Flat topped bars

[Tonto]

Hi,
Anyone have any experience of bars with flattened tops like this one:
http://www.totalcycling.com/ProductDetails/mcs/productID/247/groupID/2/categoryID/7/v//curr/en-IE

Seems like a good idea to make riding on the tops a little more comfortable, but does it work in practice?
Also, does it make it hard to hide Campy front cables? I guess there are grooves on the back but not on the front.

Cheers,
Tonto.

 

[hd reynolds]

I use the top of the bar more often when riding and experience numb fingers specially on long rides. I've switched to a carbon bar with flat tops and it seems it has alleviated the problem. The flat top is also easier to hold onto.

The underside of the bar is concave with fasteners for the cables. This is the feature of this bar coz the top need not be covered with bike ribbon. See attached pic (forget about the circle, the bar top is still visible, note handlebar taping).

If I have once criticism about the bar its the drop which I prefer to be shallower.

 

[DesFlurane]

I love my Kwings and would never go back to round bars. Mine are carbon and so comfortable. So many hand positions available.

 

[sogood]

Without bar tapes, the top seemed to be rather slippery.

 

[Insight Driver]

so slippery? Seems you will get comments from both positive and negative that have a carbon flat-topped bar. I had one and liked it a lot. The wider surface does relieve hand pressure I got with round bars. Clear-coated carbon for me was not slippery at all. With cycling gloves, even with the bar wet in the rain, it was like holding on to a rubber surface, there was no slipperiness to them at all. Even my bare hands had good traction on the clear-coated carbon bars. They are not like metal bars I've had at all because the metal did get slippery with wet hands on them for me.

 

[Capisce]

I second the K-Wing statement. Really love them, the wide surface on top make them very comfortable. Don't think I'll ever go back.

 

[Strid]

I love my Kwings and would never go back to round bars. Mine are carbon and so comfortable. So many hand positions available.

Just out of curiosity, where do you mount your cyclecomputers on flattopped bars? Doesn't look like a normal mounting bracket fit a K-wing? Or does it?

 

[serenaslu]

Just out of curiosity, where do you mount your cyclecomputers on flattopped bars? Doesn't look like a normal mounting bracket fit a K-wing? Or does it?

The make special brackets for them.

In the case of FSA see:
http://www.fullspeedahead.com/fly.aspx?layout=product&taxid=41&pid=241

Cinelli makes a similar gizmo for the Ram. See:
http://www.cinelli.it/scripts/accessori.php?Id=3&lang=EN&IdAcc=187


(also tie wraps work wonders )

 

[sogood]

I have that FSA extension bracket. I have to say that I somewhat regretted, but yet again, there's no other light option I could find. The arm is plastic and not very rigid, and gets pretty bouncy on a bumpy ride.

 

[Tonto]

Just out of curiosity, where do you mount your cyclecomputers on flattopped bars? Doesn't look like a normal mounting bracket fit a K-wing? Or does it?

Cateye, at least, does a stem mounted bracket.

 

[EpiphFreddy]

Does anyone know anything about the Winwood Road Scholars or the IRD B2's?

 

[Thom_y]

I also love my new K-wings. I mounted my Polar computer on the stem. Many of the modern computers have the capacity to be stem mounted. Alternatively, there is the FSA adapter that allows you to install off the bars.