drop bar rec, please

[walsh]

I need a recommendation for a handlebar. The stock handlebars on my 31-year-old Raleigh Grand Prix are scored up, and make unencouraging noises. I rode them further than was safe, and now it's time to retire them.

There's a whole world of bars out there - so much so that doing my own homework is intimidating. It's a fixed gear commuter that takes some abuse, so I was thinking that a bar with a little more flare and a little less drop might make riding the drops in adverse situations more possible. Think dirt roads, cinders, and singletrack occasionally. Traditional track drops are right out, as are bullhorns. I'm looking for something more like a Belgian 'cross-style bar.

PARAMETERS:

- 25.6 or 26mm (I'm not too proud to shim)
- shallow-ish drop
- no moustache bars, I'm keeping the stem (this is a low-budget bike)
- accepts a road lever
- gotta be silver (to match the chrome fork ends :D )

OK, now do my homework.

[sourceofdenial]

Salsa Moto Ace Bell Lap in a 26.0 is pretty much exactly what you are looking for. If you want 25.4 clamp you can go either On One Midge or WTB Mountain Drop.

I use my cross bike for everything and personally prefer a standard shallow drop ''italian style'' road bar. I don't like having my hands in the drops and spread out, feels odd to me. For singletrack I'm on the hoods 90% of the time anyway.

Actually, none of these are what you are looking for since they are not silver. Nitto Randonneur is similar(but not as wide a flare out) but doesn't come with grooves for cables if you running modern shifters.

[wrench177]

I run the Origin 8 "Gary" bar on my cross bike and with the exception of only coming in black they fit your requirements to a tee. They are basically knock-offs of the One On Midge bar and go for about $25 bucks. One thing I like about them more than the Midge is the Gary has a slightly longer extension while in the drops. My hands always felt like they were partially off the end of the bar with the Midge.

Shallow drop- check
Wide flare- check
No Moustache - check
25.4, so ya gotta shim - kinda check
Black - no check, but you could strip and polish them silver

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vQP-DMkG-5Y/Rgj48SORxxI/AAAAAAAAAYs/1vXCWftDfGU/s1600/ergon,garybar%2B005.jpg