
when building up my alumalith 01, I had a decently difficult time (in the best of ways) deciding what bars I wanted to use, both more functionality and overall example to the internet. as many of you know I went with my uncle rons ortho upright bars, as I do believe them to be the preeeemier atb hand grab. you can really get behind the saddle and elongate the front end on swept back bars paired with the 69 deg head angle allowing for “grandpa” to really send it down some steep stuff.

we were headed to California for a conglomerate of 10 hour days in the saddle with the other half of ultradynamico and 2 olympians (Kasia and Taylor), so I wanted to appear sportier, if not only for the mental boost — something I tend to really need out there when the chocolate bars run out. easy enough. I got myself a dimension 90mm 25 degree up stem for $15 and flared out some nitto compact shallow drop somethings and mounted em up. was able to just loosen the cables on my upright bar set up and “rip the head off” complete for easy re-install.

I chose to bend some narrower drops than I am used to so that I could achieve the look I was going for. I wanted something a bit more 80s in appearance, so I sacrificed some comfort, and as long as I don’t mix in my towel rack bars, then I don’t miss them … but if I do ride them … then its hard to not. but this is what I am willing to do for the right look these days. its very important for my mental state when on a bike for 10 hours at a time. and these bars are plenty comfy — very actually. and I guess I am more aero on them — when keeping up with olympians and polish sportsperson of the year.

love that I can mix and match bars like this on what is proving to be my best bike of all time. even with this set up I am able to navigate some of the steepest terrain in our area, as well as cooking it on the connector trails and roads betwixt said steepest terrain. I think I must have set up these brakes perfectly too as they allow me to literally inch down steep rock slopes and leafy single track. suppose the tires play into that equation too — we designed them around braking traction– hence the “scoop” on the backside of the center deltas.

so thats about it there, we’ve sold a bunch of these thus far and start prepping and shipping them out next week from Waterbury!
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