OS or standard bar/stem combo

[QUOTE=jrstevensI'm looking to upgrade to a new bar and stem combo but was wondering if I should go with 26.0 or 31.8 sizing. What are the differences regarding stiffness, weight, etc. I hear conflicting things and I'm completely confused. Your insight is appreciated. James[/QUOTE]

Where opinions are highly conflicting, this probably means that there isn't much real difference. It certainly wasn't an issue for me when choosing my latest bike.

[quote="artemidorus"]

jrstevensI'm looking to upgrade to a new bar and stem combo but was wondering if I should go with 26.0 or 31.8 sizing. What are the differences regarding stiffness said:

Where opinions are highly conflicting, this probably means that there isn't much real difference. It certainly wasn't an issue for me when choosing my latest bike.

I think the oversized bars/stems is a lot like the 1-1/8" fork/headset....manufacturers are trying to create a market to sell more gear.

standard bars and 1" forks were the standard for years and years (I don't think merckx or hinnault ever won a race on the bigger stuff. I know, I know...they never won a race with 20 gears either, but some "improvements" make more sense and are more beneficial than others.), and now, all of a sudden, you need bigger stuff. even colnago, who just a couple of years ago stated that 1" forks were ok and they saw no reason to change, has gone to 1-1/8". maybe to sell more frames now that 1" is not good enough? am I cynical? perhaps.

jrstevens said:

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I'm looking to upgrade to a new bar and stem combo but was wondering if I should go with 26.0 or 31.8 sizing. What are the differences regarding stiffness, weight, etc. I hear conflicting things and I'm completely confused. Your insight is appreciated.

James

I have 3 road bikes that are all equipped with 26.0-size handlebars. In fact, I basically custom built one of my bikes and specifically choose a 26.0 bar. I haven't read anything credible that says that one size is better than the other. For me, it's simply a question of "fit" and what feels better.

jrstevens said:

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I'm looking to upgrade to a new bar and stem combo but was wondering if I should go with 26.0 or 31.8 sizing. What are the differences regarding stiffness, weight, etc. I hear conflicting things and I'm completely confused. Your insight is appreciated.

James

It may depend on what material you are using, I have been told that 31.8 carbon bars will be stiffer than 26.0, I am using carbon 31.8 bars with carbon 1 1/8 stem/steerer. I really don't know if there's any truth to what I've been told about stiffness.

OCRoadie said:

It may depend on what material you are using, I have been told that 31.8 carbon bars will be stiffer than 26.0, I am using carbon 31.8 bars with carbon 1 1/8 stem/steerer. I really don't know if there's any truth to what I've been told about stiffness.

Agree it's not a big deal. Only the center section of the bar is oversized anyway for a couple of inches on either side of the stem. The design idea is that larger diameter section allow for a lighter bar with acceptable stiffness, and a stronger bar-to-stem clampup connection . Same reason we've now got 1-1/8" steer tubes.

For my new bike last year, I selected the OS bar and stem. Actually, the Ritchey WCS OS bar flexes more than the 26mm bar on my old bike....but it probably weighs only 1/2 as much.

Depends greatly on the bar. Some manufaturers choose to use a size to be proprietary. It's largely seen as unnecessary to go to oversize bars in carbon; your stem will be stiffer, but the nature of carbon does not require the greater size.

It's an easy way of stiffening (more weight, too) aluminum bars. But then, if you go with a bar like Deda or ITM, their 26's right around 200g are stiff as anything. So it depends on your pick.

Go with a shape you like, and get a chance to flex it.

I'm new to road cycling (I'm from a triathlon background) and I'd like to pick up on this thread. I have an aluminum 26 bar/stem combo on my Kestrel Talon SL and I'm thinking of changing to a carbon bar and maybe stem. I need to decide whether I want to stick with 26 or go with OS. Could someone try and pin down what it means if a bar or stem is "stiffer" or more "flexible"? How would you describe how the ride feels? Does the weight, size and strength of the rider come into play? I'm pretty small at 5'4" and 115lb. Thanks.

twalsh said:

I'm new to road cycling (I'm from a triathlon background) and I'd like to pick up on this thread. I have an aluminum 26 bar/stem combo on my Kestrel Talon SL and I'm thinking of changing to a carbon bar and maybe stem. I need to decide whether I want to stick with 26 or go with OS. Could someone try and pin down what it means if a bar or stem is "stiffer" or more "flexible"? How would you describe how the ride feels? Does the weight, size and strength of the rider come into play? I'm pretty small at 5'4" and 115lb. Thanks.

Flexible parts have more give. Stand infront of your bike (facing it) and hold the front wheel tight in one spot with your knees. Then try to move the bars side to side or up and down as hard as you can. You should be able to see them move or "flex" quite a bit. The stiffer the part, the less it flexes. Flexy parts take away from your power transfer, meaning you do a little bit more work to get the same effect. Hope this made sense and helped. Its really a hard thing to explain without being there to demonstrate it.

Of course, the 'up' side to slightly more flexy parts is that they often result in more comfort over longer rides... keep that in mind if you ride on rough rides/very long rides.

Thanks for the input.

twalsh said:

Thanks for the input.

I have a Ritchey WCS OS bar and stem combo on one bike and a 3TTT less OS combon on the other bike. The 3TTT bars are about 18 grams lighter, but the stem is 24 grams heavier. The 3TTT set up is noticeably stiffer. I have a Ritchey WCS in a 26 and I can't tell the difference in flex between the OS model, except the set up is heavier. My point. You have to try them and decide for yourself. Lance Armstrong used a Deda 26 Newton stem and a Deda 215 bar. I guarantee that he can put as much torque on a bar and stem than any of us. I'm sure the diameter has little to do with his choice, but it's more about the drop, reach and shape that's comfy.

One thing I like about oversize is that when I am done with wrapping it with the cork handlebar tape the base is quite large. I just like the feel of a thicker bar than a thiner bar. Something to consider. I got tendinitis in my wrists twice with the narrower bars.

Pick the bars that you like, and then get the appropriately sized stem. I happen to have OS bars and stem, but that's because the handlebars that I liked/that fit me only came in an OS flavor.