It's your ride

Today I'm changing the theme again, and linking to an excelent film sponsored by Hutchinson Tires. I think it conveys beautifully the freedom of riding a bicycle on a sunny day. Be sure to select HD mode.


It's Your Ride from Cinecycle on Vimeo

Special Handlebars for MTB

Regarding handlebars, the only decision to be made when selecting them is usually the choice between flat or riser bar. These two types of handlebar dominate the market and are present in almost any mountain bike sold today.

However, there are some alternative choices that can be interesting for someone looking for a bit more of comfort or a different type of steering behavior. I've compiled a small list of handlebars that fit in this category. This list might be useful for somebody currently unsatisfied with their current handlebar and trying to find a perfect handlebar for their favorite type of riding.

Groovycycleworks Luv Handles


Handmade in Wooster Ohio by Rody Walter, these steel bars have a very interesting geometry, with 1 inch (25.4 mm) of rise and 21.5 degrees of sweep in the grip section. They fit quite well in the hand and show a very good balance between stiffness and comfort.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 85 USD
Weight: 315 g advertised, mine weighted 386 g

Groovycycleworks Luv Handles Ti

This is a titanium version of the steel Luv Handles. Lighter and obviously more expensive than the original.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 245 USD
Weight: 275 g

On-One Mary

From England comes the Mary bar, probably the most popular swept handlebar. It combines significant rise with gradual sweep. Due to aluminum construction it is relatively light and cheap.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 36 GBP
Weight: 300 g

On-One Mary Cro-Mo

This is a Cro-mo version of the Mary bar, intended for heavier riders.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 36 GBP
Weight: 525g

On-One Fleegle


Also from On-One comes this very wide (716.7 mm) swept flat bar. Due to the absence of rise, it is intended for bikes with high front end. The sweep angle is above average, standing at 15 degrees.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 30.80 GBP
Weight: 330 g

On One Fleegle Pro

A shorter (673 mm) and lighter version of the Fleegle, made with a different aluminum alloy.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 36 GBP
Weight: 241 g

Misfit Psycles FU bar

A nice aluminum riser bar, 635 mm wide and with a large 33 degrees of sweep. The grips rise 26 mm from the center section.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 43 USD
Weight: 378 g

Misfit Pscycles FU2 bar

A shorter version of the FU bar, with sweep angle increased from 33 to a massive 37 degrees.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 42 USD
Weight: 351 g

Jones H-bar Original

Extremely expensive, the H-bar is handcrafted in titanium by Jeff Jones in Oregon. It is highly swept (45º)and made in three separate sections welded together.

Clamp: 25.4 mm or 31.8 shimmed
Price: 500 USD
Weight: 440 g

Jones H-bar Loop

A variation of the H-bar with a continuous front loop instead of the two separate grip sections of the original.The loop provides more hand positions and a place to mount accessories. It also features a curved center section to allow the placement of levers behind the crossbar (it is impossible to fit them in the closed loop).

Clamp: 25.4 mm or 31.8 shimmed
Price: 550 USD
Weight: 467 g

Jones H-bar Cut

A shorter version (590 mm) of the Loop H-bar, with an opening in the front loop that allows the placement of levers ahead of the crossbar.

Clamp: 25.4 mm or 31.8 shimmed
Price: 550 USD
Weight: 416 g

Titec H-bar

Aluminum version of the original H-bar, made by Titec according to the Jeff Jones design. Considerably cheaper than the the original, it also differs from the original by featuring a 37 mm rise.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 60 USD
Weight: 430 g

Titec J-Bar

This is a variation of the J-bar. The grip section is the same, but it has no rise and clamps in 31.8 stems.

Clamp: 31.8 mm
Price: 68 USD
Weight: 400 g

Bontrager Satellite Trekking

These trekking handlebars have found some acceptance for MTB use due to their swept shape. 610 mm wide, it has a 35º bend.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 16 USD
Weight: 335 g

Bontrager Satellite Plus Trekking

Another trekking handlebar, featuring a short and closed front arch, practical for mounting accessories. It's relatively wide (650 mm ) and has 20 degrees of bend.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 50 USD
Weight: 300 g

Origin8 SpaceBar

Similar in design to the Mary bar, the SpaceBar features a 645 mm width, a 37.5 mm rise and it's made in 6065-T6 Aluminum. Despite not being recommended by the manufacturer for offroad use, it is also commonly seen in MTBs.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 23 USD
Weight: 300 g

Surly Torsion Bar

The Torsion Bar is a flat bar made with 4130 Cro-Mo Steel. Features 15 degrees of sweep and the width stands at a very devilish 666 mm.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 46 USD
Weight: 280 g

Bikes on Snow FloWing Ti

The FloWing Ti is produced by Bikes on Snow, a small manufacturer from Vermont.  The bar is swept back 27 degrees, 686 mm wide and made in titanium.

Clamp: 25.4 mm

Price: 175 USD

Weight: ??

European Cycling Online Shop List

This post lists some of the most important cycling online shops located inside Europe. I started doing this mainly as a future reference for myself, but I think this list might be useful for someone trying to find a special deal in some specific component as most of these shops have numerous sales and discounts.

The shops from which I have already bought are marked with "√". All other shops have some positive reference in cycling forums so they seem to be reliable.

United Kingdom:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/√
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/√
http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/√
http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk√
http://www.evanscycles.com/√
http://www.probikekit.com/
http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/
http://www.totalcycling.com/
http://www.justridingalong.com/
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/
http://www.thetristore.com
http://www.petracycles.co.uk/ (Shimano Spare Parts)
http://www.cyclex.co.uk/
http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/
http://www.poshbikes.com/
http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/
http://www.carboncycles.cc/
http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/
http://www.bromleybike.co.uk/

http://www.stif.co.uk/

Germany

http://www.bike-components.de/
http://www.bike24.com/√
http://www.bike-discount.de/
http://shop.cnc-bike.de/√
http://www.actionsports.de/√
http://www.starbike.com/√
http://www.roseversand.de
http://www.bikediscount.com
http://www.boc24.de
http://www.heli-bikes.com
http://www.nano-bike-parts.de/
http://www.xx-light-bikes.de/
http://bike-products.com/
http://egle.mediamambo.de/
http://www.bike-mailorder.de/
http://www.pro-sport-bikes.de/
http://www.zweirad-stadler.de/
http://www4.hibike.com/
http://www.jehlebikes.de/
http://www.bikeparts-online.de/
http://www.2radzone.de/

Austria

http://www.cycleshop.at/
http://www.bikestore.cc/
http://www.bikeonlineshop.at/

Andorra

http://www.jormabike.com/
http://www.totbike.com/
http://www.dandybike.com/

Luxemburg

http://www.fizzbikes.com/√
http://www.kompressor-bike.com/

France

http://www.probikeshop.fr/
http://www.go1bike.com/
http://www.alltricks.fr

Spain

http://www.xclusivebikes.com/
http://tiendaonline.territoriobike.com/
http://www.ltmracing.com/
http://www.bicimania.com/
http://www.bicicletasguillermo.com/
http://sportandbike.com/

http://bicisbuendia.es/

http://www.karacol.com/

Portugal

http://www.bikezone.pt/
http://racingcycle.net
http://patocycles.com
http://www.regiabike.com/
http://loja.3bike.com.pt/
http://ezi-bike.com

Belgium

http://www.mtbikers.com/

Sweden

http://www.cyclecomponents.com/

Ireland

http://www.bikebits.ie/index.asp

Netherlands

http://www.bike2build.nl/
http://www.singlespeed.nl/

This list is by no means definitive. I will try to update and mantain it as regularly as possible.

Fixing what does not need to be fixed.

Ever since I've started riding singlespeed, I've been interested in trying off-road fixed gear riding. I was fascinated by the tales of crazy descents and

I even had an 18T Tomicog patiently awating in my desk for more than a year. But to ride fixed, first I needed a frame that didn't require external tensioners and a rear wheel combining disc mounts with v-brake ready rims. The first problem was solved with the sliding dropouts of my Explosif frame. The second problem was solved when a few months later I picked an SS specific wheel with the required hub and rims rims mount from an online sale.

The assembly was quick. Mount an old tyre, tighten 6 screws, retension the chain and recenter the rear brake. Off to the trails.


The first impression was shocking. I tought I had forgotten how to ride a bike, it pushed me up and down incessantly, placed my feet in the wrong places at the wrong times and didn't leave a single second for me to rest.

But I insisted. First slowly without clipless pedals to gain confidence. I learned to stop gradually with my feet, to control the position of the cranks using slides. With time, everything becomes more natural and the final result is a whole new level of control over the bike.

Climbing with fixed gear is also a really cool experience. There are no dead centers and the stroke becomes more fluid. Each climb is always taken in full attack position, there is no single moment of hesitation.


In the end of my third week riding a fixed bike, I was already descending (albeit somewhat slowly) really rough terrain, including a local DH track. Once you understand the basic rules it becomes natural.

I'll probably just use the fixed gear setup occasionaly, because it is a bit slower and more tiring. But whenever I feel like having real fun in a bike, I know that I can just mount a rear wheel and hit the trails.

My Kona Explosif 2008

After using a singlespeed bike assembled with old and budget parts for 6 months, I found myself completely convinced by the concept and decided to build a new bike, based in a dedicated singlespeed frame.

Some online research brought the 2008 Kona Explosif frame to my attention. A nice Cromoly steel frame, with sliding dropouts and well sorted geometry. I also had the luck to find it quite cheap in the wiggle.co.uk online shop. After some further comparison with the alternatives, I found no better deal and as such, a size 19 Explosif frame was delivered to me in July 2008. The frame is relatively heavy as mine weighted 2399 grams (5.3 pounds) with seatcollar and dropouts.


The final setup has changed a bit during the first six months after I received the frame. While I initially assembled it with some components from my previous build, slowly these components were traded for some high quality ones. The final result was this:


The bike rides very nicely and feels precise and quick in the trails. The frame ride is refined and has a distinct feel from the aluminum frame I had before. The custom made Amaro Ti fork was purposefully built with a very short axle-to-crown length (395mm) and large trail (45 mm), values typical of older rigid forks or cyclocross forks. The final result is a low front coupled with the extremely sharp steering due to the steep head angle.A Groovy Cycleworks Luv Handle provides a comfortable yet sporty riding position.

The light v-brakes XTR wheels are shod with large volume Schwalbe Nobby Nick 2.25 tyres. The tires combine with the titanium fork to provide reasonable shock absorption. While not comparable to an actual suspension fork, this setup is very usable and allows more than sufficient control to handle rocky terrain.


The drivetrain uses a XTR crankset converted to singlespeed with a lightweight Salsa 32t ring. The rear cog is a Surly 16t, a high quality component that has almost perfect finish and according to other users should last very long. The chain tension is easy to adjust using the sliding dropouts and I've not experienced any slippage problem that sometimes affects this kind of design. The only drawback with these dropouts is the reduced capability to hold a wheel with the skewers undone. If there is not enough tension in the skewers the wheel can jump out and jam in the frame.

Avid Single Digit 7 v-brakes were used in this ride to reduce cost, complexity, weight and simplify the maintenance. While not as consistent as discs for all-weather use,the power is more than enough and I've always had good experiences with the Avids.

The Explosif frame was discontinued for 2009, and replaced by the Unit 29er.

The full component list: