31.8/31.7 or 26.o bars/stems?

[sam218]

I've tried Deda 31.8 bar/stem and felt ride harsher than 26.0 which was fine. Lance uses 26.0 size too (so I don't think stiffness is necessary) Do you prefer 26.0 or 31.8? Should we contact bike industry to ban these?

 

[KGnagey]

I've tried Deda 31.8 bar/stem and felt ride harsher than 26.0 which was fine. Lance uses 26.0 size too (so I don't think stiffness is necessary) Do you prefer 26.0 or 31.8? Should we contact bike industry to ban these?

Since when has Lance been the final say of what equipment people should ride? Because Lance rides a Trek I guess there should be no other bike made right? I have tried both 26.0 and 31.8 stem/bar combos. I'm not as light nor as fast as "The Man" himself, but I prefer the 31.8. My 26.0 ITM stem/bar flex more than my 31.8 Easton bar/stem combo. I also think the 31.8 looks better on a 1-1/8" steerer tube and that a 26.0 looks better on a 1" tube. All just a matter of opinion, but Lance is not the end-all word in what people should be riding.

 

[angrydave]

I've tried Deda 31.8 bar/stem and felt ride harsher than 26.0 which was fine. Lance uses 26.0 size too (so I don't think stiffness is necessary) Do you prefer 26.0 or 31.8? Should we contact bike industry to ban these?

It's kind of a matter of what youre doing on it. Most bigger stronger riders (i.e. sprinters, etc) like the bigger bar for the stiffness factor. I just changed my training bike's bars to a 31.8 because I could feel the flex when I really lay into it with the 26.0.

My thoughts.

 

[sam218]

Since when has Lance been the final say of what equipment people should ride? Because Lance rides a Trek I guess there should be no other bike made right? I have tried both 26.0 and 31.8 stem/bar combos. I'm not as light nor as fast as "The Man" himself, but I prefer the 31.8. My 26.0 ITM stem/bar flex more than my 31.8 Easton bar/stem combo. I also think the 31.8 looks better on a 1-1/8" steerer tube and that a 26.0 looks better on a 1" tube. All just a matter of opinion, but Lance is not the end-all word in what people should be riding.

Nothing to do with Lance. He's a professional- he stresses his components and has a choice of different bars/stems. So if you claim additional stiffness is needed, thats not the case

 

[Slider77]

Since when has Lance been the final say of what equipment people should ride? Because Lance rides a Trek I guess there should be no other bike made right? I have tried both 26.0 and 31.8 stem/bar combos. I'm not as light nor as fast as "The Man" himself, but I prefer the 31.8. My 26.0 ITM stem/bar flex more than my 31.8 Easton bar/stem combo. I also think the 31.8 looks better on a 1-1/8" steerer tube and that a 26.0 looks better on a 1" tube. All just a matter of opinion, but Lance is not the end-all word in what people should be riding.

Quick question. A friend of mine located on another coast was asking if I could tell her what size steerer she has with a threadless integrated headset from just the measurement of the topcap (e.g. OD of the stem clamp). She is paranoid about taking the cap loose to examin the steerer itself. By her measurements the top cap diameter is 1-1/4 to 1-5/16". Can you confidently tell whether it is a 1' or 1-1/8" steerer from this? Thanks.

 

[dhk]

I've tried Deda 31.8 bar/stem and felt ride harsher than 26.0 which was fine. Lance uses 26.0 size too (so I don't think stiffness is necessary) Do you prefer 26.0 or 31.8? Should we contact bike industry to ban these?

The OS design allows more stiffness-to-weight. With the fatter center section, a lighter bar can be made than still has adequate stiffness and strength. My Ritchey OS bars flex more than my old 26 mm bars, but they also weight a lot less.

If you're going to contact the "bike industry" to ban components that are lighter and stronger, you should ask them to ban OS frame tubes and CF forks as well, since they are lighter and stiffer than what we had a generation ago.

 

[rv]

Quick question. A friend of mine located on another coast was asking if I could tell her what size steerer she has with a threadless integrated headset from just the measurement of the topcap (e.g. OD of the stem clamp). She is paranoid about taking the cap loose to examin the steerer itself. By her measurements the top cap diameter is 1-1/4 to 1-5/16". Can you confidently tell whether it is a 1' or 1-1/8" steerer from this? Thanks.

I don't think so... a lot of stems fit both 1" and 1-1/8" inch forks, with shim used in conjunction with the 1". merely taking off the top cap should not cause a problem.

 

[meehs]

Nothing to do with Lance. He's a professional- he stresses his components and has a choice of different bars/stems. So if you claim additional stiffness is needed, thats not the case

Correction: Lance Armstrong doesn't feel that the additional stiffness is needed. If someone else feels that they need (or even just prefer) the added stiffness of the oversized set-up (which many professional riders DO), that's their prerogative.

You're implying that since Lance doesn't feel he needs the added stiffness that the oversized set-up provides, that no one else needs it either. That's ridiculous.

 

[jcthomasjr]

I've tried Deda 31.8 bar/stem and felt ride harsher than 26.0 which was fine. Lance uses 26.0 size too (so I don't think stiffness is necessary) Do you prefer 26.0 or 31.8? Should we contact bike industry to ban these?

I don't understand why you ask the question "Do you prefer 26.0 or 31.8?" and then jump to "Should we contact bike industry to ban these?" Why would banning them even enter your thoughts? They are another choice whether you or anyone else prefers them or not. What is the bike industry number or email by the way? Also, your first sentence seems to imply that you think the harsher ride of the 31.8 bar/stem is fine. I am not trying to rag on sam218 but rather want to understand what prompted the question of banning the type of product.

Also, I am not trying to pick a nit here, but the fact that Lance uses a 26.0 bar may not have anything to do with stiffness. Not everyone is interested in the sfiffest parts. Again, it is a matter of preference and choice. Maybe his choice of using the 26.0 is a comfort issue. I think I read where a journalist asked V. Ekimov why he uses the 26.0 stem instead of the 31.8 and he just said it works fine without elaborating.

Just so you know that I am not biased, I happen to have a Deda Newton 31.8 stem and Deda Newton bar and am having a hard time getting used to it. Don't ask me why. I am probably going to switch to the Deda Newton 26.0 stem and Deda 215 bar or some other comparable setup. But contacting the bike industry to ban the 31.8 stem and oversized bars does not even come to mind. On what grounds would they be banned anyways? It's a free country and a free market and I like it that way.

 

[Gilders]

If Lance says "jump off a cliff", would you?

(no offence intended!)

 

[merubeyurubu]

While in theory it is "easier" to create a stiffer bar with 31.8mm diameter tube there are other factors at play... My Deda 215 (26mm) is stiffer in a sprint than my EA70 (31.8) simply due to the geometry of the bend (and perhaps the wall thicknesses at various places along the bar). Note that LA uses a traditional curved bar rather than the modern anatomic bars (which I think are less stiff when you are cranking away with your hands well down in the drops)

A the end of the day for us amateur racers it probably comes down more to <flame suit>looks</flame suit> and getting used to what you have...

 

[jcthomasjr]

Nothing to do with Lance. He's a professional- he stresses his components and has a choice of different bars/stems. So if you claim additional stiffness is needed, thats not the case

If it has nothing to do with Lance, then why do you mention his name in your original post? You can not have it both ways. It is alright for you to mention his name but not others? You kill me.

 

[ganderctr]

Note that LA uses a traditional curved bar rather than the modern anatomic bars

Actually in 2004 (the TDF anyway) LA was using anatomic Deda Newton bars.

Stiffness has to do with diameter and thickness. I know from my archery experience the difference a thicker-walled skinny arrow and a thin-walled larger arrow can make (I also know how nice carbon arrows are ). I personally prefer a stiffer bar because I'm pretty large and somewhat heavy (6'1" 170 lbs) so there's a lot of me to go around.