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[Closed] Lauf Smoothie Bars - first impression

orangespyderman · 2020-09-10T11:23:48Z

So - I have a Cannondale Gravel bike with the kingpin soft tail "suspension" system. It's great, and really smooths trails out but it's certainly not like riding a FS bike. I love it for what I use it for, but the bars are shockingly harsh compared to the back end. I recently injured my shoulder in a comedy OTB moment on a tiny step down on my MTB and my last ride out on the gravel really shook the shoulder to the point where I nearly turned back. In the past I've wondered about a Redshift Elastomer stem to take the sting out of the bars in the same way the kingpin takes the sting out of, well, the rear end, but I've never managed to bring myself to install what feels like such a cludgy solution on a bike where the soft tail really is an elegant solution (IMHO). I read a couple of posts (here?) about Lauf Smoothie bars and they seem like just the ticket. I bought a set and installed them, and after a bit of a faff trying to get the bar tape and the cables routed neatly (I'm rubbish at this, and the shape of the bars seems to make it even harder - they tops of the bar are a flat "wing" shape profile), I fitted them last weekend and went for a ride last night. My hope was the flex would work in a similar way to the soft tail. Well, I was absolutely blown away. They're amazing. On fire road / tow path like riding the chatter is all but gone, but they don't feel flexy at all. They just feel really, really smooth. On bigger hits they don't feel like suspension but do soak up the harsh jarring that the old (aluminium) bars just sent straight through to my back teeth via most of the rest of my upper body. They are substantially better than I'd ever hoped they would be after one reasonable quick 70k ride last night. Unless something dramatic goes wrong with them, I'd have another set in the blink of an eye, and if they bring out a MTB bar I'd seriously look at using one too.

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stevious

Posts: 4415

Full Member

I thought Hope only use Dot fluid and Shimano only use mineral oil and never the twain shall meet… Anyone know what’s going on there?

Hope make replacement brake calipers for road/gravel and you can choose the DOT version or the mineral version. I've currently got one on order to replace a leaky ultegra caliper on my gravel bike.

Posted : 17/09/2021 9:53 am

highlandman

Posts: 1851

Free Member

Just checked Hope- right enough, they do a Shimano & Sram specific versions. That's a pleasant surprise.

Posted : 17/09/2021 9:58 am

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