The Difference is Night and Day
These Soma Hwy One Bars replaced the so-called Ergonomic Bars on my Carbon Trek Road Bike. The additional width (44 cm) provided much needed leg room when standing, and the horizontal space needed for gripping the upper bar with aerobars in place, while the 130 mm curl brought the lower grips up. The brake hoods are also more accessible. With everything right there, it rides like a different machine, comfortable and accessible. I also gave them a strength test, with my foot and upper body. No deformation. Strong, light, and perfect geometry. It doesn't get any better.
Andrew, on Jenson USA site.
Great option for putting compact ergonomic bars on a vintage bike
“I got these 26 mm Soma Hwy One bars (44 cm width) and paired them with the 26 mm Nitto quill stem on my old steel road bike from the 80s. The bars slid into and through the one-bolt clamp of the quill stem easily. I did not have to use force, just a little rotating and puzzle solving to slide it in. Although the bars are ergonomic in the drops, the curves are still smooth (no sharp corners), making it possible to maneuver them through the old style stem clamp. I am so happy now that I have wider bars with shorter reach and more comfortable drop positions! The ergonomic shape of these bars makes it very pleasant to ride with your hands on the forward curve of the drops as well as down on the back of the drops (especially for hill climbing). I installed aero brake levers, and these bars had a convenient indentation for routing the cable around the inside of the handle curve. I paired these with bar-end shifters with the cables coming out in the traditional forward direction one hand-hold length in on the drops, and there's still plenty of room for my large hands in any position, without bumping into the protruding shifter cable. Also, they are much lighter and stiffer than my old steel drop bars; I didn't think that would be noticeable when riding, but it definitely is! Note that if you replace traditional drop bars with these, you *will* shorten your reach, which results in sitting more upright. This is more comfortable for long-distance riding, and I am preferring it so far, but if you want to stay bent over in the same position then you may have to look into a slightly longer stem. Also, for aesthetics, the shiny metalic/silver part that remains exposed is REALLY classy looking, especially paired with a silver shiny aluminum stem.”
Jeff W, Ithaca, NY
Needed 26.0 Clamp Diameter
“This was one of the only options for a short reach shallow drop bar in a modern compact curve with a 26.0 clamp diameter. Offers a more versatile/usable drop position for a regular person kind of rider and looks great on a classically styled steel road frame with a quill stem without needing to go to a goofy threadless adapter. If I were to want any changes it would be a flatter top section and a 38cm option for my narrow shouldered lady friend.”
Nizle, City, From Jenson's
Pleasantly surprised
“I've been looking for a compact 26mm bar for a while. Tried a couple of short reach Nitto bars but this is easily the most comfortable, every part of the bar falls readily to hand including drops. At this relatively low price, finish is maybe not quite up to Nitto standard, but the bit you see is nicely chromed so looks great when taped up. Pleasantly surprised and would fully recommend if you want something with modern road bike feel but retro looks.”
Math, SJS Cycles customer
Nice handlebar. Pretty finish.
“ Classic looking finish with modern dimensions. Nice to find a bar with short reach and shallow drop that will accomodate 31.8 stems. If you favor a classic look then this should definitely be a consideration.
Pros: Good quality, finish and nice price. Also nice to have a modern shaped bar with a silver finish.
Cons: None really.”
Rod C.
Hooks super comfy
“I've got the Hwy One on my RB1 with TRP RRL brake levers and I love the setup. The TRP levers have extended hoods like found on most integrated shift/brake levers. It's a great benefit on these bars as the ramps are very short. I like all positions on the hwy ones, but find the hooks in particular super comfy.”
Acoffin, City, From Bike Forums
For a traditional or vintage stem
For a traditional or vintage Cinelli stem. I could installed [that on this handlebar]with a little effort. With my Daijia Shallow Handlebar I could not. Seems this one is less bended and narrower than the Daijia. Great item.
Latin-record-land, EBay
