Review: Redshift Sports Top Shelf Flat Bar

Note: Redshift Sports sent out a sample of their Top Shelf Flat Bar for test and review to Guitar Ted Productions at no charge. Guitar Ted is neither being paid, nor bribed, for this review. All opinions are Guitar Ted's and Redshift Sports has no say or influence on this review. 

Redshift Sports now offers a flat bar style handlebar in the Top Shelf.

  Recently I was asked to try out a new handlebar from Redshift Sports, I was initially thinking this would be another version of their great drop bars, but not this time! Instead, it is a flat bar, with rise, of course, and it is called the Top Shelf Flat Bar. 

The Top Shelf Bar on my 2003 Surly Karate Monkey

What It Is:

The Top Shelf Flat Bar comes in two rises. A 50mm rise and a 70mm rise. (50mm shown) The aluminum bar uses a 800mm width, which can be trimmed down. The bar features a five degree upsweep and a 14 degree backsweep for a comfortable hand and arm position. Claimed weight for a 50mm rise version is 544 grams and the 70mm rise version weighs in at a claimed 552 grams. 

Price for the Top Shelf Flat Bar is $129.99 USD and boasts a Lifetime Warranty. You can see the webpage for this bar HERE.  

Like its drop bar sibling, the Top Shelf Flat Bar has a 31.8mm diameter clamping section for the stem attachment. The top of the handlebar is a continuous hollow bar of 6061 T6 aluminum with a 22.2mm diameter which means this is a great part of the bar for your accessories.

Other riser bar designs often use a smaller diameter crossbar between the riser sections, or have no crossbar at all. This leaves very little room to mount accessories to those types of bars. Redshift avoids this hassle by employing the design they have with this riser flat bar. I think this is smart. 

The Top Shelf Flat Bar is really great for handlebar mounted bags like this one from Velo Orange.

Impressions:

The Top Shelf Flat Handlebar has a nice width, in my opinion. While you can cut it down, I happened to find the stock length "just right" for my Karate Monkey. The width lends a great amount of control. Leverage is perfect for grinding up a hill in single speed mode. 

There are a lot of handlebars with backsweep and everyone has an opinion on how much is too much or not enough. The Top Shelf Flat Bar has 14° of backsweep and I felt it was right in the pocket for my single speed. This amount of sweep feels natural, and not weird when standing and mashing the pedals. 

Thankfully this handlebar is not so stiff it "zings" your hands on sharp hits or abrupt surface changes. In fact, I can detect a little give to the extensions of the bar, and while I'd never mistake this for vibration reduction, it serves as a bit of relief from the pounding meted out by riding rigid. 

 Final Verdict:

This is a great handlebar with a design detail which makes it practical and easy to get along with. The backsweep is in the sweet-spot, the width is great, and the way the top section can be used for accessories is very handy. Plus it rides well and feels natural in the hands.  

 All in all, another hit from a long line of great products from Redshift Sports. It isn't flashy, but it gets the job done and in a smart way.  www.redshiftsports.com

Review Redshift Sports Top Shelf Bar: Final Review

 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.

The Redshift Sports Top Shelf Bar has been ridden in several areas and on several surfaces. I've even gotten a handlebar bag on it to see how that worked out. Now it is time to give my final say on this handlebar and whether it is doing what it was intended for or not. 

My last update on the Top Shelf Bar was in April which you can go back and read HERE. The update there was that I was still prety impressed with the Top Shelf Bar and that hasn't changed since April until now either. 

The Top Shelf has a smart flare and the drop section is shaped really well. I like riding in the drops, so this suits me and with the rise in the Top Shelf Bar making that easier on me to do, I ride in the drops more often. This is one of the design intentions for the Top Shelf Bar, and I would say that they nailed that.

This hand position is not impeded by the rise design. A good thing!

One of the things I've noted with some of the other riser drop bars is that traditional hand positions can be compromised. This is another area where Redshift got things right. I can find no compromises from their Kitchen Sink Bar, which the Top Shelf is based upon, in terms of hand positions. The Top Shelf has all of that. 

Interestingly, I saw in a social media post where Redshift says that you can use a 25.4mm clamp diameter stem and clamp to the top secton of the Top Shelf Bar. This would result in the "U" shaped section below the tops becoming an accessory mounting point or it could be utilized as a stabilizer for bags. I did not try this, but it might be an interesting option for some users. 

The Top Shelf Bar works very well with handlebar bags.

I did attach a Velo Orange Burrito Supreme handlebar bag to the Top Shelf Bar and it worked like peanut butter and jelly. That riser section does help support this bag, at any rate, and the set up is solid and secure enough that I wouldn't be afraid to use this over really rough roads. (Note: I talked a bit about this handlebar bag HERE)

The Good: 

The Top Shelf Bar does the thing where you get rise/height in the front end without goofy stems and without shelling out the bucks for a new bike with tall stack height. You get a decent looking, very functional handlebar that has some unexpected versatility and is designed smartly. 

The Not-So-Good: 

There isn't much to say here. The Top Shelf Bar is aluminum, and while not a zinger on bumps, it is still a stiff bar. Pair this with the excellent ShockStop stem and you'd have a very comfortable set up. Additionally, Redshift Sports makes the Cruise Control grips which could be added to this handlebar increasing comfort even more. So, there are options to overcome the stiffness of the bar. 

I tested this "full rigid" and even with my hand issues it wasn't bad as far as comfort goes. Ultimately you would have to be the one to decide here, but in my opinion the Top Shelf Bar has no real faults in design or use in the field. 

Conclusions: 

Again, the Top Shelf Bar is designed well with great ergonomics in the drops and with not too much flare. You get a taller front end without resorting to unsightly stems and without getting a different bike. 

I should mention that Redshift is coming out with a bag specifically designed for the Top Shelf Bar, but any handle bar bag probably will work fine. The Burrito Supreme Bag, shown to the left here on the Top Shelf Bar, is well supported and the straps worked out well to safely and securely mount this bag. The design of the riser section allows for this and does not impede accessory mounting of other things like computers or lights as well. 

So, if you've got a bike that you think might be a touch too low in the front, or an old favorite that your body isn't getting along with so well anymore, the Top Shelf Bar could prove to be a great solution fopr those issues and more.

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.