Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Thorn General => Topic started by: vik on October 25, 2008, 05:05:41 PM
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Just wondering how many folks were using the Thorn Comfort Bars for touring and what your thoughts were? Anyone using inboard bar ends with this bar?
I've had good results on my touring bikes with drop bars, but I'd like to find a riser bar that is comfortable for all day touring particularly for rough/unpaved road tours where the extra leverage is very nice.
safe riding,
Vik
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Dear Vic,
I ride a Catalyst with comfort risers and BBB carbon bar ends inboard at the bend along with the BBB version of the Cane Creek ergogrips at the ends of the bars.
The inboard bars do provide a more slightly aerodynamicaly improved position for bowling along. The degree of aero advantage is compromised as one is not reaching forward thus reducing the area presented to the air. This position is not sustainable for a long time as there are no elbow pads as on aero bars and carrying full upper body mass in this way is much more tiring than riding with on the hoods of dropped bars (is this correct usage?).
Despite their marginal benefit I keep them on the bike because they do provide grip change options, I brought them, and I like to think that tucked in and steely eyed I look very much the serious athlete on the 2 mile commute through the park.
Yours, James
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Hi,
I've got comfort bars on my Sherpa and they work very well, can't see the point of inboard bar ends don't think they would be stable.
Bob
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I tried inboard bar ends on my comfort bars but never liked using them and took them off.
The comfort bars I find very nice to ride a laden bike with on tour.
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I like the looks of the On one Midge handlebar. It has a small flared drop but is still wide enough to give plenty of leverage, so much so that it is not permitted in competitive cyclocross. What is the point in having in board bar ends? If anything, they give you less leverage, which I imagine would put more stress on the chest muscles as well as the upper back.
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I have the Thorn comfort bars on both my RST and my Sterling. Fine for me.
ian
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I started with inboard carbon bar ends on comfort bars and then moved them outboard as I wasn't using them very much. Inboard they are good into the wind but for a stable alt position I prefer them on the outside.
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Inboard bar ends work quite well at achieving a similar position to riding on the hoods of drop-bars (more comfy for many of us than flat bars as it orients your wrist to the 'hand shake' position). They have a positive aero effect but are not designed for leverage or climbing.
I fitted Cane Creek bar-ends for climbing and they worked really well when out of the saddle, better than forward-projecting 'bull-horns' in that respect.
I ended up with Carbon Bar ends fitted inboard, Cane creek bar ends fitted outboard and Ergon grips.
However, after a month or two trying to recreate all the comfy hand positions I have on my drops I simply dispensed with flat 'comfort' bars and fitted drops.