Space: Of Bars, Wasted, and Otherwise!

<====A Blackbuck in the woods.

I got an Origin 8 Space Bar OR to test and stuck it on the OS Bikes Blackbuck to ride this past week. This bar is very much like the Misfit Psycles Fubar. The Space Bar OR is also very much unlike its similarly named street oriented bar, the Space Bar.

This new bar is beefier and heavier than the old Space Bar, plus it has a much better clamping area for your stem. It even surpasses the FuBar in this respect, which I had a devil of a time finding the right stem for. The problem with these swept bars is that your weight, while on the grips, is far enough away from the centerline that runs through the clamp area that you generate a lot of leverage that wants to cause the bar to spin.



<===Lots of backsweep here!

The FuBar was a smallish diameter in the critical clamping area and I could only find one stem that had the right combination of length, rise , and most importantly, clamping force, that would accomodate the FuBar. Fortunately, the Space Bar OR doesn't suffer from this minor flaw and I can get major clamping force using my preferred purple no-name stem! (Or any other stem for that matter)




<===Hey! If Brad Wiggins does it, than its gotta work, right?

Okay, here we have a strange tale of two men from the local area here. First we have "Fatty", who typically lays in the weeds and ambushes innocent local bloggers with "anonymous" commentary. Fortunately, most of us locals are on to this ruse, and we have taken much joy in outing him whenever the occaision presents itself.

The second man, pictured at the left, is the Blue Colnago. He's a fella that's been around the block a few times, and doesn't take too well ta young whippersnappers that are lookin' ta take a cheap shot. I mean, he's just a guy lookin' ta have a good time on a bicycle. Okay?

So, I get these two pictures from "Anonymous" (yeah....we all know who you are buddy!) and he asks me ta post that Blue is "buzzed". Well, you have ta know the rest of that story ta "git this". So, here's a short synopsis:

Blue got a pic of Fatty after he'd tanked a few and posted it on his blog saying that Fatty looked "buzzed". Well, the youginz didn't take too kindly ta the lil' bit o ribbin and had hisself a hissy fit. Posted all sorts of goofy comments. Anyway....

So, that's the reason I'm being dragged into this affair. Well, ol' Fatty has a bit of learnin' ta do. He'll figure it out. Someday.

Us older guys gotta stick together. I mean, we have enough back hair ta be Silverbacks, the Alpha males, and younginz should respect that. Not try ta make us look goofy. We can do that on our own without any help from the yoots.

<====Nya nya na-na nyaaaaaa!

So have a little reeeespect fer yer elders there Fatty!

Heck, Ol' Blue knows he's buzzed. Been that way fer the better part of oh..........thirty years now, I figger!

Ha!

(Just so you know. I really like both of these guys, and I hope ya'all take it in stride. Have a good Monday! Oh! And like blue likes to say- "Peace, out!"

Space: Of Bars, Wasted, and Otherwise!

<====A Blackbuck in the woods.

I got an Origin 8 Space Bar OR to test and stuck it on the OS Bikes Blackbuck to ride this past week. This bar is very much like the Misfit Psycles Fubar. The Space Bar OR is also very much unlike its similarly named street oriented bar, the Space Bar.

This new bar is beefier and heavier than the old Space Bar, plus it has a much better clamping area for your stem. It even surpasses the FuBar in this respect, which I had a devil of a time finding the right stem for. The problem with these swept bars is that your weight, while on the grips, is far enough away from the centerline that runs through the clamp area that you generate a lot of leverage that wants to cause the bar to spin.



<===Lots of backsweep here!

The FuBar was a smallish diameter in the critical clamping area and I could only find one stem that had the right combination of length, rise , and most importantly, clamping force, that would accomodate the FuBar. Fortunately, the Space Bar OR doesn't suffer from this minor flaw and I can get major clamping force using my preferred purple no-name stem! (Or any other stem for that matter)




<===Hey! If Brad Wiggins does it, than its gotta work, right?

Okay, here we have a strange tale of two men from the local area here. First we have "Fatty", who typically lays in the weeds and ambushes innocent local bloggers with "anonymous" commentary. Fortunately, most of us locals are on to this ruse, and we have taken much joy in outing him whenever the occaision presents itself.

The second man, pictured at the left, is the Blue Colnago. He's a fella that's been around the block a few times, and doesn't take too well ta young whippersnappers that are lookin' ta take a cheap shot. I mean, he's just a guy lookin' ta have a good time on a bicycle. Okay?

So, I get these two pictures from "Anonymous" (yeah....we all know who you are buddy!) and he asks me ta post that Blue is "buzzed". Well, you have ta know the rest of that story ta "git this". So, here's a short synopsis:

Blue got a pic of Fatty after he'd tanked a few and posted it on his blog saying that Fatty looked "buzzed". Well, the youginz didn't take too kindly ta the lil' bit o ribbin and had hisself a hissy fit. Posted all sorts of goofy comments. Anyway....

So, that's the reason I'm being dragged into this affair. Well, ol' Fatty has a bit of learnin' ta do. He'll figure it out. Someday.

Us older guys gotta stick together. I mean, we have enough back hair ta be Silverbacks, the Alpha males, and younginz should respect that. Not try ta make us look goofy. We can do that on our own without any help from the yoots.

<====Nya nya na-na nyaaaaaa!

So have a little reeeespect fer yer elders there Fatty!

Heck, Ol' Blue knows he's buzzed. Been that way fer the better part of oh..........thirty years now, I figger!

Ha!

(Just so you know. I really like both of these guys, and I hope ya'all take it in stride. Have a good Monday! Oh! And like blue likes to say- "Peace, out!"

Friday News And Views

Space Bar Part II: At one time I had a few Origin 8 Space Bars on my rigs which were much like On One's Mary Bar, only waaay cheaper. And as it turned out, waay more breakable! (Well, for off roading- okay?) So I never had an issue with them mountain biking, but I didn't want to, so I ceased using them off road.

Now Origin 8 has a "Space Bar OR" which is "off road rated". It isn't anything like the Mary or the old Space Bar either. Nope! I'll have some pictures and info up later, but for now let's just say it has the look of another bar I am familiar with.

More Good Stuff: I have been getting more intel gathered for details concerning the course and some of the social things surrounding T.I.V6. Boy! This might be the most outlandish, coolest Trans Iowa yet devised. If half of what has tickled my ears gets to the event, than I'll be really floored. I haven't been this stoked about doing a Trans Iowa in a long time. I will be getting to it here very soon, so start looking for details to pop up and lots of hints and clues in the coming weeks and months.

More Antler/Elgokse Reports: I will be swapping over to the full on Antler/Elgokse set up here shortly and getting some reports up on how that works out on various surfaces soon. I needed to figure out how I wanted to approach the Nokon housing problem, since I was going to need to string on more of that on the Pofahl to get the brake levers to sit where I needed them to on the Antlers. I have a solution now without necessitating spending the $$$ on a full Nokon kit. (I only need a bit more, not a full kits worth) So I will be getting that set up here soon. Stay tuned!

Fall Makes A Return?: It looks as if the weather will return to more of a Fall-like feel around here starting this weekend. That's all good for me! I was getting a bit bummed that Winter would be striking sooner than later, and I was hoping we'd get an "Indian Summer" at least. Well, it looks as though we'll get a break, so I better get out while the gettin' is good. And so should you!

Have fun riding where ever your bike takes you!

Friday News And Views

Space Bar Part II: At one time I had a few Origin 8 Space Bars on my rigs which were much like On One's Mary Bar, only waaay cheaper. And as it turned out, waay more breakable! (Well, for off roading- okay?) So I never had an issue with them mountain biking, but I didn't want to, so I ceased using them off road.

Now Origin 8 has a "Space Bar OR" which is "off road rated". It isn't anything like the Mary or the old Space Bar either. Nope! I'll have some pictures and info up later, but for now let's just say it has the look of another bar I am familiar with.

More Good Stuff: I have been getting more intel gathered for details concerning the course and some of the social things surrounding T.I.V6. Boy! This might be the most outlandish, coolest Trans Iowa yet devised. If half of what has tickled my ears gets to the event, than I'll be really floored. I haven't been this stoked about doing a Trans Iowa in a long time. I will be getting to it here very soon, so start looking for details to pop up and lots of hints and clues in the coming weeks and months.

More Antler/Elgokse Reports: I will be swapping over to the full on Antler/Elgokse set up here shortly and getting some reports up on how that works out on various surfaces soon. I needed to figure out how I wanted to approach the Nokon housing problem, since I was going to need to string on more of that on the Pofahl to get the brake levers to sit where I needed them to on the Antlers. I have a solution now without necessitating spending the $$$ on a full Nokon kit. (I only need a bit more, not a full kits worth) So I will be getting that set up here soon. Stay tuned!

Fall Makes A Return?: It looks as if the weather will return to more of a Fall-like feel around here starting this weekend. That's all good for me! I was getting a bit bummed that Winter would be striking sooner than later, and I was hoping we'd get an "Indian Summer" at least. Well, it looks as though we'll get a break, so I better get out while the gettin' is good. And so should you!

Have fun riding where ever your bike takes you!

Origin 8 Space Bar Review

<==== The Space Bar, upside down on a geared bike.

I was asked about an On One Mary Bar yesterday and it is a fantastic bar. (Do go to the link and read through Brant Richards excellent take on why these types of bars work so well.) The thing about the Mary, Midge, and Mungo is that while they are great bars, they cost a heck of a lot more and are not as easy to get a hold of as Origin 8's Gary and Space Bar. Quite simply, it's a matter of supply and economics for me. Otherwise much of what I will be writing here could be said of the Mary bar and it would be a great bar to own. Maybe someday......



<====You can use the Space Bar with your "regular" stem.

Some folks might be a bit concerned with positioning with a Space Bar. Not to worry! I have found that by overlaying a "standard" swept bar over a mounted Space Bar, that the actual end position for the hands is virtually the same. The difference being the angle that your hands are at. The angle of the grip section is close to 40 degrees and there is plenty of room for controls of your choice. The bars do have rise (or drop) and you can gain about an inch and a half of rise if you so desire. I have run the Space Bar upside down with excellent results as well.




<===The Space Bar plays quite well with Ergon grips and becomes even more useful with them, in my opinion.

Out riding, the Space Bar puts your elbows in a more relaxed, next to your body position and aligns your wrists and fore arms in a more natural way. My riding has shown me that they work just fine in single track and turning tight corners isn't a problem. I especially like the leverage I can generate out of the saddle on climbs. Imagine hoisting a pail full of water upwards with one hand and you might see how it is while out of the saddle pulling upwards on the Space Bar. The bar is plenty stiff, no noodle bar here! That means that if you run a rigid set up, the Space Bar may not be to your liking from a comfort standpoint. It doesn't yield to trail obstacles much at all!

I will give you my thoughts on the Mary bar in comparison here. (I think I can speak on this from my Midge Bar experience) The On One product is a much finer looking piece, no doubt. I would also suspect that it is slightly lighter than the Kalloy made Space Bar. The center section of the Mary is slightly different, most notably the clamp area, which looks much cleaner and neater than the Space Bar's does. Overall, it is a better looking, slightly lighter, and probably a slightly more comfortable bar than the Space Bar. However; you will pay nigh onto three times the price of a Space bar for a Mary Bar, so it comes at a premium.

In my mind, the Space Bar wins for it's versatility, toughness, and value. The average retail price for a Space Bar is about $25.00. Not bad for a handle bar and great for something that breaks from the normal 5-7 degree flat bars and riser bars that don't have more than 10 degrees sweep. You don't have to use a different stem, and you can use non-traditional grips, like Ergon grips. All your controls will work, no special considerations there either.

Try a Space Bar out. I highly recommend them!

Origin 8 Space Bar Review

<==== The Space Bar, upside down on a geared bike.

I was asked about an On One Mary Bar yesterday and it is a fantastic bar. (Do go to the link and read through Brant Richards excellent take on why these types of bars work so well.) The thing about the Mary, Midge, and Mungo is that while they are great bars, they cost a heck of a lot more and are not as easy to get a hold of as Origin 8's Gary and Space Bar. Quite simply, it's a matter of supply and economics for me. Otherwise much of what I will be writing here could be said of the Mary bar and it would be a great bar to own. Maybe someday......



<====You can use the Space Bar with your "regular" stem.

Some folks might be a bit concerned with positioning with a Space Bar. Not to worry! I have found that by overlaying a "standard" swept bar over a mounted Space Bar, that the actual end position for the hands is virtually the same. The difference being the angle that your hands are at. The angle of the grip section is close to 40 degrees and there is plenty of room for controls of your choice. The bars do have rise (or drop) and you can gain about an inch and a half of rise if you so desire. I have run the Space Bar upside down with excellent results as well.




<===The Space Bar plays quite well with Ergon grips and becomes even more useful with them, in my opinion.

Out riding, the Space Bar puts your elbows in a more relaxed, next to your body position and aligns your wrists and fore arms in a more natural way. My riding has shown me that they work just fine in single track and turning tight corners isn't a problem. I especially like the leverage I can generate out of the saddle on climbs. Imagine hoisting a pail full of water upwards with one hand and you might see how it is while out of the saddle pulling upwards on the Space Bar. The bar is plenty stiff, no noodle bar here! That means that if you run a rigid set up, the Space Bar may not be to your liking from a comfort standpoint. It doesn't yield to trail obstacles much at all!

I will give you my thoughts on the Mary bar in comparison here. (I think I can speak on this from my Midge Bar experience) The On One product is a much finer looking piece, no doubt. I would also suspect that it is slightly lighter than the Kalloy made Space Bar. The center section of the Mary is slightly different, most notably the clamp area, which looks much cleaner and neater than the Space Bar's does. Overall, it is a better looking, slightly lighter, and probably a slightly more comfortable bar than the Space Bar. However; you will pay nigh onto three times the price of a Space bar for a Mary Bar, so it comes at a premium.

In my mind, the Space Bar wins for it's versatility, toughness, and value. The average retail price for a Space Bar is about $25.00. Not bad for a handle bar and great for something that breaks from the normal 5-7 degree flat bars and riser bars that don't have more than 10 degrees sweep. You don't have to use a different stem, and you can use non-traditional grips, like Ergon grips. All your controls will work, no special considerations there either.

Try a Space Bar out. I highly recommend them!

Skinned Knuckles

<===The Space Bar. Upside down or right side up, it's a winner!

I spent some time down in "the lab" tinkering with the Pofahl last night. I made a few changes that should really make a big difference to the positive side.

All along I and Ben Witt felt that the Pofahl needed a custom bar that was a take-off of the old "bull moose" style bars popular on mtb's from the early to mid eighties. There was a plan in place to make that happen last year, but the builder that was contacted about the project never delivered and I went forward with the drop bar idea that I originally set up the bike with.

Well, the Gary Bar is a great bar, but the Pofahl wasn't really built with one in mind. The position was okay, but "okay" isn't going to cut the mustard for 200 gravely miles in Kansas. this point was driven home to me on my training ride Sunday. So, off came the Gary Bar to be replaced by the Space Bar. The Space Bar has a 25.4mm clamp diameter and takes mtb controls, which is what makes it attractive on this project, since I can run my beloved Ergon grips. They work really well with the highly swept Space Bar and are super comfy on long rides.

Okay- So far, so good. Now I had to re-configure the other necessities for this ride. The Minoura BH-60 clamp on cage holders and SG-200 "Swing Grip" for the water bottles and lights to be mounted to. The Space Bar worked well with the bottle mounts, but the Swing Grip was a challenge. With all the angles to the Space Bar, the Swing Grip was looking to be a crooked, goofy add on. Fortunately the Swing Grip comes with a long enough band clamp that it can go around my stubby Salsa Moto Ace stem and be centrally mounted to not only look good, but get my Blackburn Voyager 4.0 pointed in the right direction. Once everything was mounted up, I re-attached the brakes to my Avid SD-1 levers and futzed with the brake adjustments.

I found out that my rear disc pad was dragging on my rotor. No wonder the bike felt dead coasting! I thought it was the wind, but after the brake adjustments, I went out for a quick round the block and the bike was fantastic. It rolled like it hadn't in awhile. No doubt, that brake had been rubbing for awhile without making any noises to alert me to the problem. The rest of the set up was waaaay better than before. Everything clicked and I was super stoked. I wanted to head out on a long ride right then and there, but I do need my beauty sleep, so I decided against that!

The conclusion: The Pofahl isn't a drop bar bike, wasn't ever really designed to be one, and is far better with the upside down Space Bar and current set up than it was before. I can't wait to ride it on a long gravel grinder soon!

Skinned Knuckles

<===The Space Bar. Upside down or right side up, it's a winner!

I spent some time down in "the lab" tinkering with the Pofahl last night. I made a few changes that should really make a big difference to the positive side.

All along I and Ben Witt felt that the Pofahl needed a custom bar that was a take-off of the old "bull moose" style bars popular on mtb's from the early to mid eighties. There was a plan in place to make that happen last year, but the builder that was contacted about the project never delivered and I went forward with the drop bar idea that I originally set up the bike with.

Well, the Gary Bar is a great bar, but the Pofahl wasn't really built with one in mind. The position was okay, but "okay" isn't going to cut the mustard for 200 gravely miles in Kansas. this point was driven home to me on my training ride Sunday. So, off came the Gary Bar to be replaced by the Space Bar. The Space Bar has a 25.4mm clamp diameter and takes mtb controls, which is what makes it attractive on this project, since I can run my beloved Ergon grips. They work really well with the highly swept Space Bar and are super comfy on long rides.

Okay- So far, so good. Now I had to re-configure the other necessities for this ride. The Minoura BH-60 clamp on cage holders and SG-200 "Swing Grip" for the water bottles and lights to be mounted to. The Space Bar worked well with the bottle mounts, but the Swing Grip was a challenge. With all the angles to the Space Bar, the Swing Grip was looking to be a crooked, goofy add on. Fortunately the Swing Grip comes with a long enough band clamp that it can go around my stubby Salsa Moto Ace stem and be centrally mounted to not only look good, but get my Blackburn Voyager 4.0 pointed in the right direction. Once everything was mounted up, I re-attached the brakes to my Avid SD-1 levers and futzed with the brake adjustments.

I found out that my rear disc pad was dragging on my rotor. No wonder the bike felt dead coasting! I thought it was the wind, but after the brake adjustments, I went out for a quick round the block and the bike was fantastic. It rolled like it hadn't in awhile. No doubt, that brake had been rubbing for awhile without making any noises to alert me to the problem. The rest of the set up was waaaay better than before. Everything clicked and I was super stoked. I wanted to head out on a long ride right then and there, but I do need my beauty sleep, so I decided against that!

The conclusion: The Pofahl isn't a drop bar bike, wasn't ever really designed to be one, and is far better with the upside down Space Bar and current set up than it was before. I can't wait to ride it on a long gravel grinder soon!