35mm stems and bars, the new norm?

Twelly

Need a new stem for my new build, longer top tube needs a shorter stem to compensate. 35-40mm stem/780mm bars is my aim

Is it worth investing in the 35mm standard? Anyone got 35mm diameter bars? Is it noticeably stiffer? Are more bikes going to be spec'd with a 35mm set up in the future?

I'm doing everything I can to future proof my bike, switchable hubs, headtube that will take any steerer, frame and fork that can take 26" or 27.5" etc. Is a 35mm stem/bar the next thing? Or do I just save a bit of cash, keep my current bar and buy a nice 31.8mm stem?

Looking at Raceface Atlas 35 or Easton Havoc 35 kit, any opinions?

cooldad

A stem is not an investment.

Chunkers1980

It sort of is as they need to match the bars. I've still got 25.4 and they are fine for me.

BloggingFit

I have a SIXC and Atlas combo and really like the set up. As to whether it's any better or different to a 31.5mm set up it's difficult to say. I do get a little less trail buzz through the bar compared to my closest comparison which is a 720mm wide Next bar. I went with 35mm due to the nature of the build but for a more trail orientated build 31.5mm should be more than adequate unless you plan on taking on some monster drops.

kemp_ad

I went Easton 35 Haven and stem.

Really pleased with it.

Remember it's also lighter as they can use thinner sidewalls with the extra diameter

The Northern Monkey

lighter than what?

Haven 35 stem is 5g lighter than the normal Haven stem - although, Easton show the weight of the 50mm stem for the 35mm diameter and 70mm stem for the 31.8.. so the "weight saving" is fack all.

Haven 35 bars are again 5g lighter than the normal Haven bars - although Easton show the weight of a 750mm bar for the 35mm diameter and 740mm bar for the 31.8... 5-10g saved max.

BS marketing again.

The On-One Knuckleball Handlebar is £50, carbon, wider, lighter and doesn't need a new stem. The mind boggles.

Twelly

The Northern Monkey wrote:

lighter than what?

Haven 35 stem is 5g lighter than the normal Haven stem - although, Easton show the weight of the 50mm stem for the 35mm diameter and 70mm stem for the 31.8.. so the "weight saving" is fack all.

Haven 35 bars are again 5g lighter than the normal Haven bars - although Easton show the weight of a 750mm bar for the 35mm diameter and 740mm bar for the 31.8... 5-10g saved max.

BS marketing again.

The On-One Knuckleball Handlebar is £50, carbon, wider, lighter and doesn't need a new stem. The mind boggles.

Yeah I wasn't really fussed about the weight side of things, bars and stems tend to be around the same ball park when you get past the really cheap tat. Width, rise and stiffness/comfort are more important.

The Northern Monkey

fwiw, I have the 31.8 alloy Haven bars on the Santa Cruz and they're ok, will be trying something different though as I could never find the sweet spot.

Worth mentioning that all Easton risers have the same rise / upsweep angles.

The Northern Monkey

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/east ... prod129872

Bargain if you wanted Havens.

Twelly

The Northern Monkey wrote:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/easton-haven-carbon-riser-bar-2014/rp-prod129872

Bargain if you wanted Havens.

Good buy but too narrow, plus if I am staying with the retro 31.8 clamp then I have a bar which does the job. Think I'm probably just going to get a nice bling/strong stem to fit current bars

The Northern Monkey

Don't know why, but I thought that said 771 not 711!

Do you really need bars that wide though?

Admittedly you can chop them down, but even with a short stem, 800mm will have a turning circle that will be similar to a container ship.

I had Havocs and changed to havens because they were too slow to turn (with 35mm stem) And I literally struggled to get around some tight / steep switchbacks, which are now fine.

Twelly

Running 780 at the moment and 750 on the hardtail. If I had another 780 bar the hardtail would get it. I am tall with long arms if that makes a difference.

njee20

Chunkers1980 wrote:

It sort of is as they need to match the bars. I've still got 25.4 and they are fine for me.

That's nothing to do with investment though:

investment
ɪnˈvɛs(t)m(ə)nt

noun

1. the action or process of investing money for profit.

I can see some logic in the fatter bars in crazy widths, but then I've got a very light 710mm bar and a light 90mm stem, and I don't get any flex at all. Shorter stems will be stiffer, so I remain unconvinced.

bars and stems tend to be around the same ball park when you get past the really cheap tat. Width, rise and stiffness/comfort are more important.

No they don't! There are massive differences in weight still.

Chunkers1980

njee20 wrote:

Chunkers1980 wrote:

It sort of is as they need to match the bars. I've still got 25.4 and they are fine for me.

That's nothing to do with investment though:

investment
ɪnˈvɛs(t)m(ə)nt/Submit

noun

1. the action or process of investing money for profit.

Hence the sort of.

Submit.

synonyms: give in, yield, give way, back down, cave in, bow, capitulate, relent, defer, agree, consent, accede, conform, acquiesce, comply, accept; More

You're having to yield, agree, consent, conform to the different standard as you need bars to match that standard as well. You're investing your money, not for monetary profit as inferred in your noun definition but could be the extra utility gained from that standard.

njee20

Nah, not taking that, invest is not synonymous with "buy", which is what was meant. There is no expectation in making a profit because you're buying a new standard.

To be clear the word "submit" was in my quoted post because I copied and pasted the dictionary definition which included the ability to listen to the word be spoken, clearly the text behind the icon was "submit" on the web page. There is no link between investment and submit.

Twelly

njee20 wrote:

bars and stems tend to be around the same ball park when you get past the really cheap tat. Width, rise and stiffness/comfort are more important.

No they don't! There are massive differences in weight still.

Define 'massive' dictionary boy.

By ball park i mean stems are 100-200g, bars are 200-400g. 200-300g on a mountain bike handlebar/stem combo is not massive to me, does it change the way the bike rides, no. Width, rise, strength,stiffness, damping, all more important to me.

njee20

By ball park i mean stems are 100-200g, bars are 200-400g.

So potentially double...? A 20lb or 40lb bike is the same ball park? Strange choice of words, whilst we're disputing words!

does it change the way the bike rides, no. Width, rise, strength,stiffness, damping, all more important to me.

That makes sense, and very wise too. Still not the same ball park though ;-)

Chunkers1980

I stand by you are making an investment in that standard. You're speculating that it'll be around for a while as you're buying two things that match. Fall off, break your bars, go to buy new ones and then you can't as they don't make them any more. You made a bad choice as your stem is now obsolete. Did I mention I said sort of?

cooldad

So sort of obsolete?

I have 25.4 and 31.8 stems and bars, neither have become obsolete yet.

Not sure they are actually 'retro' neither.

But you say potato, I say tomatoe.

Chunkers1980

I can't get the bars I want in 25.4, mainstream seems to have moved to 31.8s.

If potato didn't mean something different on here, then I'd agree with you CD!

Twelly

cooldad wrote:

Not sure they are actually 'retro' neither.
.

Of all the people on this forum, I would not have expected you to miss a bit of sarcasm!

I have decided to invest in a completely redundant, old fashioned standard and buy a shorter 31.8 stem, god I hope all that old technology will hold my bars on...

cooldad

Of all the people on this forum, I would not have expected you to understand the concept of sarcasm.

Except for Cody of course.

Twelly

cooldad wrote:

Of all the people on this forum, I would not have expected you to understand the concept of sarcasm.

I've been watching and learning. How am I doing?

cooldad

You're coming along nicely

Twelly

Ill come along your nicely

cooldad

You don't have a good nicely inside you.