26mm bars

paris_
paris_ Posts: 18
edited January 2018 in Road buying advice
Hi all, new to the forum and relatively new to road cycling. Been on the road for about a year now, mainly commuting but some weekend rides also :D

Here's my current bike, nothing too special. Got it second hand last year, loving it so far.

Je2YRA3.jpg?2

cNy9b9X.png

I'm looking to change the bars however. The shape is all wrong for me, meaning I am never on the drops.
Ideally I'd like to achieve this shape/look, but am having a bit of trouble deciphering what's available.

SKer2pM.jpg

I have a 26mm clamp I think, (the bar is the same diameter across it's whole width).
Will I need to get a new stem, as this bar size looks to be a bit harder to come by?

Comments

  • PhilipPirrip
    PhilipPirrip Posts: 616
    If you can't find the bar you want in 26mm but can in 31.8mm instead then yes you'll need to buy a new 31.8mm stem.

    The upside would be that stepping up to oversize will give you greater choice and possibly better value and the additional cost of a new stem can be less then £10 so a new oversized bar and stem may be cheaper than new old stock (NOS) of a 26mm bar alone.
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    Should be loads of 26mm stuff kicking around - check the likes of Planet X, CRC clearance, Merlin, Ribble.

    Nothing wrong with 26mm - I have some Easton EC90 carbon 26.something on N1 and just as stiff as the 31.somethings I have on the other bikes. Also have 26.somethings (carbon from PX) on the cx bike that rock.

    Actually - first google search - Evans cycles. https://www.evanscycles.com/en-it/deda- ... r-EV213302

    Took 15 seconds.
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • paris_
    paris_ Posts: 18
    Thanks for the replies. I have been able to find some bars to fit my stem, but I'm having trouble finding bars in the right shape. Compact?

    As you can tell, I'm quite new to this.
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    The bars in your bottom picture are from the FSA Compact series that range from the alloy Omega, Vero and Energy (a great bar and popular with Pro teams) to the carbon Team, SL-K and K-Force. They're all the same shape just different prices.

    If I were you I'd bin the skinny ITM stem and get one of the FSA stems that again range from low cost alloy up to daft priced carbon bling.
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    Paris_ wrote:
    Thanks for the replies. I have been able to find some bars to fit my stem, but I'm having trouble finding bars in the right shape. Compact?

    As you can tell, I'm quite new to this.

    It's very unlikely that you'll get a compact bar to fit a 26mm stem - 26mm is old school sizing hence the old school 'Ergo' shape of your current bars.
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    Looking at your bike it seems the original owner took the original newer group set, stem and bars off and stuck his/her older bits on it, that's why you have a 26mm stem/bar combo.
  • paris_
    paris_ Posts: 18
    Thanks. I'll take a look at the FSA compact series.

    You are correct. The previous owner had a cracked Bianchi frame, and transferred all parts on to this new Merida frame.
    I know very little about road bikes, and I know it's quite low end but good enough for me right now.
  • raisinberry777
    raisinberry777 Posts: 141
    Deda Piega is what you need for that shape in a 26mm bar.

    https://www.bike-components.de/en/DEDA/ ... ker-p8099/
  • keezx
    keezx Posts: 1,323
    thegreatdivide wrote:
    Paris_ wrote:
    It's very unlikely that you'll get a compact bar to fit a 26mm stem - 26mm is old school sizing hence the old school 'Ergo' shape of your current bars.

    Deda Piega and Soma Highway come to my mind.
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    Deda cheaper on ebay here:
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Deda-Piega-R ... 58ce1f7b90

    Most everything else you'll find it's cheaper to get a new oversize stem and bars.
  • cld531c
    cld531c Posts: 517
    Deda compact bars are cheap and similar to the shape you want and a new stem is not much- personally I love the old shape bars and wish you could still get them!
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    The only thing the Deda bars and the FSA bars have in common is the word 'compact'. If you've tried the RHM series and the FSA series together you'll know that they're two different feeling bars.

    3T come in very close to the FSA Compact but they're oversized only.
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    thegreatdivide wrote:
    The only thing the Deda bars and the FSA bars have in common is the word 'compact'. If you've tried the RHM series and the FSA series together you'll know that they're two different feeling bars.

    3T come in very close to the FSA Compact but they're oversized only.
    That's a reasonable point but the OP is new and so probably doesn't have a particularly advanced notion of what sort of bars they want.

    The old anatomic bars they are currently using have a bit of drop just to get to the hoods, and then even more drop to the drops - in my experience not a very comfortable style at all, and suited more to older bikes with slacker front geometry.

    The deda bars while not being identical to the FSA bars will be massively more comfortable and a big improvement for the poster, and for the cost of £20 (and perhaps a new wrap of bar tape) I'd say well worth doing.
  • paris_
    paris_ Posts: 18
    Thanks for the replies. I'll look at the Deda and FSA bars, currently leaning towards getting a new stem also for the FSA.

    I'd quite like to keep my current bar tape though (matches the frame), what's the chances of this coming off clean and being reusable?
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    Dependable on how old it is, the state it is, how careful you are taking it ff and a whole heap of Sod's law.

    Personally I'd spend a fiver (or £7 as the case may be) and buy some new one so I don't have new stem and bar combo and tatty tape. But that's just me.

    I've used this stuff on a few bikes and it's actually shockingly good - easy and stretchy to apply, looks good, feels great, lasts ages, cheap. Others are available and remember it's down to personal taste what you like.

    https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/component ... =price-asc
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • paris_
    paris_ Posts: 18
    Have just taken delivery of these two

    https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/fsa-fsa- ... #pid=40964
    https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/fsa-omeg ... #pid=37675

    Bargain if you ask me (no one ever does).

    Thanks for all the advice everyone, the shape/size of these look perfect :D
  • bmxboy10
    bmxboy10 Posts: 1,958
    As others have said the only options in 26mm are the Defa Piega, Soma Highway One or Cycle Clinic has some nice Nittos for £35.
  • rnath
    rnath Posts: 176
    I use Soma Highway One and can fully recommend. Well made, and great shape if you want to pull the cockpit a bit closer in.
  • bmxboy10
    bmxboy10 Posts: 1,958
    rnath wrote:
    I use Soma Highway One and can fully recommend. Well made, and great shape if you want to pull the cockpit a bit closer in.
    Somas back in stock at SJS so ordered some in lovely polished silver.

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