. These components are designed blend seamlessly with a variety of frame materials. Let’s check them out.

The newest VentureMax model is the latest gravel bar by Ritchey to get the SuperLogic treatment, resulting in the SuperLogic VentureMax bar. Superlogic means lighter, more integrated, and faster feeling overall compared to the aluminum VentureMax. Let’s take a look!

Just when you think handlebars can’t get any weirder, Redshift Sports drops the Top Shelf. But after riding them for a week, Travis found they actually felt pretty normal. Whether that’s a good thing is up to you.

As one of the innovators of mountain bike handlebars, Ritchey knows a thing or two about designing them for modern riders. Let’s take a look at the new Comp Buzzard ($49.95) below…

Ride FARR just announced its first new product in some time; 60 mm and 120 mm Bolt-On Extenders for various cockpit configuations. Let’s check them out in detail below…

Sim Works’ trusty, Nitto-made dirt drop, the To Smile bar, is back in stock, and this round, it’s been updated with a 31.8 ⌀ clamp.

If you fancy yourself some steel or titanium bars from BTCHN’ Bikes, now’s the time. BTCHN’ is offering up 22.2 mm clamp bar stock in a number of rises (45 mm or 75 mm), 820mm, 800mm, 780mm or 760mm widths, 13° or 16° of backsweep, and a variety of finishes. All starting at $160 for steel or $290 for titanium. The pre-order runs from now until January 28th. The 4130 bars will ship out on February 19th, and the titanium bars will ship out on February 9th.

See more at BTCHN’ Bikes.

As gravel and touring bikes begin to adopt features like bigger tires and dropper posts, it seems that handlebars have been slow to keep up.

Sure, bars are getting wider. But there’s only so much you can do to make them taller. Unless, like the new Ritchey Corralitos handlebar, you build them with a subtle rise and shallow drop. That’s what got Travis Engel interested in trying them out. The hard part would be abandoning the very similar Ritchey Beacon that he’s been using for over a year. So, he weighed the pros and cons of both, and shares his findings.

Our buddy Keaton down in Albuquerque at DOOM Bars announced these nifty Mini Accessory Shims for all 22.2mm diameter hadlebars. So now if you want to run a rigid clamp for a light, or a computer, or things like aero bars, you can! These will work with all 31.8mm accessory clamp items, at 2cm wide at the clamp area, with a nice 5mm bevel on either side, feature DOOM laser etching, and retail for $30. Check out more at DOOM Bars.

With so many options for handlebars these days, it’s difficult to stand out in a crowded market. With their new Loam Carbon Handlebar, PNW Components claims they have achieved the optimal combination of compliance, comfort, strength, and value. Available today, the Loam Handlebar is offered in either 38mm or 25mm rise, trimmable 800mm width, and 35mm clamp diameter. Josh and Andrea recently installed the Loam bars on her Ibis Ripmo and, below, offer an overview and first ride impressions…

There’s a classic, time-honored technique to help you evenly position your drop-bar brake levers by using a ruler or straightedge. If you know, you know. But handlebars have changed, and the ruler method sometimes won’t apply. So, Travis Engel is here to share a bike hack to help keep the brake lever positions symmetrical on today’s shallow or oddly shaped gravel bars. There’s no ruler involved, but you will make use of some items you may already have in your home office.