With a little help from various internet friends (thanks!) I drop-barified the Bontrager. Midge bars, Dia-Compe 287v brake levers for the V-brakes, bar-end shifters. The friction shifters seem to work fine with the 9-speed drivetrain, but I’ve yet to use them while tired and climbing on dirt. The stem extender is the key, here. According to Miles’ BikeCAD drawing, it would take a 180mm stem with a 52 degree rise to get the bars to the same spot.
I thought the bars were short in the ends, but the length is perfect with the bar-end shifters installed. Like they were designed for that. I did have to wrap the Planet Bike cork tape ‘foreskin’ fashion to cover up the scratchy bolts in the shifter pods, but it’s working okay so far.
Ahh… I think that’s the best look for the front of a bike. They seem to flare a little less at the ends than WTB drops, and the tops are wider. I think I can hang my Carradice “Junior” bag up there, which is too wide for the WTB bars.
I’m a dork. Portly, too.
How not to photograph a bike. Junky backyard crap and a dog’s tail! Zero contrast in the part of the shot you want to show off… can a bike photo get any worse?
I would like to install Midge bars on my 2001 Jamis Nova cyclocross bike. It is used for 70% trail riding and 30% road riding. I absolutely cannot find anybody stocking them. Where did you get yours ?
thanks
Jeffrey Wanerman
jwanerman@aol.com
From a friend on the iBOB listserv.
I did see a pair in Portland at Citybikes a couple months ago. ??
The Origin8 ‘Gary’ bars are similar, heavier, and need to reamed out to take bar ends, but might work. And you could order them through your LBS.
I just bought a Midge bar from On-One directly. With the exchange rate it was $61.00 incl. shipping.