Good Grief Bikes' Nice Bar: Review Update

  Note: Guitar Ted purchased the Nice Bar at full retail for personal use and review from Good Grief Bikes. Good Grief Bikes has no input on this review and all opinions are Guitar Ted's.

I will forgive anyone who has forgotten I was reviewing the Good Grief Bikes "Nice Bar", named after "Fixie Dave" Nice. I last updated this review back in February! (Here) While I am still not finished with what I wanted to do with these handlebars, (!!), I do have some things to share which I think are interesting concerning this handlebar. 

The main use for the Karate Monkey so far in 2025 has been for urban/commuting type rides. I have done my in-town test loop several times as well which is a multi-surface connection of pavement and deteriorated gravel. So, it isn't as though I haven't been using this handlebar, and I do have a small amount of miles on it so far.

The number one impression I get every time I ride the Nice Bar is exactly what I wrote back in February, which I will paste here for your convenience: 

"The Nice Bar does have a bit of give and so it doesn't really have that "zing" when you hit a sharp bump. This is subtle, so the bar feels direct and nothing like a "noodle" when you get up and yank on the bars for a sprint or sharply inclined climbing. "

So, it is very comfortable over rougher pavement and it seems forgiving enough to ride all-day. The rubber infused cork grips help a lot with this as well. The junction where the extensions are brazed to the center cross bar is such a nice place for my hands to just cruise around on that I have visions of this being great out on a longer gravel ride. (One reason I am not done with the review is that I need to do some gravel riding yet with the Karate Monkey)

Unfortunately the cool burned in finish mars easily.

One thing I was dismayed about the Nice Bar was the custom, burned finish doesn't hold up to much abuse.I had a slight clash with another bike's controls which immediately left the marks you can see here in my image. Bummer....

I guess the point here is be careful if you want to preserve the finish or just enjoy your new "character marks" and keep riding. 

And other than this minor detail the Nice Bar has been great. I do want to do more riding on gravel to ascertain the bar's worthiness as a flat bar alternative gravel cycling handlebar. I'm hoping this will pan out, but until I manage to get this bike out in the country I will withhold final judgment. 

 You can see the Nice Bar and other tasty bicycle related stuff at Good Grief Bikes' site here: https://www.goodgrief.bike/