just curious as I’ve just ordered a new thomson stem for mine 😀 …just wondering if I was crazy for doing that instead of just buying a new combo with my gift card

Still have some Easton carbon bars that I bought a Thompson stem for last year, didn’t see point of replacing bars which were fine.

25.4 bars are just as strong and as good as 31.8
renthal motorbike bars are 22mm

o/s stuff is just a sales hype fashion thing.

Yes. All but one of my five bicycles has 25.4 bars. There is absolutely no difference that I can detect, on the bike with the OS bars. 😐

good to know I’m not alone…just hope they still make them later/mine don’t break anytime soon…wanted this stem for a long time.

All of my bikes have 25.4 bars on them.

Yep – carbon Easton ones on my SS. I think it wouldlook silly with fat ones…

renthal motorbike bars are 22mm

7/8″ bars are 22mm but fitted with a brace though so not comparable.

The braceless fat bars are 1 1/8″.

Yes… and a quill stem.

No O/S bars here. Maybe if I replaced bars *and* stem but not replacing both for no good reason.

Yep, all my race bikes are. Only the missus’ bike and the road bikes are OS.

all my mtbs have 25.4 bars, even the DH bikes.

There is absolutely no difference that I can detect, on the bike with the OS bars.

doesn’t really matter what you run then but I can assure you there’s detectable difference between different 25.4 bars nevermind completely different tubing diameters.

25.4 Easton Monkey bars with Thomson Stem, hard as nails, no flex – does the trick!

You honestly believe there’s no flex? 😆

Yeah; I can feel the ‘difference’ between different bars, my carbon Monkeylites definitely feel ‘different’ to my alloy ones on other bikes, but the supposed ‘stiffness’ increase in the OS bar, well, I don’t feel it has an advantage. I am light though, so mebbe more of a biffer thing…

I understand the principle of ‘larger diameter/thinner tube wall/increased stiffness for same weight’ thing, it’s just that I can’t detect any ‘advantage’ in the OS bars. Maybe if I ran different bars on the same bike I’d notice a difference, but tbh, I’m too busy having fun generally, to even care. 😆

It’s yet another one of those things where the ‘difference’ is minimal, the ‘advantage’ equally minimal for most folk really. Let’s be honest.

I can see where a stiffer bar could theoretically benefit a roadie sprinter when proper going for it, but would an 8st pure climber really gain any significant advantage?

Should I say, I don’t notice any flex! – whereas the flex from my old crap/cheap bar and stem combination was quite scary!

Yup, still got ’em on my bikes. Only the road bike has OS as I got a bargain on secondhand stuff off here.

I changed to OS earlier this year.. there’s definitely a significant psychological difference when you look down onto your ‘cockpit’ and see such a sturdy industrial looking set-up..

it also ‘feels’ lighter and is stiffer..

fnar fnar

Makes me laugh that the OS bar is promoted as being stiffer and a carbon bar as being able to damp trail buzz via flex. Which do you want?

I def feel flex in my bar stem, but then again thats because I have wider bars (easton) on a stem not designed for them, hence the reason for the upgrade. figured why spend $$ on both (for os) when I know it the stem thats the problem. regardless I’m just happy for some new bike bling… 😆

Makes me laugh that the OS bar is promoted as being stiffer and a carbon bar as being able to damp trail buzz via flex. Which do you want?

Ok, this is how I understand it:

If you get say a metal tube, and bonk it on something, it might go ‘booooonnnggg’ and keep vibrating for a while. It would be quite stiff, but has little shock absorption/dissipation qualities.

If you then get a rubber hose and bonk it, it won’t go ‘bong’ at all, and won’t vibrate. Good shock absorption/dissipation, little stiffness.

Carbon sort of does both those things; it’s stiff but won’t go ‘booooonnnnngggg’.

I think that’s how it works. No doubt a sciencey or engineeringy type will be along to explain more cleverer than me. 😳 🙂

I rather like your explanation elfin…it’s the sound effects I think! lol

Yep, all my bikes, new Surly coming and its got 25.4 bars too 🙂
OS bar size being better is all marketing hype bull… 😆

crosser bars are the future, steel, chromed and massif

Klunker 012 by coastkid71, on Flickr

Dude! aren’t they 22.2? (thought you used an old BMX quill stem, no?)

err i think so Gary as an old school bmx stem 🙂

oh well, a new niche in handlebar size 😆

I’m using both sizes.its a pain for lights.don’t get Hung up on it just ride your bike!

I’ve never been realistically been able to tell the difference between 25.4mm and 31.8mm os wrt to stability. However all my kit is os now because it’s been cheaper to buy quality replacement kit in that size rather than 25.4mm – no other reason.

31.8mm more important for road bikes I suppose – perhaps I only think that as I don’t tend to push/pull much on the mtb but notice I do on the road bike.

I went back to 25.4 carbon bars when I went to rigid forks. Wanted to induce a bit of flex to absorb a bit of trail buzz. Worked very well, but that’s probably more from going from alloy to carbon. Bar & stem choice limited now though.

I have gone from OS bars to 25.4 x 750mm bars on all my bikes and cant say I have noticed to difference
I can’t say I notice the difference between xtr and Deore either
It’s all functunal unless you are a world class racer/dh type
Maybe I am not knarr or rad enough. Sigh

yeah, both mtbs got 25.4.

the steel salsa got steel forks and steel bars, plenty stiff enough, never felt battered by the combo either.

I like bars with a bit of flex thanks to a rebuilt wrist – its a top end titanium and cobalt chrome XTR job, but still not as bendy as the one I was born with.

25.4s are getting harder to get, I’ve had to go for 31.8s on the bike with front suspension. Other two rigids currently have ti flat bars off an old Raleigh dyna tech and a pair of steel Surly open bars, both of which have a bit of flex. The open bars take a bit of getting used to but the hand position is really comfortable for long distances.

I would have thought mud, tyres, suspension and arms would provide the give, and that by comparison any flex in bars would be only really be noticeable on a fully ridged with solid wheels.

All mine have 25.4 but actualy buying, wide, flat, black, carbon bars is getting really tough. Any suggestions?

Both the Turner and the xc bike.

I run OS on the GT and std on the Surly, but I have a matching Tioga bar/stem combo in the shed with 28.6mm clamp size… niche! I’ve currently no bike suitable for 50-60mm stem else I’d use these rather than buy a 50-60mm stem for my spare OS bars as they look pretty cool and are 700mm+ wide (enough)

I still use 25.4 on both bikes AM and XC. I bought myself a spare stem (Azonic) and two sets of bars (Funn 750mm) to make sure I am ok for a few years. I like how it looks.