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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [Staer] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks! Fit is really flexible, pad stack height is currently adjustable on 5mm increments up to 40mm. Overall bar height can also be adjusted by adjusting the height of the stem. Bar height in aero is adjusted by the angle of the bar as it sits in the stem. Pad width is adjustable on 3/8" increments. I'll post some stuff on the site with fit photos and info.

First prototype I ran for over 2500 miles and would shift in both positions with mechanical shifters. It is easy to shift when out of aero lending itself well for climbing.

Staer wrote:
There ya go! That's the sleeker form I was talking about.

Now what about fit? What's the pad height/stack? How low can they be set? How high?

What about shifting while sitting up? Can you do that relatively easily with mechanical shifting? I'm thinking about climbing...

Thanks,
Frank

http://www.morf-tech.com
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [Titanflexr] [ In reply to ]
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Can't really help with the pony but If you make horsey sounds when your riding, it's close:)

The left and right side are mechanically linked so the both have to move in unison, no flopping... it's the link that makes the arrangement stable during the transition.

The production model can have any bar end you want, ski pole bend, road bike horns or straights. I hear you on the risers, we are doing just that.

Thanks!!

Titanflexr wrote:
If you are in aero and take one arm off the pads (ex. to grab a behind-the-saddle bottle) what happens to that extension (i.e. does it flop around)?


Love the bars from a design standpoint. Two improvements I'd recommend are a lower pad stack (you can always add spacers), and the ability for more pad fore/aft adjustment. An option for upturned ends (mini ski bend) would be nice for both the basebar and aero positions. Oh, and I want a pony ;).

Thanks,
Frank

http://www.morf-tech.com
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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One thing the wind tunnel won't quantify is the aero benefit of being able to brake for corners without getting out of position. Say you're going downhill through rolling corners...

Depending on the course that benefit can be substantial and is additional to the headline saving.

'It never gets easier, you just get crazier.'
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [EnderWiggan] [ In reply to ]
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EnderWiggan wrote:
1-3 watts? I'm sorry it won't sell.

GreenPlease wrote:
I don't know as the bar hasn't been to the tunnel yet and it's also not in its final form yet. From my conversation with Frank it seems like he might have some tricks up his sleeve to make the bar + rider combo a bit more aero.

If I had to guess, in its current form vs something like a Ventus with equal cable routing between the two... maybe 1-3 watts. Keep in mind that the Ventus is a really fast bar.

I think it would sell with a 3w gain (and I'm being conservative with that btw). The safety and travel aspects alone would make it worth it for me.
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [Tom A.] [ In reply to ]
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Tom A. wrote:
EnderWiggan wrote:
1-3 watts? I'm sorry it won't sell.

GreenPlease wrote:
I don't know as the bar hasn't been to the tunnel yet and it's also not in its final form yet. From my conversation with Frank it seems like he might have some tricks up his sleeve to make the bar + rider combo a bit more aero.

If I had to guess, in its current form vs something like a Ventus with equal cable routing between the two... maybe 1-3 watts. Keep in mind that the Ventus is a really fast bar.


My experiences between a base bar setup and "aero or die" lead me to think that's a bit of a low estimate...

Over/under on 5w. I'll take the under :)

I don't say that to rain on the parade, just trying to have realistic expectations. I think it's a slick piece of kit even if you don't consider potential aero gains. I'm also comparing it to a fast base bar. Versus a slower base bar with upturned brake levers, or a round base bar, or.... heavens... drops.... you're probably looking at ~6-7w, ~10-12w, and ~15-20w+ respectively.
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [georged] [ In reply to ]
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georged wrote:
One thing the wind tunnel won't quantify is the aero benefit of being able to brake for corners without getting out of position. Say you're going downhill through rolling corners...

Depending on the course that benefit can be substantial and is additional to the headline saving.

I agree with this 100%. I do St. Anthony's ever year and, by my count, there's 23 turns where you have to get out of aero and on the brakes. If the MORF bar can save you 1 second per turn that's 23 seconds which is about the equivalent time savings of ~5watts of drag reduction. That's nothing to sneeze at!
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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I've stated this in another Morph thread, and I love the attention the bar is getting. But here's what I think could take the bar to the next level:
  1. full carbon construction
  2. enve p5x style stem that is universal, can work on any frame. silicone impregnated carbon to prevent slippage (bikeahead nsa)

horrible sketch in attempt to get idea across (yep, those orange masses represent Morph hinges on a carbon bar). Kind of wish Frank would team up with Nick Salazar on this bar:



wovebike.com | Wove on instagram
Last edited by: milesthedog: Jan 3, 17 18:17
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [milesthedog] [ In reply to ]
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I hate to say it, but you're never going to see the MORF-Tech take the shape of anything approaching the Ventus or a modern carbon aero base bar. At least not with the current linkage.

With regards to the ENVE/Cervelo "modern quill stem" I've stated elsewhere that I don't think this is a good idea. It's one thing to have a seat post slip but it's a whole different ballgame if your front end suddenly drops on you. Anyone who thinks this can't happen is fooling themselves. I *hope* it doesn't happen to anyone but I know it can happen. I travel with a beam wrench and supergrip and I've had a seat post using the same mechanism slip. It can happen. To me, it's unacceptable for that to be a risk on the front end of a bike.

My $0.02 is that the first MORF-Tech bar will be an example of function over form. It might not be drop-dead gorgeous but I suspect the pointy-end of the field will adopt it fairly quickly as there isn't much aero fruit left to pick. As time goes on and more people try the bar and say to themselves "hey, this really is better" and most will get over any perceived aesthetic deficiencies.
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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Quote:
Over/under on 5w. I'll take the under :)

I'm in for the over.

andhHey I even know someone who can test it ;-)

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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I kind of like the shifters being at your finger tips when riding out of the saddle on a steep varying grade when you lose momentum to sit down to shift, or you are accelerating over the top of a crest and getting up to speed and you need to do one more shift before sitting back down and getting aero....then you quickly got up to speed and you collapse your body and the bars into the aero position and squirt a few feet further forward on the same energy utilization.
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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Yeah, anti slip treatment impregnated in the carbon or eight pins dropper post technology pins to prevent slipping - problem solved?

maximizing pad x/y fit via a enve style stem (updated quill stem) could make a super bike of any normal bike. The advantage of such a design is the ease in which it can be adjusted on the fly. I have a Gen2 SpeedConcept - there is no adjusting pad stack height on the fly without pulling the rear der. cable out (1x). I'd like a system where I can just stop during a ride and change the height or reach of the aerobars as quickly and easily as I can adjust my seatpost.

But I'm more interested in seeing the Morph bar succeed, so I won't derail the thread any more - but maybe it's a valuable design consideration

wovebike.com | Wove on instagram
Last edited by: milesthedog: Jan 4, 17 6:44
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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devashish_paul wrote:
I kind of like the shifters being at your finger tips when riding out of the saddle on a steep varying grade when you lose momentum to sit down to shift, or you are accelerating over the top of a crest and getting up to speed and you need to do one more shift before sitting back down and getting aero....then you quickly got up to speed and you collapse your body and the bars into the aero position and squirt a few feet further forward on the same energy utilization.

Funny you mention that. I did a 20 minute test outdoors today at a park where the perimeter road was a loop with a turn roughly every 1/4mile and I noticed a nice power spike every time I went from the base bar down to my aero bars. E.g. coming out of the turn I was pushing ~260 watts trying to keep things evenly paced but when I'd go down to aero I'd see a spike into the mid 400s for a brief moment on my Garmin (3 sec avg).

Test was on my Shiv with an Alpha X fwiw.

Now that I think about it though, that's so situational and rare in triathlon and TTs that I doubt the potential benefit is worth calculating. Unless you're Tony Martin :)
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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GreenPlease wrote:
EnderWiggan wrote:
1-3 watts? I'm sorry it won't sell.

GreenPlease wrote:
I don't know as the bar hasn't been to the tunnel yet and it's also not in its final form yet. From my conversation with Frank it seems like he might have some tricks up his sleeve to make the bar + rider combo a bit more aero.

If I had to guess, in its current form vs something like a Ventus with equal cable routing between the two... maybe 1-3 watts. Keep in mind that the Ventus is a really fast bar.


I think it would sell with a 3w gain (and I'm being conservative with that btw). The safety and travel aspects alone would make it worth it for me.


I think the travel benefits could be huge. Honestly, you would lop a serious amount of time off the packing process for Air Travel, unless I am not thinking about something.


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Last edited by: Thomas Gerlach: Jan 4, 17 12:09
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [Frank-S] [ In reply to ]
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Love the concept Frank and signed up for updates. FWIW and likely something you have considered, but a bi-axial or U-joint approach may allow for a more flexible/ergonomic final wrist position. Conic or bi-axial hinged joints could yield a final, single lock, ski bend position. The U-joint could be more flexible, but has more control challenges.

Look forward to your progress.
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [desert dude] [ In reply to ]
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Take him up on the offer! I'd like to see how a prototype fares.

'It never gets easier, you just get crazier.'
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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I'd be willing to buy a pair of these if they were UCI legal... which I am going to assume they are not.
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [NordicSkier] [ In reply to ]
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I'll try to get Frank in here to answer some of these questions... maybe he'll start a separate thread... but *I think* he's submitted drawings or possibly a prototype to the UCI technical committee. Depending on how you interpret the UCI's rules, these may/may not be legal. My $0.02 is: don't get your hopes up for this year but don't cross them off your list forever.
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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So basically

- more aero than a use tula set up
- let's you shift in aero or cowhorn positions
- let's you brake in aero and cowgirl positions
- makes your bike more portable
- makes your bike more storable
- let's you time trial in aero or die setup without any compromise of safety and handling when you need it

If the weight is ojay and with the stem based bracket (lollipop) that accommodates a torpedo bottle and computer bra ket....then it seems ideal
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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speaking of riding out of the saddle....I don't see any testing or video of grabbing by the horns when in open wing position and cranking up a steep grade.

Anne Barnes
ABBikefit, Ltd
FIST/SICI/FIST DOWN DEEP
X/Y Coordinator
abbikefit@gmail.com
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [ABarnes] [ In reply to ]
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You could. It's built like a friggin tank.
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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Any idea on what the cost of this will be?
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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I'm afraid that is hardly proof. Tanks are indeed built like tanks, but even a 20mm projectile can breach the armor.

The forces acting on a handlebar can be three times your body weight, it is not wise to assume that how something appears to be made is indeed how it will act under load.

If you've never seen anyone snap a stem, clamp, or handlebar, it's not pretty at any speed.

Anne Barnes
ABBikefit, Ltd
FIST/SICI/FIST DOWN DEEP
X/Y Coordinator
abbikefit@gmail.com
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [ABarnes] [ In reply to ]
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ABarnes wrote:
I'm afraid that is hardly proof. Tanks are indeed built like tanks, but even a 20mm projectile can breach the armor.

The forces acting on a handlebar can be three times your body weight, it is not wise to assume that how something appears to be made is indeed how it will act under load.

If you've never seen anyone snap a stem, clamp, or handlebar, it's not pretty at any speed.

I totally agree. I don't want to be Frank's PR piece but he's a proper mechanical engineer (oil industry) and he's told me the bars are being designed to handle very high loads and will be tested to that end (in accordance with... and probably well beyond... ISO standards).
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [Anachronism] [ In reply to ]
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Anachronism wrote:
Any idea on what the cost of this will be?

I do not know, sorry :/
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [lacticturkey] [ In reply to ]
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lacticturkey wrote:
So basically


- more aero than a use tula set up
- let's you shift in aero or cowhorn positions
- let's you brake in aero and cowgirl positions
- makes your bike more portable
- makes your bike more storable
- let's you time trial in aero or die setup without any compromise of safety and handling when you need it

If the weight is ojay and with the stem based bracket (lollipop) that accommodates a torpedo bottle and computer bra ket....then it seems ideal


Same here. I liked the concept since back in 2008 when I saw this version (I'm bummed the video doesn't still play)

https://web.archive.org/...com/blog/archives/56

http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/
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