I ride my QB with albatross bars (exclusively for about 10 years now), for a few years I also rode a hillborne with drops with similiar reach measurements. for example I ran 100-120MM stems on my QB but 80MM on my SH with drops. like Jeffrey says your current stem may become an issue, the common rule of thumb is to add 2CM on stem because an albatross will come back 2CM, but 140MM might be too much stem, personally i've never had a bike with so much stem.
i might go as far as to say your bike is a little too small for you, but before that, what size is your QB? what is the effective TT? I would start adding those numbers up and see how they would translate to albatross. I don't think you have to add stem, if you just swap to an albatross you may find the 'natural' position to be in the hooks or bend instead of back at the grip--kinda like how the billie bar translates when you swap out an albatross. as far as riding goes, that's very personal so hard to say in words, I will say the wide bars do feel good when accelerating on the QB, and I don't have issues with control, I do a decent amount of gravel riding and at times feel a little under biked but it still feels great on the trail. top of my stem is about level with saddle, so the grips on the bars do sit a little bit higher than saddle. as someone that has been riding them for 10+ years i'm a fan, and when I had to reduce my bike stable to 1 bike, this is what I kept, partly due to how the QB rides overall but i'm sure part of that is the albatross--the only bar i've considered swapping it for is the Billie, which is just an albatross with more grip area! On Monday, November 18, 2024 at 8:27:41 AM UTC-5 Ryan wrote: > What about an albastache? You could still use your existing brake levers > and it is more upright > > On Monday, November 18, 2024 at 6:55:01 AM UTC-6 jeffrey kane wrote: > >> Hey Joe, >> >> First thing you can expect is to tinker - first time upright bar set ups >> are a journey (in the best way). >> >> Stem length, bar height and reach are likely to be the three areas you'll >> fiddle with most at first - then grip position and maybe in the end, width >> if you're really sensitive and OCD in that way that so many of us here are. >> I'm a little concerned that you're already comfortable running a 12cm stem >> - keep in mind that upright bars do sweep back, some ridiculously so. >> Alba's are nice for their slight bit of a forward perch in the bends - >> the Billie bar (my personal favorite) offers that as well.. >> I"ve never encountered an adverse handling experience once I've dialed in >> an upright bar position - in fact, I have multiple bikes set up for both - >> with upright & drop bar combos ready for (relatively) quick switching. Note >> that the bar and stem always stay together when switching. >> >> Second thing to expect is unmitigated joy (for real). >> >> Good luck, man! >> >> On Sunday, November 17, 2024 at 10:15:45 PM UTC-5 Mojo wrote: >> >>> I have a Quickbeam, circa 2005, in need of some freshening change. It >>> currently has 44cm-wide Noodle handlebars. The bike is fine, it is >>> simple-fun, but it gets passed over a lot for other bikes in the stable. >>> All of my road bikes have Noodle bars (and all offroad bikes have Jones H >>> bars). I thought perhaps some upright bars on the Quickbeam would make it >>> more unique, more "towny," more often chosen for the daily ride. >>> >>> To that end I think I would choose the Albatross bar, that features some >>> extra rise, some flare, and is not too wide. The Quickbeam's current Noodle >>> bars are set with the top of the bars about one inch above saddle height, >>> and I think I would like the Albatross bars another inch or so higher. >>> >>> So, what would I expect in this change to my Quickbeam's handling? I >>> know a higher bar and less weight on the front end lightens the steering. >>> What else should I expect? Also, I currently using a 12cm stem. Would that >>> work for the Albatross? >>> >>> For reference, I am 68 years old and typically ride a ~60 inch gear on >>> the Quickbeam, but it has gear inches from 46 to 71 inches with two >>> chainrings and a flip-flop hub with a dingle on one side and bail-out >>> larger cog on the other. >>> >>> Thanks for your thoughts. >>> Joe in western Colorado >>> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/60be1884-f1b5-4cbd-859a-11258497f275n%40googlegroups.com.
