Tweaks
I realized that the Nitto B135 handlebars that were on the mlcm had become slightly bent (“I realized” is code for “I knocked the bicycle over and bent them more than they were bent before”) so I had to pull them and replace them with new handlebars. Normally, new handlebars would involve a trip to my LBS or the CCC to see if they had any used ones, but both of those options cost money and I had an almost unused set of Origin-8 Gary bars that I’d tried on the mlcm a few years ago and couldn’t get set up properly. Well, I’m a bit stronger now, so I might be able to make them work now (previously I could either set them up so that my hands were level in the drops or so that they wouldn’t slide painfully into the elbow where the shakes attach to the bars) and it’s not as if I had much choice here, given that I’m riding a 600 on Saturday and I only have tomorrow to take the mlcm out for a loop to check to see if the bars are ridable for long distances.
And to add insult to injury the old cork bar tape was filthy and I couldn’t beat putting it onto the new bars, so I dug some factory reject Fizik bar tape out of my partsbin and made the poor mlcm just a little more garish.
I should see if I can find a pair of used steel drop bars (I’d love to find a clone of the Ava death bars I’ve got ont the GT, but, really, I’d just love to have some handlebars that can take a little more abuse than lightweight aluminum does. But until then, these bars are much better than no bars.
Comments
I’ve got some 48cm Nitto Noodles, surplus to projected requirements, I could send your way if you’re interested?
I’ve been finding Salsa Cowbell 2 bars (the 46cm version is wider than the 48cm Noodles), the 7000 series alloy ones, very nice. Still aluminium, but I haven’t been able to make them squeak so presumptively they’re not flexing much.
Sure, the more the merrier! That’d mean I could dump the awful ergo bars I replaced the Gary bars with :-)
And I agree that Cowbells are wonderful; alas, they’re compact and that makes the reach too short for me (the Salsa Short & Shallow bars I’ve got on the mlcm today are also compact, but they’re not AS compact, and it makes a difference.)
Comments are closed
Good luck on the 600k tomorrow! Hope that everything goes well and that the body does not rebel too much.
Quite enjoy your blog and thanks for taking the time/effort in sharing.
Enjoy the beauty of the solstice and all the daytime on your ride!