I have never set foot in BikeBike Inc which is a little shop in central Calgary, AB. In fact, the last time I was in Calgary the bike shop did not even exist. I have heard them described as the “e-bike version of Dream Cycle,” which I took to be a compliment, and I have enjoyed the total of one, very nice, chat with the owner.  

It was a moment. Our conversation flowed into a fondue of one of my favourite flavours of bike-nerding, mountain bike handlebar sweep, and one of their favourite flavours, which happens to be their saddle lending library. 

As an absolute proponent of mountain bike bars with greater backsweep than the industry-standard 7°-9°, for some riders, I have two wishes. Firstly, that more companies would offer more, different, bar geometry options. Secondly, that a local shop would find some way to make money, and earn happy customers, by establishing a fit-library so riders can experience their way to greater cycling comfort.

Now there is probably some dig in there about how this would be an amazing program for everyone’s national outdoor Co-op to implement for their members, and how the whole thing would cost way less, and take up less space, and represent a better return-to-values, than parking a restored 1970’s VW van in all their stores* but it is not as sexy as RAD pants so let us focus on the positive:

A well-run library can sustain itself with membership fees and a shop providing the start-up capital, organizing the options, and providing good advice can profit in performing bike fits and selling riders their own version of whatever they prefer. It is a community service, good marketing, and a potential profit center all-in-one. 

Not to mention that most of the addicts, I mean mountain bikers, that I know, support local shops where they feel well supported. 

*Where did that video go anyways‽ 

Now, I am not telling you that your current bar – width, rise, backsweep, upsweep, position – is not perfect for you. The fact is that I have ridden a log-pile of handlebars with 7°-9° backsweep, and one bar with 45° backsweep and I was happy with my 31.8 aluminum Renthal Fatbar until I happened to test a 12° & 16° SQLab 30X bar back-to-back. 

I still remember how good my ‘bad elbow’ felt at the top of Good Sir Martin that first day on the 12° bar. Love at first ride. But, while the 16° felt weird at first, it quickly became, and has remained, my preference on my hardtail, to the extent of designing bikes with the backsweep in mind. 

For bracketing sake, I have also spent a fair number of hours on Soma’s 25° backswept Dream Bar, a collaboration with the previously mentioned bike shop. I would love to try the Dream Bar again only with my new, much longer, slacker, and meaner, Walt V.2 but my takeaway at the time was the 16° worked better for me for steep technical riding. I would love to try something in a 20°, 780mm wide option though. 

On my full suspension bike, it is a little different story. Since I built it up I have ridden bars backswept 8° through 16° and been happiest with a 10° PNW bar and a 12° SQLab 30X bar, and more recently a 12° Fasst Flexx bar, all at 780mm wide. 

Is that a factor of bike fit, frame geometry, fork offset, travel, geometry changes through rough terrain running a 180mm fork and 150mm rear end? I have some theories but the fact is that only trial-and-error delivered me to those understandings. 

Full circle to the library, imagine being able to pay an entry fee ($30? $50?) to try four different bar sweeps yourself for a long enough time, not a parking lot test, to determine what really works for you on a specific bike. Awesome right?

Add saddles and grips to that library and I think there is the potential to have a lot more riders buying products based on fit instead of flashy colours and, by the same token, to have a lot more riders more comfortable on their bikes. They will indeed buy products because borrowing stuff is great but at some point, you need to have your own copy of Catch-22, The Name Of The Rose, Deathless, or whatever familiar book you like to pick up and re-read a few choice chapters. 

In the meantime, I have an increasing number of regular riding friends swearing by 12° and 16° backswept bars, which encourages me to keep having this conversation.