More handlebar talk

[lune ranger]

I want to stick some flares drops on my CX bike with some max width tyres in order to increase its off road capabilities.
I ordered some OnOne Midge bars which arrived the other day and they look awful.
I use the bike for commuting mainly and also some audax. The Midges don't look good for that at all.
I ride either on the drop or just back from the hoods/on the hoods 99% of the time.
Any advice?
Anyone use Midges and like them?
If I send the Midges back does anyone have a recommendation for a cheap flared drop bar that's less weird.
Thanks

[Asposium]

Salsa cowbell??

[lune ranger]

I'm thinking £30 or thereabouts so Salsa out, thanks though.

[Moder-dye]

These look intriguing and your price...

https://m.bikester.co.uk/ritchey-comp-v ... 03222727:s

[BigdummySteve]

When you say they look awful have you actually tried them? I’m a recent convert to drop bar mountain bikes having recently brought a salsa Fargo, while the woodchippers on it look different compared to a road biased bar they work very well off road. Get them fitted and spend some time riding them before making judgement.

[lune ranger]

Not tried them. They Look awful as in the drop is tiny and the hook is very tight. More like an upside down ski bend bar end than a drop.
I've seen the bars on a Fargo and they are very different.
I don't want to go waste time and money fitting the Midges if they work like they look is all

[darbeze]

I recently bought a pair of Midge bars to fit on my Croix de Fer. When I got them out of the packet, I thought they looked awful too. I thought I had made a mistake.

I thought I should at least give them a try and I have to say I find them very comfortable. I mainly commute on the CDF and was worried that the Midge would be too radical or just wrong for me.

On my regular drop bars, I hardly ever used the drops, choosing instead to ride on the hoods most of the time. However, I find the drops on the Midge the most comfortable position!

Try them. What harm can it do. You may be pleasantly surprised like I was...

Si

[lune ranger]

Thanks Si
That's quite encouraging. One of the things I'm concerned about is getting a balance between the hand positions on the hoods and the drops as I tend to use both equally on standard compact drops.
How do you find that?
Can you hold the hooks directly under the levers?

[restlessshawn]

I use midge bars on 2 bikes (cx and mtb), when I first got them out the packet I thought they looked vaguely exciting They are the extreme end of flared drops.

The drop section is very short which is really the only shortcoming. I use control tech terminator plugs which adds 20mm and proper rubber velox bar plugs which adds another 5mm.

I find the angled hoods really comfy on the wrists and the drops great for control. Don't see why you think they wouldn't be good for commuting and audax, maybe not for road racing.

Starting point for setting up, point the drop section somewhere near your rear dropout, position levers so you can still brake comfortably from the drops, tweak from there. Even my road bike has flared drops, soma portola, which aren't quite so full on as the midge.

(Flared drops always look goofy in photos)

IMG_1947 by Shawn McFarlane, on Flickr

28276705_10216018589277319_5261629052046107366_n by Shawn McFarlane, on Flickr

[jameso]

I liked them. Not perfect, but good. Though the drop extensions were a bit short they'd be great with bar end shifters. Or bung a chunky fizzy wine cork in there : )
I have something else now (wider Genetic Digest bars, SJS have them) and gave the Midges to a friend who rode the TNR with them and now commutes on them, he's used them happily for 18 months or more. He's got an eye for how his bike looks and has set them up to look pretty normal, good even.

They're fairly cheap bars, good vfm, may as well try them. I prefer them to a few others I could mention that look more normal but are too roadie in reality but it's pretty subjective stuff.

[lune ranger]

Positive again. Think I'll give them a whirl.
Cheers

[Bearbonesnorm]

Genetic digest for me over the Midge. However, nearly all flared drops look odd from a road perspective and I've often found the hoods to be a slightly compromised position regardless of make.

[lune ranger]

True. I'm plenty used to ugly bikes. I have Krampus with Love Mud Confusious bars. Also a Thorn tourer that looks like an anorexic giraffe and not to mention clip on aerobars on a road bike.
When I said 'look awful' I was thinking form=function.
Reading plenty is leading me towards sending the Midges back and getting some Ritchey Veture Max.
Decisions, decisions...

[Bearlegged]

I really like the Midge bars. Restlessnative sums it up very nicely.

I found this article very helpful when setting them up:
http://www.63xc.com/mattc/midge.htm

[Bearbonesnorm]

On my regular drop bars, I hardly ever used the drops, choosing instead to ride on the hoods most of the time. However, I find the drops on the Midge the most comfortable position!

Which in my mind is kind of the point of flared / off-road drops ... the drop rather that the hood becomes primary position.

[Asposium]

On my regular drop bars, I hardly ever used the drops, choosing instead to ride on the hoods most of the time. However, I find the drops on the Midge the most comfortable position!

Which in my mind is kind of the point of flared / off-road drops ... the drop rather that the hood becomes primary position.

Yup
The shorter drop of the bars on the sequoia make the drop more comfortable to use.

Shame the sequoia bars have a silly riser, so they’ll be coming off and replaced by the salsa cowbell carbon once available

[darbeze]

Thanks Si
That's quite encouraging. One of the things I'm concerned about is getting a balance between the hand positions on the hoods and the drops as I tend to use both equally on standard compact drops.
How do you find that?
Can you hold the hooks directly under the levers?

I can only say I find them very comfy. Your experience may differ. I am genuinely surprised how comfy I find them.

Si

[restlessshawn]

Reading plenty is leading me towards sending the Midges back and getting some Ritchey Veture Max.
Decisions, decisions...

I'd get some of them ritchey bars for my ritchey, just because, if it wasn't for that horrible biomax lump on the drops. Had a pair of ritchey bars like that before and found the drops uncomfortable because of that.

[Moder-dye]

Just ordered myself some genetic digest

Measured up the bars I had on the drop bar MTB and the drop and reach were actually longer than my road bike bars. The bar top was closer but actual hoods and levers on drops were further Amazing what using a tape measure tells you

[Moder-dye]

Just fitted the genetic digest with the humpert high claris stem. Look good and measure up well, not tried them in anger yet though...

[Gari]

I have some of the Alpkit bombers, fitted but not used/taped, just to try the shape. OK but much preferred my midges(which went with a bike I sold)
If you fancy swapping I’m game, I love ‘em:)

[lune ranger]

Midges currently flying back to Planet X HQ. Couldn't bring myself to fit them. Have some Ritchey Venture Max on the way.

[ianfitz]

Genetic digest for me over the Midge. However, nearly all flared drops look odd from a road perspective and I've often found the hoods to be a slightly compromised position regardless of make.

The only exception I’ve found to hoods-not-being-right are the ritchey venturemax ones. They are level (with a very subtle backsweep) until where the hoods sit and then the drop begins.

They are by far my favourites, I wouldn’t ride anything else on a gravel bike