Flared drops – alternaties to MIdge bars

Currently running some Midge bars on my commuter and want to replace the narrow twitchy drop bars on my road bike as I’m trying to get a similar bar/hand position across the 2 bikes.
I’m looking for some flared ones but with less of the flare compared to the Midge bars – what should I be looking at?

Salsa Woodchippers?

Salsa Cowchipper is a bit of an in between a midge/woodchipper, and a standard road bar/slightly flared (like a Cowbell). Overpriced like most Salsa stuff though: take the USD price and change to a £ sign is the usual method of working out the exchange rate!

Alpkit bomber is a cheap equivalent of the midge.

Sorry, Cowchipper was the one I meant

Genetic Digest worth a look too.

I’m interested in this too. The Cowchippers are spot on but pricey!

The Cowchippers look ideal but they are a lot more than I want to spend, I may just end up using Midge bars or the Alpkit ones and see how I get on.

Cowchippers are rather nice.

Try and find some Luxy bars if you’re lucky.

I have midge on the cx and soma portola on my road bike as I wanted something similar but not quite as flared. Can try and do comparison pics if you like

I went for genetic digest too … good price (about £35) and more room on the drops than midge bars.

If the flare is too much on the digest then genetic do a similar one with slightly less …

this one

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/genetic-flare-drop-handlebars-318mm-clamp-black-prod37030/

Slight hijack I’ve got Salsa Cowbell 2 bars and matching stem in the classifieds.

I had Midge on my Fargo but didn’t like them as found the “drops” too short. Now have Salsa Cowbell on one, and Giant Connect XR on the other. They are less flared than even the Cowchipper as faustus detailed above. Giant were much cheaper and very similar to the Cowbell. Both ideal for me but I do more road/flat than offroad.
http://www.wheelies.co.uk/p74864/Giant-Connect-XR-Drop-Road-Handlebar.aspx

If you want another Midge I’ll sell you mine real cheap, but they are 26.4 clamp size I think (you can have the M Parts stem as well)

I spoke to Tim at sideways cycles last week ,he reckoned there was little chance of getting cowchippers at all.

I spoke to Tim at sideways cycles last week ,he reckoned there was little chance of getting cowchippers at all.

Try Charlie the Bikemonger

alpkit?

mine were from Charlie I think. Shand were doing them too.

I don’t think there is any stock in the UK , Shand is sold out Ctbm waiting for stock .

Those Genetic flare bars ones look ideal for what I want and the price is in the right ball park.

I went for the giant connect xr bars. Looked at the genetic’s and the love muds but saw the price of the giants and couldn’t say no. They are great bars for the money and couldn’t reccomend them enough. The 44’s come out at a decent width too as I like them wide.

Soma Sparrow run inverted. Several widths. I run the narrowest and love them. You may need a new stem for the clamp.

i have some ragley luxys – they’re awesome. THE perfect dirt-drop.

I don’t know if you’ll think they’re suitable, but I went looking for much the same thing and ended up with these for road and gravel use.

Satori Bullbar, aka Smooth Drop, aka Minotaur.

I got mine from my lbs. I have also seen it under the One23 brand.

They are very similar to original Great North Road drop bars, an almost identical curve to those on my 1932 Sunbeam RR.

Lots of options from Soma by the looks of it. Seems to be plenty of choice all round though not much like the Cowchippers from what I can see. Seems to be generally slight or extreme flares.

Alpkit/Love Mud Bombers. Only £25!

https://www.alpkit.com/products/love-mud-bomber

^^That looks good – and the price. 🙂

A bit like a 1930s Bailey’s bar, or a wider Dawes Concorde.

Can you lot tell me how wide your various bar are at the end. I reckon my Midges are great on the rough stuff bike, the hand position is fine, but they are to wide for the road bike. Way to much drag. Midges 15 cm narrower would be great.

If you want less flare / width the Luxys won’t be much use. I didn’t like my Luxys much but was happy that someone was so happy to be able to get a set : )

Shand’s flare drop bars are nice, very similar to what we spec on the Arkose. Minor flare, still works as a road bar. Ends tend to be ~50mm wider than the hoods from memory.

I actually want the same flare but starting nearer the centre. If only I could chop a chunk out of my Midges

Liking the look of those genetic bars. I run a midge but find the drops too short. Controltech sell bar extenders though

Wot annoys me about shopping for these is that no-one in product description seems to agree on whether “flare” is the flare of the curve of the drop away from vertical or the flare of the drop away from the fore-aft centre line of the bike.

And then they use one photo from an angle which doesn’t leave you any the wiser

mattsccm – Member
Can you lot tell me how wide your various bar are at the end.

The Satori bars I use are:

AL6061
CENTER DIA Ø25.4
WIDTH 480 mm
DROP (D) 76 mm
REACH (R) 67 mm
WEIGHT 270 g