Sorry Surly, I Was Wrong About The Corner Bar
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- While I gave generally positive reviews of the Surly Corner bar, it was pretty obvious I saw the Moloko and other alternative bars as superior. After having them sit in my parts bin for a few months, I decided it was time to dust them off and give them another chance to see if I was wrong. After realizing I was going about these all wrong I realized I owe @SurlyBikes4130 an apology because it turns out these bars are pretty sweet...
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Metric Hex Key Wrenches - amzn.to/3LV7P6v
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Chain Whip (or build your own) - amzn.to/34Jh0WV
My E-Bike:
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#surlycornerbar #altbar #mtb
Truthfully, I think Surly nailed with this design because they're the perfect bar to convert your mtn bike (26" or newer 27.5/29er) to a gravel bike. After seeing these bars on several bikes, it made sense what the "horns" are for, saving you the expense and time of having to swap components like brake levers and shifters. I hope to get a set myself soon to build up a 26" Softtail Gravel bike out of my 1998 Barracuda XC URT frame and the components off my Wife's old 1995 Marin, saving me the expense of buying a dedicated gravel bike and up upcycling a frame and unused mtb from the 90's
The drawback is the price. These cost more than I paid for either of my Konas......and they weigh too much!
If you use some kind of extenders for horns then you will get much better grip in hoods position. Oryginally horns are quite short in my opinion, my hands don't really work with them well. But once extended then I have a space to put my monkey hand on them and overall it works much, much better. You can buy those flat bar extenders cheap from Asia.
I put the 54 corner bar on a Marin muirwoods and I found that rotating the bar forward or down made a tremendous difference. Just did 126 bikepacking miles in Lycoming Pennsylvania and found the bar gave me adequate positioning. My wrists have been broken by car accidents while bike riding and I'm 47.. So I appreciate the position versatility of the corner bar
I bought the carbon chinese knock-off and had the same experience: I tried making the hoods work and didn’t really like it until I started focusing on the drops.
Now it’s really comfortable and puts my arms in a more natural orientation, perfect for long rides.
The tops are great for climbing.
dope. good to know! I'm waiting on the same chinese carbon knock offs to come still. can't wait to put em on the gravel bike! :)
@@goatsplitteri'm also waiting on mine. Howd you like yours?
@@neru9347 I like mine! I've had absolutely no issues with it. I tried some bar extenders on the "hoods" but they always came loose for whatever reason and went back to the regular profile. The bars are great. Love them!
I have been using corner bar on my mtb for months and I love it. If you find the angle that fits on you it's an amazing experience to ride even on technical terrain.
Great advice to focus on drops comfort. I added 2" extensions to the horns and now find the bar comfortable in all three positions
Which extension did you use? I found one on ebay, but it's shorter than 2".
I bought a copy of them a begining of this year and couldn't find the right fit. Always prioritizing the hoods grab and having issues with the posture and my back most of all. A friend just recommended me your video so now I'm gonna try that, thanks a lot for the content
Hopefully this helps!
We got cornerbar copycats(steel and aluminum versions) in the Philippines and they even sell hood extensions if you want them to be longer.
is there a way to get these online/shipped to the states?
@@kerem7546 aliexpress, I guess.
One problem I can see with these is that with flat bar hydraulic brake levers the fluid reservoir and hose is pointing upwards which means any air in the reservoir will most likely migrate up and into the hose which is not good. (When used on a flat bar as designed the hose exits slightly downwards so any air stays in the reservoir as its meant to)
If you bleed your brakes regurlarly, you should have zero concern about air in the system.
My bike is not set up yet, but I added bar extenders to the horns,so that I can grab them completely. I will also install them with the horns almost pointing at the sky.
The only downside I see is that I cannot reach the break levers so easily, so that I will probably be more careful, but since I ride a fixie I can also decelerate using the pedals.
One good thing about having really small hands (short guy, barely 5'3") is that the drops resemble conventional drops for me. Have had them on my Marin Four Corners and dont see myself going back to the regular drop bars anytime soon.
I have my "drops" on an upsweet, which seem like a huge no-no for traditional drop bars. It does in fact push my palms forward, until I reach the junction of the straight bar, but it feels incredibly comfortable and controlled. I do have to explain to those who notice that the bar ends are pointing to my chin. I cannot explain why this works so well with corner bars.
I think they are brilliant. I have the brakes below the nubs and shifters on top, I feel the hood position is still really comfortable for cruising along and the drops are in a great spot.
I thought about trying that but I’d have to do some untaping of the bars…
Welcome the clip-ons world! See sport bikes for reference. I was always wondering how you put steering input on these vertical handlebars, this seems quite more sensible. Mountain bike rider here and, yes I ride a supersport bike too.
You can also make a customize hood extender so you can use the hoods more often like in a drop bar..
i put the corner bars on my 2012 trek xcal mtb as part of the process to turn it into my commuter/gravel bike and i love them. i'm curious about your tape job on the corner bars though. yours looks pretty good...i'm on my second round of tape and it gets better each time. i also added 20mm extensions to the end of my corner bar "hoods" to increase the real estate out there. that's helped a lot!
I used some cheap tape from Amazon, but I've been impressed with it. I'm not the best at bar tape jobs, but I do have more experience than a lot of mountain bikers because I did a lot of road riding in college.
What height are you and what size of cornerbar did you pick?
I just received mine today after finding them on backorder everywhere for quite a while. Interested to see how they compare to the flat bar with Spirgrips currently on my rigid 29er. A hoods vs drops test I guess.
So how do they compare to flat bar + Spirgrips I'm wondering?
I found the tops to be uncomfortable and fitted them with REDSHIFT Cruise Control Upper grip. Much more comfortable.
I think that could make a big difference, although I don’t mind the tops right now. What width bar do you have?
I have tried these on my Kona Rove but ended up with Redshift Top Shelf bars with redshift stem and that is the cats meow and the ants pants and the bees knees for me!
wish they sold a 31.8 or 35 diameter in carbon or aluminum...I am not a weight weenie but looks odd made of chromoly in thin old school diameter on a modern fat tubed mountain bike
Adding a high rise stem ( you didn't mentioned that ) obviously contributed to the better feeling ...
I had it on two different bikes, one with a high rise stem the other without. The angle of rotation on the bars was the real key.
Looks like a great way to turn a 90s mountain bike into a gravel grinder. You can still use all the same brakes and shifters..
I love them, just wish they were lighter. I prefer the levers and controls on the drop side of the bars and they line up perfect when in the drops.
Ive been using it in two bike, one with same height with saddle, another one a slightly lower than saddle. Drop its my main hand position. I found comfortably mimmicking "hood" position in a slightly lower than saddle setup.
I could see that as you’re able to be a little more over the bar.
Hmm... I tried these bars too and they are sitting in my parts bin currently. I found them too stiff and the "hood" position uncomfortable like you said. I think with some gel wrap under the bar tape and rotating the bars forward me do the trick. Thanks.
Yeah I think the fact that they’re steel does make them feel pretty stiff…some gel or extra thick bar tape should help a lot.
I think there're some addtional dampers that can be added below the tape: Ergon BT OrthoCell Pad Set or NOENE tape
I’ve wanted to try them. Would the cables be a problem if using with Bikepacking handlebar bags?
How are you supposed to size these without becoming too stretched out on a hardtail? Say for example you use 42cm drop bars, would you go with the 46cm corner bars?
would it be too weird to put bar end shifters on these bars?
What do you mean about rotating the bars forward?
Would that not mean the “hoods” are pointing more forward rather than more upright?
Is there a way we can extend the horns to make them more hood like?
Yes that’s correct, originally I had the hoods more vertical, but that meant the drops were also pointing more down and were at an awkward angle. It’s a lot better to optimize for the drops not the “hoods”
The "horns"are really only there to mount mountain shifters n brakes
Just ordered a set… we’ll see how it goes. 🤷♂️
Hello, my name is Luis and I live in Europe in a city that is opposite NYC. I want to ask you for some advice, I used an ALAN bicycle for many years with dropped handlebars of an asphalt cyclist, one day "I was born again", I was hit by a car and I was able to save myself, I decided not to be scared and abandon the bicycles, and I bought one of MTB with a wide and straight handlebar, my surprise was that it increased 30cm of arm opening. I bought a bike a few days ago to do hybrid activities, "gravel/touring/bikepacking", which comes equipped with a 42cm drop handlebar, but I already find it uncomfortable. I'm thinking of a Jones handlebar, or something like that, some youtubers like you are starting to advise that the "correct position" would be a straight handlebar with a 15 degree backsweep. I hope, if you have time and desire, an answer with advice. All the best.
There is no "correct" position as all bars have tradeoffs and comfort is subjective. I personally find drop bars to be the most comfortable for long days on the bike (primarily riding on the hoods), but they are not ideal on rough terrain since they tend to be narrower and it is difficult to maintain a strong grip on the bars while also applying the brakes. Generally, I think the more backsweep you get in a "flat" bar will give you more wrist comfort (and upright body position), with some reduction in control/leverage. What is best depends a lot on what kind of terrain you plan to ride and also what arm/body position feels comfortable to you.
How would these be for long distance road touring?
I think I’d miss the hoods position for that type of riding.
It seems that the drop position would lead to a lot more of a hunched/leaned-over ride?
A little bit but it’s a very shallow drop and I use these bars with a stem that has a ton of rise so it’s not too bad at all.
@@RideYearRounddo you think the posture you got with that setup is almost as upright as a flat bar? I was told by my physician to avoid hunch positions due to a light scoliosis I have in my back.
Has anyone done any city commuting with these? I think I want to move away from flat bars on my ss29 commuter.
I haven't tried these, but wanted to share my thoughts (if very late to your post.) For years I've ridden flat bars with a very particular Ergon bar end grip. I wanted to try alternative bars. I tried the Moloko bars instead. While I don't commute with them I ride a lot in San Francisco and the added width was noticeable when in places where the bike lane was narrow between moving cars and parked cars. Just something to think about that I hadn't thought about until I was slowing or even stopping to not hit car mirrors. These are a little narrower than the Moloko bars, but still something to consider.
Hey from the drops, do you feel you have comfortable/natural access to the brake levers or is it an "awkward feeling"?
Cheers mate.
It’s pretty comfortable/natural feeling. I got a cutthroat recently and that’s been helping me to understand how to ride in the drops and just generally feel more comfortable in them.
Do you think it would be possible to put gripshifters on them?
I think they won't slide up past the "drops" curve to the junction. However, if you mount them before the curve, certainly they'll work. Good idea actually.
You should try it a happy stem
Looks like a rip on cafe club bar they put on cafe motorycycle projects from 70s and 80s. Yeah, drops should be almost horizontal
Then you should now try the Origin8 Gary Ergo Sweep OS. I've found 4 comfortable positions on mine.
I want to try the Corner Bar but I'm scared of the weight. Can anyone weigh in on this aspect of the Corner Bar.🤔
Like all things Surly, weight isn’t really factored into the equation when they’re making it haha.
Light equals fragile crap; also go to the bathroom pre-ride if you're worried about weight. You'll lose a pound...
Hey what are your thoughts on that mesh minimalist saddle?
I think the real one is supposed to be decent, this cheap knockoff was horrible haha.
yea I never understood how people mistake those as "hoods"... its a mountain/gravel bar. tops or drops. thats all you need.
I love my molokos, but I also want a set of corners. I haven't looked to buy yet, but I wish availability wasn't such an issue. I'm planning out a road build with them. I also want to try em on my 2022 Ice cream truck, that I'm picking up end of month👍
what kind of road built? i have some thoughts about fiting them on my topstone :)
@@demonikous state bicycles 6061 all road
can you instal mtb shifters and breaks easily onto Moloko or do you have to get new gear and longer cable to make it work?
Is the drop completely horizontal compared to the floor?
I think that’d be dependent on the rider. Mine aren’t but I also don’t think it’d feel very natural/comfortable for me personally if they were.
Am I the only one who has setup these bars correctly?... First you need XT or XTR multi shift/brake levers which act like road style levers. And second you need to wrap the hood area enough to be comfortable...
How long is your 35° stem?
70mm.
Love these handlebars so much but you never see him on another bike of yours
I just think these are a recipe for broken collarbones and fractured skulls, but I say exactly the same thing about gravel bikes, and anything that utilizes a tyre under 3.8 inches. Having said that, people do seem to love them. Have you ever tried bar-ends? I just stuck some on my bike, and despite looking admittedly crap, I don't think I'll ever take them off. The alt bars I've seen that seem to be the most lusted after are the Ritchey Kyote's, reach out to them and demand a set for review... Cheers!
I know what you mean, but these feel quite a bit different than your typical drop bar. I’ve tried regular ones with skinnier rubber off-road and had more than a few close calls so I get the sentiment.
Perfect design. Horrible material choice. They really need to start looking into carbon fiber options or hydroformed aluminum, at the very least. No reason your bars should weigh nearly 2 lbs, in 2022.
I completely agree that a lighter bar would be preferable, but I think that the rider these are designed for would probably be prioritizing cost over weight and performance. These bars are made for cheaply converting a flat bar to a drop. Riders who want to pony up for carbon bars probably don't mind buying a second set of shifters.
@@BoomerangVillage Given the cheaper manufacturing costs, I'd actually bet that an aluminum version of these would be similar or even cheaper than steel. However, the current design where the ends are welded onto the central bar might not fly with aluminum
@@BoomerangVillage Nothing cheap about TIG welded chromoly, 25.4mm is the component diameter - it also provides better dampening and comfort @ 1 percent of total weight.
the bars weigh 720 grams, an aluminum or carbon bar could probably half that but we’re not talking about pounds here.
If it looks crap it probably is ! Cinelli 64s and 65s both had there fans back in the day.. The surly bar is just plain ugly IMO..
Surly bikes what a joke they are !!!
Are you willing to share more with us? Your statement is pretty darn vague. I own 2 Surly bikes. Knew when I bought them that they were going to be heavy. Does not matter much when I am touring off pavement and have to carry 5 days of food. Oh yes, I am also 65 years old so I don't carry the speed or do the distances I managed in my youth. ECR for off pavement, Long Haul Trucker for pavement or off pavement with a change of tires.
yes kind of boat anchor
I need these! Great design and great for my type of positioning. Thanks 🚴🏼♂️🙏