Should Your Gravel Bike Handlebar Be More?

@oldguyandabike has been trying a new gravel bike handlebar on his Turner Cyclosys and it has been a surprise hit!
See why you might want more in a gravel bike handlebar.
Ritchey Venture Max - ritcheylogic.com/bike/handleb...
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[@henrypretz]

Thanks for this video. I love the VentureMax too. Enough so that my current set has been on my last three bikes. I was never one to ride in the drops much until I started riding the bars. Somewhat unconventional look, great control and comfort.

[@84imreplica]

I have a WCS Venture max handlebar on my Cannondale e-gravel bike and I love it. One of the best aftermarket bike purchases I've ever made.

[@mcndjxlefnd]

Good review.

[@eyeq1451]

7:35: You like the bumps because they're supporting not just the edges of your palms but the center as well. You have a larger contact area so the pressure is spread more throughout the palms. I have the VentureMax on my gravel (Canyon Grizl CF SL) and on my cargo bike (ten07 Unicorn) and it's very comfortable to ride the drops for long periods of time. 🙂

[@oldguyandabike]

Works for me! Thanks. gg

[@jasonisaac1]

More is better for me. Great review, thank you! I have a Ritchey Venturemax XL bar on my Ritchey Ascent atb build. Suits my riding well, mostly unpaved, some bikepacking. Those bars in combo with a dropper post make for super stable descending on fast forest roads, and flowy singletrack.

[@matthewblake4109]

I just installed the Whiskey Spano on my gravel bike, looks to be nearly the same geometry as your Ritchey Venture (drop, reach, flare) and I agree, great general shape. Would be fun to compare the two as they are so close but have subtle differences like the Ritchey bump on the drop section. The Ritchey is the better deal at less than half the price, the Whiskey is carbon so it saves about 40g but that is pretty trivial for double the cost

[@dcv9460]

Awesome review! Thanks! 😎

[@rug212]

It seems that little bump in the drops may give that section a little more horizontal feel for your hands. So your wrists aren’t having to bend too much because the drops kinda point down more than other bars.

[@oldguyandabike]

Good thought! Quite possible. gg

[@MoveWithMurph]

I just swapped my flat bars out for these! I am loving them so far. Looking forward to trying them out this weekend. Also, I gotta know, what is your mic set up? Audio is perfect.

[@oldguyandabike]

Cheap foam cover on a DJI Osmo 4 and a tiny bit of post production work here and there. gg

[@seanquigg4909]

I too have that bar, I love it, it makes traditional bike people cringe, but when I let them ride a few miles with them, they are sold. Great in-depth video. Best upgrade I have made to my gravel bike.

[@oldguyandabike]

"Cringe"! HAH! The other day I guy showed up for a group ride with a gravel bike and those bars. I spotted them from a distance as he rode. They do make a statement. gg

[@enricoflor3601]

Hello! Is there a shoulder-to-handlebar width correspondence for this Ritchey bar, as they often spec in road bars? My Diverge Elite came with a road bar...

[@oldguyandabike]

I know that is a traditional way to size a bar, but I have heard that called out as old thinking. Like the way that crank length is being questioned, in that it is not as 'simple as that'. I do run a wider bar on my gravel bikes compared to my road bikes (and I am getting ready to go more narrow on the road) so I think it is a use case and personal preference. I mean, on the Project Curly bikepacking build I used a 50cm wide bar. gg

[@enricoflor3601]

@@oldguyandabike, thank you! I dig your thinking!

[@moobaz8675]

I had these and then went for a bike fit. He changed my bars and kept my Ritcheys. I've never been happy with the change and want my Ritcheys back, however, for some reason the bike fitter doesn't seem to remember keeping them! 😡

[@oldguyandabike]

🫣

[@e.con0210]

He wanted them that’s why he “recommended” the switch