[peterk]

My wife is 5'3" and has a small build. I am trying to find her a small reach/low drop bar. Bontrager seems to make one that is 36cm wide, 70MM reach with a 120mm drop. I haven't found anybody else that makes one like that.

Nobody seems to have the Bontrager in stock and it appears that even Trek has it backordered. Any alternatives?

thanks

Pete

 

[Mike Prince]

Salsa Poco?

 

[Keeping up with Junior]

3T Ergonova Pro

My wife is 5'3" and has a small build. I am trying to find her a small reach/low drop bar...

My wife is petite and 5'0". She previously had a pair of Bontrager bars that just never quite felt right. Last season I got her a set of 3T Ergonova Pro bars in size 38cm and she is once again comfortable on her bike. While not quite as narrow as what you list these bars fit her well. Keep in mind that different companies measure differently so be sure to compare apples to apples (center to center vs. outside to outside). Also look at a ruler when making comparisons and realize how small 5mm really is.

These bars work well with her Campy shifters with a nice, smooth transition to the hoods. The egg shaped tops are nicely sized giving comfort without being overkill like some of the flat top bars. I would recommend using an adhesive backed tape like Cinelli when wrapping these as the overlap at the top can slide around a bit without something to keep the bar tape from slipping. Skip the carbon and get the aluminum Pro bars for less than a $100.


3T Ergonova Pro
Weight: 260 g (42 cm)
Width: 38, 40, 42, 44 cm
Clamp: 31.8 mm
Material: AL 7075
Drop: 123 mm
Reach: 77 mm

http://www.thenew3t.com/details.aspx?i=Dropbars&t=&p=ergonova&d=PRO

 

[peterk]

The salsa poco just might fit the bill. Price is right too. Thank you.

 

[C-40]

thoughts...

I used the Salsa Poco for a couple of years. It's ok, but required me to set them up in a manner that I'm sure was never intended. The bars have too much rampdown from the horizontal top to the brake hood area. Rotating the bars up quite a bit to eliminate most of the rampdown helps, but there's still the odd bump in the drop.

I currently use Easton EC90-SLX3 bars. Not cheap but the have little rampdown and they work well with all brands of brake/shift levers.

 

[Becky]

I would take a look at Specialized's women's bars, and the Ritchey Biomax.

The Biomax is my new favorite...75mm reach and ~130mm drop. IIRC, it goes down to at least a 38cm width.

 

[CougarTrek]

I really really love my Specialized Ruby bar.

38cm (I'm 5ft, though fairly stout for my height, and they are plenty narrow) 75mm reach, 142mm drop.

Not particularly shallow, but I actually really really dislike the exceptionally shallow bars (like the Pocos, which stayed on my bike for 5 minutes or the Bontragers you mention...). I find that they actually increase my reach to the brakes from the drops because I can't get even my tiny little hand all the way forward in them. Defeats all the purpose of getting the brakes in closer to you.

Anyway, just my experience, and her mileage will definitely vary, but I like mid-range drops even though I'm small.