Doug Van Cleve wrote: Hey Ted.
Not sure if you mean the OG Moustache or the Albastache, but I can tell you the OG requires a very short stem compared to drops. It's because the main hand position is the full reach, there really isn't a good tops position like drops. I gather that Albastache was designed mostly to shorten the reach... Also, you can't use upright bar stuff on either of them so a flipped Albatross, Billie or Choco would seem to be best. Soma makes a Moustache bar with a 25.4mm clamp area and 22.0mm grip area so you can use MTB grips and brake levers on them: 3-Speed Moustache II Bar - Soma Fabrications <https://www.somafab.com/archives/product/moustache-ii-bar> Soma has two Moustache Bar variants, the first "3-Speed Moustache Bar" being more similar to the OG Nitto version, but with the bar ends sweeping back a bit more. 3-Speed Moustache Bar - Soma Fabrications <https://www.somafab.com/archives/product/3-speed-moustache-bar> The second "II" variant of the Soma is the one with the 22.0mm grip area It's also different in having a shallower 35mm drop, whereas the first variant has a 60mm drop. (Which, in turn, is 10mm deeper than the 50mm drop of the Nitto.) This second version is also wider than their first version: 540mm vs. 505mm. The Soma Fab Blog: Soma 3-Speed II "Moustache" Handlebars: For mountain grips, shifters and brake levers <https://somafab.blogspot.com/2010/11/moustache-ii-handlebars-for-mountain.html> So if someone was thinking of running an Albastache but wanted primary position to be in the bar-end grip area, with brakes there, then one could consider the Soma Moustache II with flat-bar/MTB levers. Drop won't be as super shallow as the Albastache, but only about 10mm less shallow (15mm shallower than the OG Nitto). And, of course, with the forward bends a more aggressively forward, while the bar ends sweep a little further back. WhatBars.com has the Nitto and Soma Moustache Bars, and also the Albastache so you can see how the top-down profiles of each compare with each other. Chester SF Bay Area On Thu, Jun 29, 2023 at 9:18 AM Ted W <ted.l...@gmail.com> wrote: That's an interesting idea, Doug. I would have never considered flipping Albatross bars like that. Another option I've considered is Mustache bars with flat bar levers near the back instead of the typical road levers up front. It seems to me like those are similar, if narrower, than something like the Albatross bar but have a similar (slightly more accentuated) curve. And, like flipping the albatross bars, would give a drop instead of a rise... I might play with that idea a bit tonight. On Thu, Jun 29, 2023 at 11:36 AM Doug Van Cleve <dvan...@gmail.com> wrote: Hey Ted. I personally wouldn't run a super short stem, but those wide drops (and if I'm not mistaken relatively long reach) are making things worse for you. A narrower modern bend, short and shallow drop bar would reduce the reach a fair bit, I think. That said, I don't think any of the current super long chainstay RBW bikes are really suited for drops. I just put together a JA that came with Albatross' and a Technomic, 9cm I think, and it feels too close and too tall in front. It's a 51cm IIRC, whichever size is 650B, and the PBH size chart would have put me one size smaller. I have a Choco-Moose waiting to go on it, I'm hoping that slammed it will give me more reach and lower bar height. Doug P.S. You might consider flipped Albatross' as well, less reach and drop than any actual drop bar but still some... On Thu, Jun 29, 2023 at 7:08 AM Ted W <ted.l...@gmail.com> wrote: Got my Appa on Monday, built it yesterday and commuted to work on it today. First impressions are that it's exactly what I had hoped for. The ride is amazing and it feels so plush while still remaining responsive; nimble yet stable. But I think it could still be better and I want to channel the wisdom of the group. Currently, I have the bike built with drop bars (50cm V/O Randonneur). However, I know this frame, like many of the Riv frames, is really built with swept back bars in mind. Knowing this, I went with a stem that's about half my "typical" length. Unfortunately, it still feels like quite a reach to get on the hoods, not impossible, but not "normal". So, this is where my question starts: Do I continue to try shortening the stem, say to maybe 30-40mm, or do I give in to my swept bar destiny and spring for some new bars? And if I go with sweeps, which bars do people like on the Appa? I have 65mm Tosco bars on my Gus and it's wonderful on that bike, but being that I don't want to be quite so upright (and there's not quite as much room) on the Appa. I was thinking of going with either Billie or Albatross bars. The two are so similar, however, that I'm having a hard time deciding between the two. I'm probably splitting hairs, as usual, but I'm genuinely curious to see what y'all think. Cheers, -- Ted Wood < ted.l...@gmail.com > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CAK64jTE-PhzxBf%2BjqmNnK_NyPKu7kDL0QpzkbDBVjocGeEci2g%40mail.gmail.com <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CAK64jTE-PhzxBf%2BjqmNnK_NyPKu7kDL0QpzkbDBVjocGeEci2g%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> . -- Ted Wood < ted.l...@gmail.com > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CANCvSho00h-9xNqPDtXLLdiP21oGSmu%3DzPm4JaQ%3DKbnguGvn0g%40mail.gmail.com <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CANCvSho00h-9xNqPDtXLLdiP21oGSmu%3DzPm4JaQ%3DKbnguGvn0g%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> . -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/867be75b-539b-4a01-bea7-ae9c8108d008n%40googlegroups.com.
