Don't forget that these bars were designed by a couple of people, around the needs of one man in particular and with the overriding criteria being aerodynamics. I.E. these bars are the result primarily of collaboration between Steve Hed, John Cobb, and LA and are their best current guess at producing the "fastest" bars out there. All other design concerns were secondary to speed (except probably general safety concerns). In that light, they appear to have made a winner. But anytime you have such specialized application/design criteria, compromises and oversights are bound to occur, especially when a wider target audience is considered. Thats what happens when you push the envelope. I'm very sure that Steve is "listening" to the feedback on forums like this and we'll see changes incorporated to address concerns of the larger group. But make no mistake, these bars are all about speed. They're built for people who ride low, fast, aero all the time. If that isn't you, then these bars aren't for you.

As an aside, keep in mind that Slowman is a not-so-closet tinkerer. After all, he led the way for steep angled bikes and a lot of other innovations. He's got a designers mind that looks for ways to improve everything. Such tinkerer's projects are rarely pretty in the early stages. His Hedinstein bars are no exception. Look for a much refined look soon.

LA and those guys always wear gloves, so it probably never came up. Another thing, I don't think he even rides this bar--maybe it was not good enough. Or John Cobb thought he could take his design and make money on his own(Oval Concepts)?

look what i had to do to syntace bars to make them work for me: weld on a second set of armrests. that's just me. i want things to work perfectly. especially in those places where i contact the bike.

next is skateboard tape, and then i'll do another update and describe how that works.

keep one thing in mind. EVERY bar comes to you without its "skin." you buy the bar, and then you buy handlebar tape and cover it. it's not a design flaw that all these bars come without tape. my question (to myself) is, what is the most appropriate way to cover the parts of this bar? i don't think it's handlebar tape, but something else. hence my tinkering.

so, i love the hed bar, but i'll love it better when i'm done fiddling with it. i'll continue to write about it, and then you'll have some ideas how to fiddle with it yourself (and how not to fiddle with it).

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Dan,

Instead of skateboard grip tape, which can get a bit rough on the hands, you might want to look for a liquid rubber type product designed to cover the handles of tools when the original grips wear out/tear. I forget the brand name, but it comes in a yellow can & is available at home depot. Has an internal brush for application. I use it as a base layer under my tape, as it adds some extra cushioning w/o too much bulk (which is what happens w/two layers of Cinelli cork tape). I've also played around with addingn silica to the mix, which gives some grip without being too rough. However I don't know if that will accomplish the sweaty hands problem--though it will look better than the white goop you've got going now.



BTW: ever get a chance to take a look at the Open Road pedals I sent you?

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"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs." John Rogers

Correct. Ironic. But still designed with his input.