New bars can set you free!

We have been a Larry vs Harry Bullitt dealer for a while now…we built our demo bike around a frame from the importer that previously lived with the Jersey Post office…(we think) .

We built it to be different , so a Nuvinci hub gear, dynamo hub and front light…I also used a Surly bar that i loved when i fitted it on a MTB based bike with a massive basket on it…I don’t really favour handle bar/fork mounted baskets but i thought i would try it and the surly open bar was a good choice. Being so wide, it gave a nice bit of leverage and was comfortable to boot. This massive basket was controllable and the ride was good.

So i stuck a Surly Open bar on the Bullitt…..rode it for a while, it wasn’t quite right, but i regarded it as a good and well loved handlebar, a personal favorite. Now more it on a bit and i have a customer that has me building a E assist Bullitt, we talked a bit about bars, and he talked about a straight bar or a more upright bar, Bullitt do one. This got me thinking so i went through our quite respectable selection of sit upright bars and picked one out, I chose a fairly pulled back, quite a high rise bar from Humpert for my demo bike…lets see what difference it makes…well….these new handlebars have transformed the ride of the Bullitt, a lot more comfortable and upright, less twitchy even. I think there is a little more work to do on the stem/saddle position combo but the Bullitt is now a dream to ride.

So my point is this, there are a lot of handlebars out there, if your ride is not quite right, try another handlebar, don’t stick with what you know, trying a new (often inexpensive) handlebar might just make such a difference that you ride more, ride further and set you free to a lot more enjoyment from your ride.

first published march 15 (still relevant)