MEATengines Ride-O-Vision: The Stooge Moto Bar
Every year, I talk to several riders to whom I recommend an alt-bar for their mountain bike or ATB*. There are quite a few good options, though, and this is not meant to make offense, there is still a dearth of ‘cool’ brands making handlebars with an increased backsweep in the 14-20° range. I maintain that someday folks who don’t even know they are alt-bar interested will be about to buy a Chromag FU50 in a -15° sweep!
I’ve ridden many good options including putting substantial hours on SQLab and Soma Dream bars in various rises, my own custom WZRD bar, the Hunter Smooth Move, and the aluminum Stooge Moto Bar I’m writing about today. The Stooge has a -17° sweep (AKA 17° backsweep), a 38mm rise, and un-cut they are 800mm wide.
*{Any Type of Bike / All Terrain Bike / Another Trendy Bike}
I previously wrote quite an extensive introduction to the Moto Bar, and MEATengines Ride-O-Vision in general, so I won’t say too much here about my impetus. I think Andrew at Stooge is doing a great job of carving his own niche, telling a rigid mountain bike story, and making interesting products that support his bicycles and, also, just happen to work with others.
If I had to highlight two standout features of the Moto Bar I would first note the 800mm length, which, compared to most other alt-bars, makes it a friendlier option for properly-long-limbed riders or folks who tend to size down their frames and run wider bars. Or, just riders who like a wider setup. I ran the Stooge stick un-cut for my first dozen rides. My primary motivation for running the bar full length, and I’ll talk more about it below the next photo break, was that I have a few alt-bar-resistant friends for whom this would be the perfect starting point.
Having all that extra handlebar sitting proud of my hand position proved to be the opposite of ideal on a couple of log rides I regularly ride, so I’ve now chopped the bar to 780mm, which is the starting point for my SQLab 30X -16° bars. I usually cut those down to 760-770mm, depending on the bike, and I will likely take the Stooge down another 5mm per side (770mm total) at some point.
What makes the Stooge the ultimate starting point for an alt-bar adventure? The way it’s bent there’s no better bar for folks who are happy with their frame size and stem length and simply want to try more backsweep. With other more-backswept bars, it ca necessary to add a centimeter or so of stem length to maintain the same position but going from my -8° FU40 to the -17° Moto required no adjustment. Same headset spacer configuration. Same 32mm NSBillet Overlord stem.
What might drive a rider to choose another alt-bar over the Moto? Where I roll them, the Smooth Move and the SQLab both have more up-sweep. Particularly with my rigid setup, my shoulders find this more comfortable on long descents. The Moto is also towards the stiffer end of 31.8mm aluminum handlebars although it’s certainly more forgiving than a cross-brazed steel riser and I would always choose shape before any implied flexibility.
For the gram-counters, SQLab drops quite a few grams over the Nitto-made Smooth Move or the Moto and they have a carbon option that’s lighter weight yet. For the enginerds, SQLab submits their products to the Zedler lab for the same end-of-life test that Chromag uses.
The 38mm Moto is taller than the ‘high-rise’ version of the 30X, presumably because SQLab measures its 45mm rise differently. With Stooge, getting a higher-rise mountain bike bar at this time requires the switch to a cross-braced steel option, with the Hunter there is a 75mm rise option.
Wrists, Elbows, & Shoulders.
I’d call this wheel laced, but to fully tension the circle for the Stooge Moto Bar, and other alt-bars, I think it is important to key up that these products are not for everyone. If you have never had any issue with a standard 7-9° backswept (-7° to -9° sweep) mountain bike handlebar then there are endless options to choose from. Materials, colours, rises, widths, and indeed a variety of stiffness profiles.
Where I usually enter the alt-bar discussion, and also the cut-your-bar narrower discussion, is when riders I know talk about pains from strains that they’re experiencing either caused by their bike or, in my case, originally a work-related strain that migrated to recreation. A bar in that 15-20° backswept (-15° to -20° sweep) can change everything without sacrificing good offroad handling, and, in some cases, depending on the bike and rider, enhancing offroad handling at the same time.
The 38mm rise will likely work for the vast majority of riders, but I would love to see Stooge doing a taller model. Either a 58mm or 68mm version would be ideal, I think. There’s a notable correlation between (many) folks wanting a higher position and more backsweep.
If your joints are protesting like every ride is APEC ’97 maybe it is time to listen to their specific concerns instead of just dousing them with ibuprofen? It’s always worthwhile to consider different grips or changing bar width, but at the end of the day, in my experience, a change of perspective can change everything. There is no way I’d be able to comfortably ride the North Shore on a rigid mountain bike without those extra degrees of backsweep engaging my upper body in a more ergonomic position.
If it is time to investigate a different bar shape but you’re hoping to keep your position otherwise the same – frame & stem – then the £72 Stooge Moto Bar is the best option I’ve tried. Looking for a wider (800mm) alt-bar option? This is an excellent option. And even cut down to my happy place, I’m totally at home with the Stooge on (my) Will’s Arcturian.
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