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Handlebars, Tape, and Grips from Harris Cyclery

Drop Handlebars	Moustache Handlebars	Upright Handlebars	Time Trial Handlebars
"Æro" Clip-ons	Bar Ends	Handlebar Grips	Handlebar Tape

Handlebars | Headsets | Grips | Stems | Stem Raisers | Tape & Plugs

Upright Handlebars

New! Butterfly "Trekking" handlebars HB003 $24.95 These upright multi-position handlebars are very popular with European touring cyclists. They fit standard ISO stems with a 1" (25.4 mm) clamp. Working diameter of the bars is 7/8" (22.2 mm) so they work with "mountain bike" type brake and shift levers. See Tom Deakins's article on these.
Nitto Aluminum North Road Bars $29.95 Japanese version of the classic handlebar used on English 3-speeds. These have a longer straight section (140 mm), making them more compatible with modern brake levers and grips. The standard 1" diameter clamp area is compatible with most stems, and is heavily knurled to prevent slippage. Reach is 50 mm, Drop is -85 mm, the ends of the bars are 125 mm behind the center of the stem. 70 degree grip area, 50 cm width (center-to-center.)
Easton EA-50 Aluminum MTB Bars $24.95 Silver MTB bar, 3 degree bend, only 170 grams. Shot Peen Finish.	Actual bar is silver, not black.
Easton EA-70 Aluminum MTB Bars $34.95 Silver MTB bar, 5 degree bend, only 150 grams. Shot Peen Finish.	Actual bar is silver, not black.
Easton "Monkey" Riser Bars $49.95 2 1/2 inch Riser Bar Taperwall Technology Shot Peen Finish Silver Just 250 Grams	Actual bar is silver, not black.

Drop ("Road") Handlebars

Types of drop handlebars:

Clamp Diameter

All bars shown here use the ISO standard 1 inch/25.4 mm stem clamp diameter unless marked otherwise.

There are six clamp diameters for drop handlebars, where they fit into the stem, but only 3 are common:

• 25.4 mm (1 inch) is the ISO international standard for all types of handlebars, and is the most common size for drop bars as well. Most of the bars we sell use this clamp size. If you want to use a 25.4 mm bar in a 26.0 stem, we sell special shims for the purpose.
• 26.0 mm is the Italian national standard. Because Italian handlebar and stem brands are so popular, even many bars from other countries have adopted this size, and many people consider it to be a de facto "road" standard.

  Most expensive drop bars and stems are this size, or the slightly smaller 25.8 mm variant (those are interchangeable.)

• 31.8 mm (1 1/8 inch) is a relatively new "oversized" standard increasingly seen on high-end bars and stems. See the QBP Special Order Cataloguer for these.
• 26.4 mm is the obsolete Cinelli proprietary size, used by Cinelli until sometime in the late 1990s.
• 25 mm is the obsolete French size. We have a limited selection in our French Parts Section.
• 15/16" is the obsolete English size for steel handlebars.

Grooves

• Traditional handlebars have no grooves, providing a nice round grip area. They work with all types of drop bar brake levers and shifters.
• Single-groove handlebars have a groove in the front of the bar to receive the brake cable with modern "æro" brake levers. These grooves are not at all necessary, since you don't rest any weight on the front side of the handlebar.
• Double-groove handlebars have a second groove in the upper-rear of the top section. This is intended to receive the shift cable if you use Campagnolo Ergo brifters. The second groove is a nice feature if you use Ergos, but if you don't, it just makes the bars less comfortable. Unfortunately, a shockingly large number of new bikes come with double-groove handlebars but not with Ergo shifters. This is a really bogus arrangement, in my opinion.

"Anatomic" vs Traditional Bends

Traditional drop bars are gracefully curved, and work quite well for most riders. The Italian company Modolo staged a bit of a marketing coup in the late 1980s with their so-called "Anatomic bend" handlebars. These have sharpish angles instead of gentle curves. Some people like the resulting positions, but many of us prefer the more versatile traditional curved designs.  

 

Nitto 115 handlebars $29.95 Very nicely finished, made in Japan drop bars with standard 25.4 mm centers. These are the traditional "Mæs" bend, no flats, bumps nor grooves. Our most popular model. Reach is 100 mm, Drop is 140 mm. Available in 40 cm, 42 cm or 45 cm widths (center-to-center.) Nitto 105 handlebars $29.95 Smaller version of the 115. Reach is 65 mm, Drop is 140 mm. 37 cm width.
Nitto 135 randonneur handlebars 42 cm width $29.95 --45 cm width $34.95 Similar construction and finish to model 115 above, but in the classic touring "randonneur" style. Bar slopes upward from the center to the corners; the drops are splayed outward a bit. Reach is 105 mm, Drop is 120 mm.
Easton 70 "Pro" handlebars $59.95 Superlight Easton bars, traditional "Maes" bend, single groove. 26.0 clamp diameter. 42 cm width only.
Nitto "Moustache" handlebars $69.95 These were specially designed for the cult classic Bridgestone "XO" series bikes. You'll want a taller stem with a shorter extension than you'd use with conventional drop bars. These are available in a choice of stem clamp sizes: ISO standard stems (1"/25.4 mm). Italian ("road") size 26.0 mm The bar is 15/16"/23.8 mm diameter to fit drop-bar type brake levers. Most people use these with handlebar end shifters. Reach is 95 mm, Drop is 45 mm. 51.5 cm width only.
Nitto Time Trial Handlebars 26.0 mm clamp $41.95 "Cow horn" handlebars for time trial bikes, also popular for urban fixed gear use. Available in 40 mm, 42 mm or 44 mm width.
HB402 Nitto Pursuit Handlebars 26.0 mm clamp $47.95 Similar to the cow horns" shown, but with less forward extension. Popular with urban couriers. 42 mm \width.
Nitto Handlebar Shims $11.95 These beautifully made stainless-steel shims let you use a standard 25.4 mm (1 inch) diameter handlebar in an Italian size (26.0 mm) stem.

Tape and Plugs

Yoshida Champ Keirin Grips $19.95/pair

These are grippy rubber grips intended for the "drop" section of track handlebars. They're also compatible with upright handlebars and many bar-ends and æro clip-ons.

Very high quality, made in Japan for Keirin racing . 2 mm thick, 163 mm (6 5/8") long.

Available in a cornucopia of delicious colors. Click thumbnail for larger image and purchase details:

HT531 Black	HT532Translucent Red	HT533 Scarlet Red	HT534 Banana Yellow	HT535 Baby Yellow	HT536 Translucent Clear
HT537 White	HT538 Orange	HT539 Pepto Pink	HT540 Magenta Pink	HT541 Celeste	HT543 Green
HT544 Translucent Green	HT545 Navy Blue	HT546 Translucent Blue	HT5547 Gray	HT548 Royal Blue	HT549 Baby Blue

New! Brooks Leather Tape $59.95/set

Genuine leather, available in three colours to match your Brooks saddle:
Honey (Shown), Antique Brown or Black

Cinelli Cork Tape $15.95/set

Probably the most comfortable tape available.

Tressoplast Cloth Tape $3.95/roll (2 rolls per bike.)

Red - Orange - Yellow - Green - Light Blue - Dark Blue - Black - White

Made in France

New colors: gray, dark tan (not shown.)

Light blue discontiued, sorry.

Velox Handlebar Plugs Black only: $4.95/pair.

Benotto Plastic Tape $15.95 Pack (2 rolls plus plugs.)

Red - Orange - Yellow - Green - Light Blue - Dark Blue - Black - White - Hot Pink - Brown - Silver

Made in Mexico

Hunt-Wilde Plastic Tape $3.95/roll Red or Blue Only

This was the classic choice in the 1960s. Similar to Benotto, only with a slight waffle texture and more transparent. These come in rather long rolls, probably intended to be cut in half so one roll would do both sides of the bar--but be skimpy. If you use one roll each side, you have generous length, enough for plenty of overlap even with wide bars.

Made in USA

Grab-On Foam Grips for Drop Handlebars $13.95 set of 4 pieces

These are the real McCoy, denser, longer lasting foam than the many inferior knockoffs.

Made in USA

In addition to the tape and grips listed above, we are also happy to special order anything you want from the Quality Bicycle Parts Online Catalogue.

"Æro" Clip-on Bars

We haven't had time to enter these into the Website, but they may be ordered via our link to the Quality Bicycle Parts Online Catalogue.

Bar Ends For Upright Handlebars

Profile "Boxer" Bar Ends $22.95

Aluminum, 137 mm length

This is just one of the models we carry or can get. We haven't had time to enter everything into the Website, but this and other models may be ordered via our link to the Quality Bicycle Parts Online Catalogue.

Grips for Upright Handlebars

New! Genuine Cork Grips $14.95

Repro Raleigh-type Grips $12.95

These French-made rubber grips are the closest thing I've found to the original "Dare" brand grips. An excellent choice for English 3 speeds of the '60s and '70s, these have a slightly soft, rubber-like consistency, maybe even more comfy than the originals. I've been looking for something like this for a LONG time!

Repro Schwinn-type Grips $8.95

These fairly hard plastic grips are very similar to those used for many years on classic Schwinns. Available in black and white.

Pyramid "Bullet" Grips $9.95

These soft Krayton rubber grips are a remake of a classic cruiser style from the old balloon tire era.

Grab-On Foam Grips for Drop Handlebars $13.95 set of 4 pieces

These are the real McCoy, denser, longer lasting foam than the many inferior knockoffs. Although they are primarily intended for drop bar use, they work well on other types of bars as well, when you want a longer grip for a wider choice of hand positions.

Made in USA

In addition to the tape and grips listed above, we are also happy to special order anything you want from the Quality Bicycle Parts Online Catalogue.

Handlebars | Headsets | Grips | Stems | Stem Raisers | Tape & Plugs

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What we do We are a small, service oriented bike shop. Although we primarily serve the Western suburbs of Boston, we are also available to cyclists throughout the planet. We can help with hard-to-find parts and accessories and good advice. This site contains a number of useful articles on bicycling and bicycles, plus links to other bicycle-related sites on the Internet. We are very proud of our problem-solving ability. We can often create custom solutions to your bicycling problems, adapting your bicycle to your specific needs. We make a bit of a specialty of updating high-quality older bikes with modern parts, for the rider who doesn't want to give up on an old friend, but wants more gears, better brakes, a more relaxed position, etc... For advice and information, feel free to E-Mail, telephone, or visit!

How to reach us Harris Cyclery 1353 Washington Street West Newton, Massachusetts 02465 (617) 244-9772 FAX 244-1041 E-mail (Sheldon Brown) We are located on Route 16 (Washington Street) in West Newton Square, about a mile and a half East of Route 128/95. If you are coming from the West, look for us just after Route 16 crosses the Mass Pike. We will be on your left, next to the European Health Spa.

Web site by Sheldon Brown

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