Review Redshift Sports Top Shelf Bar: Mid-Term

The new Redshift Sports Top Shelf Bar on the Tamland Two.

Update On The Top Shelf Bar:

 Note: Redshift Sports sent over their Top Shelf drop bar for test and review at no charge to Guitar Ted Productions. I am not being paid, nor bribed, for this review and I will always strive to give you my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

It has been about a month and a half now that I have been riding the Top Shelf Bar from Redshift Sports. You can see my introduction and initial impressions of this handlebar HERE. 

This update on the handlebar comes at a time where this option is in short supply. Apparently, Redshift Sports has a hit on its hands with the Top Shelf bar. I've seen replies to comments on social media threads on the Top Shelf from Redshift saying more handle bars are incoming, so while you may not be able to get one right now, these will be in stock, hopefully, very soon. 

This reaction to the Top Shelf Bar has caught me a bit by surprise, to be honest, but as I thought about that, I feel as though it has to do with Redshift Sports' design decisions and from their basing the design for the Top Shelf on the popular Kitchen Sink Bar, which was a smart thing to do. The design of the Top Shelf Bar doesn't do that much different than other riser drop bars, in terms of easing rider positioning, but it does have a very different look and functionality than its competition. 

The main difference is that the central section of a Top Shelf Bar is usable for accessories like GPS heads, lights, or even a bell, if you roll that way. The competitor's handle bars mid-sections have too many curves to be usable for most accessories, and that can present problems that the riser bar section causes even though the position for the rider may be improved. 

One more thing that I'll mention that I've seen brought up in online comments and that is to reiterate that the Top Shelf Bar has exactly the same flare, reach, and drop dimensions as the Kitchen Sink Bar. So again - If you have ridden the Kitchen Sink Bar, or thought that it might be a good option, the Top Shelf should serve you similarly. 

My continued riding on the Top Shelf Bar has only reinforced my earlier opinions on it. Of course, since I got on so well with the Kitchen Sink Bar, I would naturally be inclined to like the Top Shelf Bar as well. It only makes sense. But what about that rise? 

I think there are use cases where that riser section makes sense. Perhaps you have a bike that you have had for years, but now you aren't quite in the same physical shape you once were in and a riser bar might just breathe new life into that old bike. Or perhaps you are going to do a very long distance event and a bit of a more relaxed position would be a boon to helping you be successful in that endeavor. Bike packing situations and the Top Shelf Bar would make a lot of sense. I am probably going to get a handle bar bag in soon to help illustrate that option. 

So, yeah.....Again I am just impressed with the design, ride quality, and options that the Top Shelf Bar provides. Stay tuned for more in the near future.