[RBW] Re: Handlebar flex?

2016-02-23 Thread drew
you guys all sound right, and keith you are correct in saying that the 
feeling is noticeably less while riding. i hooked them up and went for a 
very short spin.  flex aside/ignored, im not sure these are the bars for 
me. ill keep them on for a little while and for some longer rides to see if 
i stumble upon a sweet spot. 

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[RBW] Re: Handlebar flex?

2016-02-23 Thread iamkeith
If  what's happening is what I think is happening, it's actually a 
"torsion" that he's seeing.  At least that's what I determined about my 
Bosco, which is sort of similar in that it is has a non-compound "C" shape, 
as viewed from the top.   So the front, straight section is likely 
"twisting," which allows the side/grip end portions to "dip."  I'm pretty 
sure I see that deflection even while the stem stays mostly un-flexed.  The 
Albatross and moustache bars, by contrast, curve forward before they curve 
backward, so there's the strength of a compound curve.  Plus a much shorter 
straight section adjacent to the stem clamp - with less material available 
to twist.

However I do agree that the stem is likely contributing.  I just moved my 
Boscos from a steel 140mm mtb stem to a 130mm tallux for my Clem, and the 
overall setup IS noticeably flexier, even if just by a bit.

What I meant about confirming the heat treatment was basically what Bill 
said:  They should be plenty strong, so don't let the flex make you 
nervous.  Ride them the way you want to.

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[RBW] Re: Handlebar flex?

2016-02-23 Thread Bill Lindsay
Yes, I was making the distinction between seeing the ends of the bar move 
vs seeing the bar itself bending.  You made it sound like you can see the 
bend in the bar, like the curve in a fishing rod when there's a fish on.  

Anyway, for context, I just pulled my road bike out of the bike locker here 
at the office.  Heat Treated Nitto Noodles 46cm and a Nitto Pearl 11 stem. 
 I grabbed the brakelever hoods and pushed down hard and let the bars flex 
back up when I unload it.  I'd estimate the amplitude of flexy travel at 
the brakelevers is about 10-15mm.  Definitely less than an inch, definitely 
about half an inch.  I would call that "normal".  I would not call that 
"rock solid", but I don't think it's dramatically different from the amount 
of flex I see in the Albatross cockpit that I have on another bike.  

Next I grab both brakelevers and do kind of a swimming motion: pull on this 
lever push on that one and roll it.  Again, I'd say it's about +/-1cm of 
flexiness.  Since your stem is longer than mine in extension, yours should 
flex even more.  Since your stem has a longer vertical extension than mine, 
it should flex more.  Since your bars are wider, it should flex more. 
 Since your bar ends are farther behind the axis of the clamp, yours should 
probably flex more.  But, since you say your Albatross bars are "rock 
solid" in comparison, then I don't know what to say.  I don't know if 'rock 
solid' means no discernible flex at all, or if it feels in the neighborhood 
of the ~1cm flex on my bike, or something else.  

Maybe since you don't have your Chocos fully installed, you should put them 
on a bike with an arbitrarily stiff mountain bike stem, and separate out 
the bar flex part from the stem flex part.  

I don't know how much flex is too much.  I guess if it were me and it was a 
lot more than one inch of flex, maybe that would freak me out.  If you 
think the flex is going to make you afraid to ride your bike the ways you 
want to ride it, then that's too much for you.  Flex doesn't mean it's 
going to break, of course.  Lot's of stiff things break, and lots of flexy 
things don't break.  I wish I could reach through the monitor to feel your 
setup.  

On Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 2:47:33 PM UTC-8, drew wrote:
>
> Hey bill,
> No grips on the bars yet. And I can definitely see flex. If I had someone 
> here to help, they could measure while I push down. There is a quite 
> visible spring up movement when I remove weight.
>
> Tried the same level of push on my wife's albatrossed bike + 12cm Tallux 
> and with a 11cm Tallux + map ahearne bars and there is basically zero give. 
> Rock solid. However, 13cm tallux+choco=bouncy. 
>
> Not sure if it's necessarily a bad thing since I've never experienced this 
> flexy of a cockpit. It's almost to the point where part of me wonders if 
> either the bars or the stem are defective, which is why i put it to the 
> group for some context. 
>
>

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[RBW] Re: Handlebar flex?

2016-02-23 Thread drew
Hey bill,
No grips on the bars yet. And I can definitely see flex. If I had someone here 
to help, they could measure while I push down. There is a quite visible spring 
up movement when I remove weight.

Tried the same level of push on my wife's albatrossed bike + 12cm Tallux and 
with a 11cm Tallux + map ahearne bars and there is basically zero give. Rock 
solid. However, 13cm tallux+choco=bouncy. 

Not sure if it's necessarily a bad thing since I've never experienced this 
flexy of a cockpit. It's almost to the point where part of me wonders if either 
the bars or the stem are defective, which is why i put it to the group for some 
context. 

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[RBW] Re: Handlebar flex?

2016-02-23 Thread Bill Lindsay
You can see the bars actually bending?  Or you can see the grips actually 
moving?   Those are not necessarily the same thing.  I attribute most of 
the flex you describe to the Tallux stem.  I'm sure the bars flex a little 
as well, but I'd ballpark it at about 80% stem and 20% bars.  

On Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 1:09:53 PM UTC-8, drew wrote:
>
> Red sticker and everything. I guess these are the widest and most swept 
> backy bars I've ever tried, but I was expecting similar stiffness to 
> albatrosses. These things feel downright bendy. I'll give them a go, but 
> worried about that front load-off rhythm-wiggle that can happen

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[RBW] Re: Handlebar flex?

2016-02-23 Thread drew
Red sticker and everything. I guess these are the widest and most swept backy 
bars I've ever tried, but I was expecting similar stiffness to albatrosses. 
These things feel downright bendy. I'll give them a go, but worried about that 
front load-off rhythm-wiggle that can happen

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[RBW] Re: Handlebar flex?

2016-02-23 Thread iamkeith
If you think that's radical, you should try the aluminum Bosco bars!  The 
reality though, in my experience, is that such flex is much less noticeable 
during actual use, and can actually be a very nice thing - stopping a lot 
of vibration from transmitting to your hands.Sitting on a stationary 
bike and loading the handlebars always makes the flex seem drastic. 

The bars have the red "heat treated" sticker, right?  If so, you should 
give them a good try and let us know how you feel after using them for a 
bit.  I'm jealous - and can't wait to get some myself.

On Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 1:30:58 PM UTC-7, drew wrote:
>
> Got around to installing the choco bars this morning. Non moose. Heat 
> treated aluminum. Paired with a 130mm Tallux, there is a considerable 
> amount of flex when held on the ends. 
> I've had albatross bars (with 120mm stem) and albastache on this bike and 
> though I know some flex was happening, never really noticed or felt it, 
> even when heavily front loaded. 
>
> So How much is normal? Sitting idly on the bike and rocking some of my 
> weight on the front, I can visibly see the bars flexing several mm each 
> way, which is a new experience for me and is making me question putting 
> these on a rough stuff touring bike. 
>

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[RBW] Re: Handlebar flex?

2016-02-23 Thread sameness
Sample size of one, but I had some On-One Midge bars on a lightweight frame 
some years ago.

The combo flexed so much when climbing out of the saddle that I felt like I 
was one pedal stroke away from laterally taco-ing the whole bike.

Same frame with Albatrosseses, no such phenomenonenon.

On-Ones were on a Dirt Drop stem about 2-3cm above saddle height, Albas on 
a 120? 130? stem at whatever height made the bars level with the saddle.

Jeff Hagedorn
Los Angeles, CA USA

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