Update On The Whisky Parts Co. Milhouse Bar

The Snow Dog set up with the Milhouse Bar.

 After my Saturday of travel and volunteering at the Spotted Horse Gravel Ultra, (reported on yesterday), I took Sunday off from gravel travel to do a bit of testing with the Whisky Parts Co. Milhouse Bar. This is their carbon moto-inspired handle bar which Whisky Parts Co. sent me to evaluate. I did not pay for this bar and am not being paid or bribed for this post. I just thought I'd get that cleared up first. I did want to let those who are curious know what I have thought about it so far. 

As I shared last week, I ended up sticking the Milhouse Bar on my old fat bike I call The Snow Dog. It just made a lot more sense on that bike than it did on the On One Inbred I originally had installed it on. The bar not only looks better on the Mukluk, but it does a better thing for that bike than it did on the Inbred. I'll get to that in a moment....

I took the Mukluk on a bit of a bushwhacking ride this time. The first thing I did was to check out the progress on the new section of University Avenue. To get to that meant I was going to have to climb a dike and then try to traverse some wet dirt. The Mukluk with this Milhouse Bar on it really makes a huge difference in weight distribution over the bike. This means it is really easy to loop out on a steep climb. At least if you try to stay seated. I ended up finding that standing and climbing actually worked better. 

Weight distribution is changed so much that I felt like almost all my weight was on the saddle. This meant that using the Redshift Sports ShockStop seat post ended up being a great idea. I fact, it makes the bike ride super-smooth. The carbon bar has a wee bit of give too, so that helps as well. 

The Milhouse Bar is wiiiide! You may have trouble getting between trees in some places.

After getting a good look at the new pavement for University Avenue, I headed over toward George Wyth State Park with no real agenda. On the way I remembered "Casey's Trail", a new-ish single track along the expressway which I have ridden maybe three or four times, but not in 2020 at all. So, I figured why not go and check it out? It's really one of only a few "true" single track trails in the area. 

You'd never know by looking that you are about 50 yards from a busy highway right here.

The Milhouse Bar is so different from anything I've tried that my typical MTB control layout wasn't working as well as I'd like. I ended up stopping at three different spots to make incremental adjustments to the lever and shifter placements until I was satisfied with the ergonomics. I still have to adjust the lever reach a tiny bit, but I didn't have a small enough hex key with me on the ride to do it then.

The changes made the experience of riding with these bars even more enjoyable. I will take a bit longer to become better acquainted with how the handling of this set up works. The weight distribution, width of the bars, and how the steering geometry is now have made it so the Snow Dog rides like a completely new-to-me bike. 

The drive train needs an update too. These old 9 speed parts are pretty tired and the range of gearing is not what it should be. I almost am pulled toward going with a nice 2X front crank and front derailleur, but eh.....maybe I should stick to 1X here. At any rate, I need a clutch rear derailleur and a 1X specific ring up front. I almost torqued off the chain twice on my ride as it was. 

Nature is the 'hook", my clothing, the "loop".

Follow the Yellow (Leaf) Road!

I ended up doing some twisty single track for a bit and then heading to the house. The Milhouse Bar is a really different, but really nice bar. The 70mm rise and the 810mm width is a flavor I have never had the pleasure of experiencing before this. I would like to see this bar on a proper 'trail bike' type geometry bike where I could use a stubby stem and not the long-ish tiller I have to use on the Snow Dog so I could evaluate this on a 'proper' set up. That said, I can certainly see how this bar can make a fat bike handle better by allowing more rearward weight shift to allow for front tire flotation, but still have a good climbing capability (standing climbing) and turning grip. 

Obviously, if a handle bar like this is interesting to you, you generally had to accept that the bar would weigh quite a bit. However; the Milhouse bar brings all the attitude and benefits of a moto inspired riser bar without the weight and better comfort than a handle bar made out of metal in this style. That said, it ain't a cheap option, but carbon fiber handle bars made to a MTB testing standard are not inexpensive, generally speaking. Especially if they are unique, as this bar is. 

More soon.

Update On The Whisky Parts Co. Milhouse Bar

The Snow Dog set up with the Milhouse Bar.

 After my Saturday of travel and volunteering at the Spotted Horse Gravel Ultra, (reported on yesterday), I took Sunday off from gravel travel to do a bit of testing with the Whisky Parts Co. Milhouse Bar. This is their carbon moto-inspired handle bar which Whisky Parts Co. sent me to evaluate. I did not pay for this bar and am not being paid or bribed for this post. I just thought I'd get that cleared up first. I did want to let those who are curious know what I have thought about it so far. 

As I shared last week, I ended up sticking the Milhouse Bar on my old fat bike I call The Snow Dog. It just made a lot more sense on that bike than it did on the On One Inbred I originally had installed it on. The bar not only looks better on the Mukluk, but it does a better thing for that bike than it did on the Inbred. I'll get to that in a moment....

I took the Mukluk on a bit of a bushwhacking ride this time. The first thing I did was to check out the progress on the new section of University Avenue. To get to that meant I was going to have to climb a dike and then try to traverse some wet dirt. The Mukluk with this Milhouse Bar on it really makes a huge difference in weight distribution over the bike. This means it is really easy to loop out on a steep climb. At least if you try to stay seated. I ended up finding that standing and climbing actually worked better. 

Weight distribution is changed so much that I felt like almost all my weight was on the saddle. This meant that using the Redshift Sports ShockStop seat post ended up being a great idea. I fact, it makes the bike ride super-smooth. The carbon bar has a wee bit of give too, so that helps as well. 

The Milhouse Bar is wiiiide! You may have trouble getting between trees in some places.

After getting a good look at the new pavement for University Avenue, I headed over toward George Wyth State Park with no real agenda. On the way I remembered "Casey's Trail", a new-ish single track along the expressway which I have ridden maybe three or four times, but not in 2020 at all. So, I figured why not go and check it out? It's really one of only a few "true" single track trails in the area. 

You'd never know by looking that you are about 50 yards from a busy highway right here.

The Milhouse Bar is so different from anything I've tried that my typical MTB control layout wasn't working as well as I'd like. I ended up stopping at three different spots to make incremental adjustments to the lever and shifter placements until I was satisfied with the ergonomics. I still have to adjust the lever reach a tiny bit, but I didn't have a small enough hex key with me on the ride to do it then.

The changes made the experience of riding with these bars even more enjoyable. I will take a bit longer to become better acquainted with how the handling of this set up works. The weight distribution, width of the bars, and how the steering geometry is now have made it so the Snow Dog rides like a completely new-to-me bike. 

The drive train needs an update too. These old 9 speed parts are pretty tired and the range of gearing is not what it should be. I almost am pulled toward going with a nice 2X front crank and front derailleur, but eh.....maybe I should stick to 1X here. At any rate, I need a clutch rear derailleur and a 1X specific ring up front. I almost torqued off the chain twice on my ride as it was. 

Nature is the 'hook", my clothing, the "loop".

Follow the Yellow (Leaf) Road!

I ended up doing some twisty single track for a bit and then heading to the house. The Milhouse Bar is a really different, but really nice bar. The 70mm rise and the 810mm width is a flavor I have never had the pleasure of experiencing before this. I would like to see this bar on a proper 'trail bike' type geometry bike where I could use a stubby stem and not the long-ish tiller I have to use on the Snow Dog so I could evaluate this on a 'proper' set up. That said, I can certainly see how this bar can make a fat bike handle better by allowing more rearward weight shift to allow for front tire flotation, but still have a good climbing capability (standing climbing) and turning grip. 

Obviously, if a handle bar like this is interesting to you, you generally had to accept that the bar would weigh quite a bit. However; the Milhouse bar brings all the attitude and benefits of a moto inspired riser bar without the weight and better comfort than a handle bar made out of metal in this style. That said, it ain't a cheap option, but carbon fiber handle bars made to a MTB testing standard are not inexpensive, generally speaking. Especially if they are unique, as this bar is. 

More soon.

Friday News And Views

The Snow Dog with the Milhouse Bar.

 The Snow Dog Modified:

Recently I told you about the upcoming tenth year anniversary of my getting my first fat bike, a Salsa Cycles Mukluk. I also added that I had thought about adding the Whisky Parts Co.  Milhouse Bar to this bike. Well, as you can plainly see, I have done just that. I basically just swapped bars between this bike and the On One Inbred.

This match is a much better pairing. The On One/Milhouse pairing just didn't work for me. Not sure why, but mostly I think it was an aesthetic issue. It just looked like a "gangly teenager" set up. On the Snow Dog it looks a bit more 'moto'. So, there is that. However; it also feels better on the Snow Dog and that big, wide bar helps overcome the inertia a fat bike wheel has when you want to turn. 

I also did a couple of other swaps while I was at it. The first was the swap of the pedals. I had a set of some clunky, but light and very grippy flat pedals on there. Those I took off and replaced with these Fyxation Mesa MP Subzero pedals. The Fyxations are a lot slimmer and I have really liked their performance in the past. 

The next swap was of the seat post and saddle. I had a Cane Creek Thudbuster on it with a WTB Pure saddle. This was replaced by the Redshift Sports ShockStop seat post and a WTB Volt saddle. The Thudbuster is a decent post, but it gets loose in the pivots on me in short order, which then starts a clunk, and yeah...... Plus it is an elastomeric sprung system which doesn't play well with colder temperatures. The Redshift post has a coil spring which is not temperature sensitive and the pivots are bomber on this post. Super-solid, no worries. 

I still may be moving over the Archer Components D1x system to this bike. Stay tuned for that......

New Family Member At G-Ted Productions HQ:

Hey everyone, meet Minka. We just adopted her from the local animal shelter this past week. The story of her arrival here is a long one and has to do with a few odd things. None of that matters now, but the tipping point for getting a cat was a mouse problem we had been battling. All it took was for my daughter and I to find out that the mere presence of a cat was a good deterrent against mice coming  in to our abode. 

The surprise is that we have found out in a few short days that all our lives have been enhanced by the addition of Minka to the household. Mice prevention or no, we're all really happy to have her here. She's full of the berries, as she's only about five months and a little more in age. Still has to grow out of being a kitten, but that's okay. I grew up with cats, so I have a bit of experience with them, and it has been a quick refresher course with Minka running riot around the house here. 

I guess we shouldn't have waited so long to get a pet, but whatever. Now is the time and we have a cat now. Life will certainly be a bit different but we are all in on this and we will make it work. Got any cat tips to share? Go ahead and send them to me if you feel so inclined. 

The new Ritchey Ultra MTB frame

It's The Nostalgia Factor:

Every so often Ritchey Design produces one of their mountain bike frames in the iconic red/white/blue fade paint job. Every time I see it, I want it. Why? It's the "nostalgia factor". I remember those early 90's days looking at MTB mags and seeing these being raced, tested, and in the advertising. They were one of the most sophisticated, high performance, lightweight steel frames one could buy back then. Those final days of 'fully rigid' mountain biking were quite the innovative days. 

Ritchey Design has done it again with the Ultra, a 29" or 27.5+ machine with the conservative take on the 'modern trail geometry', so probably not a bad design for most single track here. I looked at this, and looked......and looked. But really? C'mon! When do I mountain bike anymore? I'm always out on the gravel and mountain bikes are a side show for me these days. I like mountain biking, but I can get on a gravel road, do some Level B Maintenance stuff, and get all my mountain biking vibes in that I ever could on what we have for single track around here. In fact, I would wager that many Level B's in Iowa are better than mountain biking anywhere in the state. 

That's a bold statement, but those that know- well they know. So, I really am not in the market for a bike like this Ritchey, but I really like the way it looks and the history it represents. Bad reasons to get a frame, right? And besides, look at that fat bike up there. That's a mountain bike too. I feel like that fat bike is actually a more versatile bike around here than a straight up mountain bike is. My opinion, your mileage may vary.

And that's a wrap for this week. Have a great weekend and get in some riding if you can.....outdoors!

Friday News And Views

The Snow Dog with the Milhouse Bar.

 The Snow Dog Modified:

Recently I told you about the upcoming tenth year anniversary of my getting my first fat bike, a Salsa Cycles Mukluk. I also added that I had thought about adding the Whisky Parts Co.  Milhouse Bar to this bike. Well, as you can plainly see, I have done just that. I basically just swapped bars between this bike and the On One Inbred.

This match is a much better pairing. The On One/Milhouse pairing just didn't work for me. Not sure why, but mostly I think it was an aesthetic issue. It just looked like a "gangly teenager" set up. On the Snow Dog it looks a bit more 'moto'. So, there is that. However; it also feels better on the Snow Dog and that big, wide bar helps overcome the inertia a fat bike wheel has when you want to turn. 

I also did a couple of other swaps while I was at it. The first was the swap of the pedals. I had a set of some clunky, but light and very grippy flat pedals on there. Those I took off and replaced with these Fyxation Mesa MP Subzero pedals. The Fyxations are a lot slimmer and I have really liked their performance in the past. 

The next swap was of the seat post and saddle. I had a Cane Creek Thudbuster on it with a WTB Pure saddle. This was replaced by the Redshift Sports ShockStop seat post and a WTB Volt saddle. The Thudbuster is a decent post, but it gets loose in the pivots on me in short order, which then starts a clunk, and yeah...... Plus it is an elastomeric sprung system which doesn't play well with colder temperatures. The Redshift post has a coil spring which is not temperature sensitive and the pivots are bomber on this post. Super-solid, no worries. 

I still may be moving over the Archer Components D1x system to this bike. Stay tuned for that......

New Family Member At G-Ted Productions HQ:

Hey everyone, meet Minka. We just adopted her from the local animal shelter this past week. The story of her arrival here is a long one and has to do with a few odd things. None of that matters now, but the tipping point for getting a cat was a mouse problem we had been battling. All it took was for my daughter and I to find out that the mere presence of a cat was a good deterrent against mice coming  in to our abode. 

The surprise is that we have found out in a few short days that all our lives have been enhanced by the addition of Minka to the household. Mice prevention or no, we're all really happy to have her here. She's full of the berries, as she's only about five months and a little more in age. Still has to grow out of being a kitten, but that's okay. I grew up with cats, so I have a bit of experience with them, and it has been a quick refresher course with Minka running riot around the house here. 

I guess we shouldn't have waited so long to get a pet, but whatever. Now is the time and we have a cat now. Life will certainly be a bit different but we are all in on this and we will make it work. Got any cat tips to share? Go ahead and send them to me if you feel so inclined. 

The new Ritchey Ultra MTB frame

It's The Nostalgia Factor:

Every so often Ritchey Design produces one of their mountain bike frames in the iconic red/white/blue fade paint job. Every time I see it, I want it. Why? It's the "nostalgia factor". I remember those early 90's days looking at MTB mags and seeing these being raced, tested, and in the advertising. They were one of the most sophisticated, high performance, lightweight steel frames one could buy back then. Those final days of 'fully rigid' mountain biking were quite the innovative days. 

Ritchey Design has done it again with the Ultra, a 29" or 27.5+ machine with the conservative take on the 'modern trail geometry', so probably not a bad design for most single track here. I looked at this, and looked......and looked. But really? C'mon! When do I mountain bike anymore? I'm always out on the gravel and mountain bikes are a side show for me these days. I like mountain biking, but I can get on a gravel road, do some Level B Maintenance stuff, and get all my mountain biking vibes in that I ever could on what we have for single track around here. In fact, I would wager that many Level B's in Iowa are better than mountain biking anywhere in the state. 

That's a bold statement, but those that know- well they know. So, I really am not in the market for a bike like this Ritchey, but I really like the way it looks and the history it represents. Bad reasons to get a frame, right? And besides, look at that fat bike up there. That's a mountain bike too. I feel like that fat bike is actually a more versatile bike around here than a straight up mountain bike is. My opinion, your mileage may vary.

And that's a wrap for this week. Have a great weekend and get in some riding if you can.....outdoors!

Has It Been That Long Already?

The Snow Dog as it has been for the last few years.

While contemplating where I might end up using the Archer Components D1x shifting system and the Whisky Milhouse bar, I had my thoughts light on the Snow Dog. Oh...... maybe you don't know about the Snow Dog? Well, if you've forgotten, or are a newer reader here, let me refresh your memory or bring you up to speed. I sometimes forget I've been at this for over 15 years and I don't remember there are new readers.......

Anyway, if you recall back previous to 2010, there was one fat bike. And you had to build it up. In fact, it wasn't even known then as a "fat bike". No, the Surly Pugsley wasn't a "fat bike" then, it was a snow bike. That's what everyone called them back then. And to be perfectly fair, there were more 'snow bikes' than the Pugsley, but they were all from small custom builders based out of Alaska or elsewhere that fat tired flotation bikes made sense. The "snow bike" scene was pretty niche and tiny back in those days when you had to build up a bike from parts. Surly made it easier by making a lot of what you'd need to do it, like offering a tire- yes, a single model only- so you could get on with Winter riding. 

So, keep this in mind. You couldn't just run down to the bike shop or department store and buy a bike and be riding an hour later. No. This was a long process of choosing parts, carefully putting them together in a way that was functional, and spending probably 2000 dollars or more in the process. All for a bike that, well back then anyway, we thought you might use for three months out of the year tops. It wasn't a slam-dunk bike to own back in those days. It may not be a particularly practical bike for most people in 2020, but for a few short years, "snow bikes/fat bikes" were all the rage. Once a big hurdle was cleared, that is.

The Snow Dog as it appeared in February 2011.

All that to paint a picture going into 2011 when we found out late in 2010 that Salsa Cycles was going to release a fully built, in the box, snow bike dubbed the Mukluk. The news spread like a Colorado wildfire and people were so excited that the first run of the bike sold out pre-release. Shops were holding parties where gear for Winter riding was being shown and the Mukluk was already being upgraded before anyone had one yet! I know this because I attended one such party at Milltown Cycles in Faribault, Minnesota where a young Ben Witt was the proprietor. Those were crazy days. 

Anyway, I ponied up for a Mukluk. This would have been ten years ago now this November. Ben, who was scrambling to find enough Mukluks to satisfy demand, called one day to ask me if he could sell the wheels off my bike when it came in! He mentioned that there already was an aftermarket hub set from Phil Wood that I could build a better wheel set with, so I gave my consent and ponied up for the new hubs. This meant that I would have to wait last in line to get my Mukluk. But.......what I didn't know was that Ben and some other friends had a plan.

And that plan was to buy my frame and fork for me for my birthday, which is in January. So, here poor ol' Ben was having to put me off, making up excuses as to why my bike was being delayed, until my birthday arrived in late January. To say that I was blown away by that gesture is a gross understatement. I still am amazed by their generosity. So, that's a long story to explain that this bike became the Snow Dog, because, well.....these things were snow bikes to begin with. 

Okay, a long winded story- sorry - but that should bring y'all up to the moment here and now on with it.....

I plan on switching that Archer Components D1x and the Milhouse Bar over to the Snow Dog. It just makes sense and I think it will also help make the ol' Snow Dog a useful rig again. But ya know...... If you've been around here long enough, you know I am full of ideas and many never get beyond this blog. So, don't hold your breath, but my plan is to get the Snow Dog out on a bit of a "Tenth Anniversary Tour" and celebrate the fat bike's tenth year of (complete availability) existence and my tenth anniversary of owning this bike, of course. 

Stay tuned........

Has It Been That Long Already?

The Snow Dog as it has been for the last few years.

While contemplating where I might end up using the Archer Components D1x shifting system and the Whisky Milhouse bar, I had my thoughts light on the Snow Dog. Oh...... maybe you don't know about the Snow Dog? Well, if you've forgotten, or are a newer reader here, let me refresh your memory or bring you up to speed. I sometimes forget I've been at this for over 15 years and I don't remember there are new readers.......

Anyway, if you recall back previous to 2010, there was one fat bike. And you had to build it up. In fact, it wasn't even known then as a "fat bike". No, the Surly Pugsley wasn't a "fat bike" then, it was a snow bike. That's what everyone called them back then. And to be perfectly fair, there were more 'snow bikes' than the Pugsley, but they were all from small custom builders based out of Alaska or elsewhere that fat tired flotation bikes made sense. The "snow bike" scene was pretty niche and tiny back in those days when you had to build up a bike from parts. Surly made it easier by making a lot of what you'd need to do it, like offering a tire- yes, a single model only- so you could get on with Winter riding. 

So, keep this in mind. You couldn't just run down to the bike shop or department store and buy a bike and be riding an hour later. No. This was a long process of choosing parts, carefully putting them together in a way that was functional, and spending probably 2000 dollars or more in the process. All for a bike that, well back then anyway, we thought you might use for three months out of the year tops. It wasn't a slam-dunk bike to own back in those days. It may not be a particularly practical bike for most people in 2020, but for a few short years, "snow bikes/fat bikes" were all the rage. Once a big hurdle was cleared, that is.

The Snow Dog as it appeared in February 2011.

All that to paint a picture going into 2011 when we found out late in 2010 that Salsa Cycles was going to release a fully built, in the box, snow bike dubbed the Mukluk. The news spread like a Colorado wildfire and people were so excited that the first run of the bike sold out pre-release. Shops were holding parties where gear for Winter riding was being shown and the Mukluk was already being upgraded before anyone had one yet! I know this because I attended one such party at Milltown Cycles in Faribault, Minnesota where a young Ben Witt was the proprietor. Those were crazy days. 

Anyway, I ponied up for a Mukluk. This would have been ten years ago now this November. Ben, who was scrambling to find enough Mukluks to satisfy demand, called one day to ask me if he could sell the wheels off my bike when it came in! He mentioned that there already was an aftermarket hub set from Phil Wood that I could build a better wheel set with, so I gave my consent and ponied up for the new hubs. This meant that I would have to wait last in line to get my Mukluk. But.......what I didn't know was that Ben and some other friends had a plan.

And that plan was to buy my frame and fork for me for my birthday, which is in January. So, here poor ol' Ben was having to put me off, making up excuses as to why my bike was being delayed, until my birthday arrived in late January. To say that I was blown away by that gesture is a gross understatement. I still am amazed by their generosity. So, that's a long story to explain that this bike became the Snow Dog, because, well.....these things were snow bikes to begin with. 

Okay, a long winded story- sorry - but that should bring y'all up to the moment here and now on with it.....

I plan on switching that Archer Components D1x and the Milhouse Bar over to the Snow Dog. It just makes sense and I think it will also help make the ol' Snow Dog a useful rig again. But ya know...... If you've been around here long enough, you know I am full of ideas and many never get beyond this blog. So, don't hold your breath, but my plan is to get the Snow Dog out on a bit of a "Tenth Anniversary Tour" and celebrate the fat bike's tenth year of (complete availability) existence and my tenth anniversary of owning this bike, of course. 

Stay tuned........

Alt Bars Are Back!

The Winston Bar by Whisky Parts Co.

Remember the mid-00's? those oddball handle bars which a lot of folks were putting on their oddball 29"ers were all the rage. Handle bars like Midge Bars, Fleegle Bars, Misfit made some which I've forgotton the name of, the H-Bar from Titec, and Salsa Cycles radically swept 17° straight handle bars. Those were crazy days. Then 29"ers went mainstream and the big companies said 'no more weird bars on 29"ers!', so folks just went back to being 'sheeple' and accepted the boring flat bar as it has been for two decades now. 

Well, someone or another at Whisky Parts Co. felt like they needed to wave their freak flag high and they have put forth a couple of weird bars in carbon fiber of all things. I wasn't supposed to talk about these until next week, but the QBP Mothership decided to open the floodgates of knowledge yesterday, and my reins were let go. So I posted this over at RidingGravel.com. But here I wanted to go a little deeper into why I think these bars are so rad. 

First, the Winston Bar, a mustache bar, is sooooo good! I was tipped off to this being in development last Summer, so I was already very excited about it. I like the idea of mustache bars,and  but for a couple of critical things, they were a perfect set of handle bar for me. Instead most traditional mustache bars are merely 'near misses'. They are almost always too narrow. Plus, they have extensions which pointed straight back. Lame! Make those sweep some! Make them in modern stem clamp diameters. Make it so I could use MTB controls and road controls. Well, Whisky Parts Co. figured this all out and made them compliant in carbon fiber, not to mention light in weight. 

And the Winston Bar is about as perfect a mustache bar as I could hope for. Wide but not too wide, and the extensions have sweep but are not crazy in that regard. They feel more ergonomic than mustache bars which point straight back. That long extension lends these bars a lot of compliance too, so the Winston feels great on gravel. I've had them long enough now to know. They are just about the best bar for anyone that doesn't like drop bars but wants more hand positions than flat bars have. 

The Winston Bar may be the best single speed gravel bike bar ever.

 I know some folks will be weirded out by the slammed over sideways look of the levers, but don't think about 'losing the hoods position' because you'll never miss it if you can open up your mind to the possibilities of the mustache design. Those levers sitting sideways are like flat bar controls that you still can grip on in about three different ways, plus they make a great platform for laying your hands down open for cruising and to give your hands a break. 

The slightly swept out and down nature of the extensions make the ergonomics for gripping the extensions far more comfortable. Plus, this extension positioning allows for a real advantage in levering a bike set up as a single speed rig. Kind of like a wheelbarrow handle grip, this aligns with your shoulders and hips to provide a better power transmission at low cadences, such as you might see on a steep, long climb. If you ever try these, this will become quite clear very soon after your first ride or two. 

The 70mm rise of the Milhouse Bar makes your seated position radically different.

The Milhouse Bar is one that doesn't seem quite so obviously awesome at first. A riser bar with a moto inspired cross bar, it seems more.....unnecessary to be made in carbon, but that thought leaves your mind when you see it for real. The light weight and width are good things for fat bikes, cruiser bikes, commuters, and yes, BMX bikes. Adventurers more interested in 'looky-looing' than covering ground as fast as possible will like these. 

I almost stuck these on one of my fat bikes. I still might. Adventure is what fat bikes are all about, right? But I already have two carbon Jones Loop Bars, one on each fat bike I normally use, so taking apart those to fit this bar is kind of a step backward. But I do still have the original fat bike I owned, the Snow Dog, so that is an option there. We will see... 

Meanwhile these Milhouse Bars are pretty nice riding bars as well. The rise and sweep is great, and you can cut them back, but 810mm of width is nicer to have than you might think. I don't know that I'd ever shorten these. Plus there is that cross bar. Hmm.....it isn't very big in diameter. It seems a waste not to figure out how to utilize that bit for accessories somehow. 

Anyway, there are some oddball, high end handlebars for ya! I'll be reporting back again soon on these. Now for the disclaimer: Note: Whisky Parts Co. Sent over the Winston and Milhouse Bars at no charge to Riding Gravel for test and review. We were not paid, nor bribed, for this review and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Alt Bars Are Back!

The Winston Bar by Whisky Parts Co.

Remember the mid-00's? those oddball handle bars which a lot of folks were putting on their oddball 29"ers were all the rage. Handle bars like Midge Bars, Fleegle Bars, Misfit made some which I've forgotton the name of, the H-Bar from Titec, and Salsa Cycles radically swept 17° straight handle bars. Those were crazy days. Then 29"ers went mainstream and the big companies said 'no more weird bars on 29"ers!', so folks just went back to being 'sheeple' and accepted the boring flat bar as it has been for two decades now. 

Well, someone or another at Whisky Parts Co. felt like they needed to wave their freak flag high and they have put forth a couple of weird bars in carbon fiber of all things. I wasn't supposed to talk about these until next week, but the QBP Mothership decided to open the floodgates of knowledge yesterday, and my reins were let go. So I posted this over at RidingGravel.com. But here I wanted to go a little deeper into why I think these bars are so rad. 

First, the Winston Bar, a mustache bar, is sooooo good! I was tipped off to this being in development last Summer, so I was already very excited about it. I like the idea of mustache bars,and  but for a couple of critical things, they were a perfect set of handle bar for me. Instead most traditional mustache bars are merely 'near misses'. They are almost always too narrow. Plus, they have extensions which pointed straight back. Lame! Make those sweep some! Make them in modern stem clamp diameters. Make it so I could use MTB controls and road controls. Well, Whisky Parts Co. figured this all out and made them compliant in carbon fiber, not to mention light in weight. 

And the Winston Bar is about as perfect a mustache bar as I could hope for. Wide but not too wide, and the extensions have sweep but are not crazy in that regard. They feel more ergonomic than mustache bars which point straight back. That long extension lends these bars a lot of compliance too, so the Winston feels great on gravel. I've had them long enough now to know. They are just about the best bar for anyone that doesn't like drop bars but wants more hand positions than flat bars have. 

The Winston Bar may be the best single speed gravel bike bar ever.

 I know some folks will be weirded out by the slammed over sideways look of the levers, but don't think about 'losing the hoods position' because you'll never miss it if you can open up your mind to the possibilities of the mustache design. Those levers sitting sideways are like flat bar controls that you still can grip on in about three different ways, plus they make a great platform for laying your hands down open for cruising and to give your hands a break. 

The slightly swept out and down nature of the extensions make the ergonomics for gripping the extensions far more comfortable. Plus, this extension positioning allows for a real advantage in levering a bike set up as a single speed rig. Kind of like a wheelbarrow handle grip, this aligns with your shoulders and hips to provide a better power transmission at low cadences, such as you might see on a steep, long climb. If you ever try these, this will become quite clear very soon after your first ride or two. 

The 70mm rise of the Milhouse Bar makes your seated position radically different.

The Milhouse Bar is one that doesn't seem quite so obviously awesome at first. A riser bar with a moto inspired cross bar, it seems more.....unnecessary to be made in carbon, but that thought leaves your mind when you see it for real. The light weight and width are good things for fat bikes, cruiser bikes, commuters, and yes, BMX bikes. Adventurers more interested in 'looky-looing' than covering ground as fast as possible will like these. 

I almost stuck these on one of my fat bikes. I still might. Adventure is what fat bikes are all about, right? But I already have two carbon Jones Loop Bars, one on each fat bike I normally use, so taking apart those to fit this bar is kind of a step backward. But I do still have the original fat bike I owned, the Snow Dog, so that is an option there. We will see... 

Meanwhile these Milhouse Bars are pretty nice riding bars as well. The rise and sweep is great, and you can cut them back, but 810mm of width is nicer to have than you might think. I don't know that I'd ever shorten these. Plus there is that cross bar. Hmm.....it isn't very big in diameter. It seems a waste not to figure out how to utilize that bit for accessories somehow. 

Anyway, there are some oddball, high end handlebars for ya! I'll be reporting back again soon on these. Now for the disclaimer: Note: Whisky Parts Co. Sent over the Winston and Milhouse Bars at no charge to Riding Gravel for test and review. We were not paid, nor bribed, for this review and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.