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Surly Torsion Bar
By Jon Sharp
Riser bars or flat bars. Riser bars or flat bars. I could
write pages and pages on this particular dispute flowing like waves through
the mountain bike community. Riser bars are wider and have more bend,
but is there no compromise? Does anyone make a flat bar with riser bar
characteristics? Enter the Surly Torsion bar. Yes, its flat, but unlike
most flat bars youre used to. The width is 25 inches. The bend, 15 degrees.
Those measurements dwarf the average flat bar.
Surly specializes in single-speed frames and components. They are known
for making bullet-proof, no nonsense equipment. The Torsion Bar is made
for Surly by Nitto of Japan. Nitto has been making handlebars for years,
and is known for its quality. The bar is made of prestige cro-moly. It
is bombproof, but at a cost: the Torsion Bar weighs in at a hefty 280
grams. Now, before you start thinking how ridiculous that is, keep in
mind that a "normal" riser bar weighs as much. If you take off your bar
ends (more on that later), you will find that the Torsion bar adds nothing
to the overall weight of your bike.
Take off the bar ends, are you crazy?! Thats what I thought, but I couldnt
bear seeing them shooting off at wide angles away from my bike. I guess
I pay too much attention to aesthetics, after all. Well, as with any change,
the first few rides felt weird with all that room and without the bar
ends. I was pretty skeptical at first. After those first few rides, though,
there was no turning back. Does the wider, more swept-back bar lead to
greater comfort? Yes. Do I miss my bar ends? No.
This bar was perfect for my bike, which I had already tuned to the correct
handlebar height with my stem. On uphills, I found that having my arms
wider and my wrists turned more to the outside made for more comfort and
less desire to move my hands away from the brakes (a dangerous thing on
technical climbs). I was also glad that all this comfort didnt bring with
it a higher front-end. There are few things worse than climbing up a steep
uphill, only to have your front-end lifting up off the ground. A tall
front-end can often be the culprit. The torsion bar gives you the benefits
of a wider stance, without adding a bit to the height of the front-end.
In slow technical areas, I didnt notice that much difference. Where I
really fell in love with the Torsion bar was on long swoopy descents like
fire roads. This bar loved to carve into turns. Anything that had wide
turns and fast descents was heaven with this bar. Where I didnt like this
bar: tight woods riding where there isnt much clearance between trees
or obstacles. I found that cro-moly led to a more comfortable ride than
the harsh, lightweight aluminum flat bars that are so common among the
cross-country community.
Summary: I wouldnt trade these bars for anything. I am more comfortable
with these bars (more comfort = less fatigue = better endurance). Whenever
I sit behind normal flat bars, I long for the Torsion bar. Are these bars
for everyone? No way. As with most products that provide the link between
man and machine, it is a matter of preference. If you feel like you are
too hunched over on your bike, go for risers. If you ride slow technical
trails with little space between trees, stick with your narrow flat bars.
If you cant spare the unheard of low price of $35, back away. However,
if you have everything dialed in just right on your bike, climb lots of
hills, and are looking for some added comfort, give the Surlys a try.
Jon Sharp is a contributing edotor to GearReview.com
specializing in mountain biking.
For more information, contact:
Surly Bikes
877.743.3191
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