[fishman473]

Has anyone tried using upside down cruiser bars as drops on a fixie? I'm talking about the sort of bars that came on old Scwhinn Collegiates and so forth. Seems like they'd be somewhere in between a bar with flared drops and a mustache bar.

Thoughts?

 

[FatTireFred]

typically the bar diameter on those are different than road stems... so if you do it you gotta use a shim

 

[BianchiJoe]

Has anyone tried using upside down cruiser bars as drops on a fixie? I'm talking about the sort of bars that came on old Scwhinn Collegiates and so forth. Seems like they'd be somewhere in between a bar with flared drops and a mustache bar.

Thoughts?

If I'm picturing it right, the Soma Sparrow may be similar to what you're talking about. They describe it like this:

This a narrowish touring/townie bar. At 490mm, it is more agile for squeezing through traffic than other townie/MTB bars. Try it on a single-speed or fixie. Compatible with MTB grips and shifters. Designed to fit Soma reverse levers and bar end shifters, which is recommended since its narrowness prevents it from fitting side-by-side shifters and brake levers unless you trim the grips. Fits 3-speed Sturmey Archers great. Can be used flipped to be used as a riser bar or down for a less upright position.

25.4 center, 490 mm width, 50 mm drop/rise

 

[fishman473]

If I'm picturing it right, the Soma Sparrow may be similar to what you're talking about.

Looks pretty similar, but I dare say the bars I have my eye on have a bit more of a drop/rise and the end of the bar are more parallel to the stem then the Sparrow.

So does anyone ride bars like this? The biggest concern for me is going without brake hoods to rest my hands on and getting a small cyclocross brake lever for the flats instead. I figure the price is right, I'll grab them next time I'm in my dad's garage.

 

[Dave Hickey]

If I'm picturing it right, the Soma Sparrow may be similar to what you're talking about. They describe it like this:

This a narrowish touring/townie bar. At 490mm, it is more agile for squeezing through traffic than other townie/MTB bars. Try it on a single-speed or fixie. Compatible with MTB grips and shifters. Designed to fit Soma reverse levers and bar end shifters, which is recommended since its narrowness prevents it from fitting side-by-side shifters and brake levers unless you trim the grips. Fits 3-speed Sturmey Archers great. Can be used flipped to be used as a riser bar or down for a less upright position.

25.4 center, 490 mm width, 50 mm drop/rise

I just got some Sparrow's in the mail today... I'm going to use them on a single speed commuter project... If you flip them over, they look exactly like cruiser bars.

 

[paramountz]

Review

Hey Dave,

Any thoughts on the sparrow bars? Review? Thanks

 

[fishman473]

Bump.

Anyone have any new thoughts on the Sparrow bars or similar such things. I finally grabbed my dads cruiser bars and I am going to install them on my bike this week.

My only concern is that the flats on the bars (much like the Sparrow) are/is not very wide. I spend a lot of time hanging out with my hands on the flats.... I might also cut off my old road bars and give bullhorns a try.

 

[Dave Hickey]

The Sparrows are fine but honestly I'm going to switch to drop bars...

If I used this particular bike for short communting distances, I'd keep the Sparrows. Since I use it for long rides, the Sparrow doesn't offer enough hand positions..

For an upright commute, they function perfectly