Everyone needs a -16° backsweep handlebar, right? That’s why I’ve made it a project to keep mentioning that it would be really sweet if Chromag made a swept-back FU40 or FU50? And why I’m always half-joking that folks should drop them a line and ask when they’ll hit production? And why I almost always end up riding a -16° on whatever bikes I’m testing for NSMB.com?
No, no, no, and no. The truth is most folks are perfectly happy on standard 7-9° backsweep bars, and even given options they’d probably end up back there. That’s not to discourage anyone from trying different things – when it comes to bike fit try everything you feasibly can. But for the folks who don’t figure they’re missing anything, you probably aren’t.
Sorry? Or, maybe, you’re welcome?
The challenge in motivating folks to consider alternate options to the one-bend-fits-all preference of the communal bike industry is not being dismissed as an absolutist trying to move wholesale change. Just as being an early adopter of 29″ wheels for my rigid single-speed wasn’t motivated by a desire to bury 26″ wheels, my desire for a cool & common brand like Chromag, Deity, Renthal, etc. is about making increased sweep seem like a legitimate option for everyone, not to take options away.
But, but, out of control SKU counts! In terms of the alt-sweep bars, only two finishes are necessary: black w/ chrome graphics & chrome w/ black graphics.
SQLab makes a great bar in their 30X, why not just buy that? Well, first of all, the Chromag bars would come in 800mm, which will potentially bring in a bunch of interested folks who want a bar wider than 780mm. But more than that, Chromag is a company that has an automatic air of acceptance accompanying everything they do. Just look at their clip-in pedal lineup. There are folks who could really benefit from more backsweep who would be significantly more likely to try them if there was a bear-grabbing-its-junk graphic on the surface.
Why -16°? Because that’s what works for me? Sure! But, in my experience, it’s also the sweet spot between a bar that produces a noticeably different fit and a bar that starts to be awkward in certain offroad situations. Kudos to SQLab for sorting that out ages ago.
And who is it for? Folks like me, who find that their wrists and elbows are significantly more comfortable after a chunky ride or multiple days of chunky rides with the increased backsweep. Folks who are managing injuries, or who will be managing injuries in the future. Folks whose proportions and preferences just don’t match what works for most people.
It’s not everyone. It’s not a majority of people. But it’s enough people to make it a worthwhile endeavour. And hey, while we’re here. If a -16° FU40 or FU50 is a project that you’d definitely throw down cash for, maybe let Chromag know?
HAHAHAHA. Sorry Chromag <3.