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On the blog today: How long do #compasstires last? How do you know when they’re worn? (Link in bio.)Last stop for the night at the Longmire lodge on Mount Rainier. Ahead: four mountain passes before the sun rises. Night rides in the mountains are a unique experience. We sense the immensity of the landscape without seeing it. We feel the climbs unfiltered, only in our legs. Our focus on the curves of the descents is absolute. And we’ve got the mountains all to ourselves. #allroadbike #bqtestbikesChinook Pass separates western and eastern Washington. Little did we know that meant a drop in temperature from 42 to 22 degrees F (+5 to -5 C) just minutes into the hour-long descent. We were happy when we turned uphill again to climb Naches Pass. The moon-lit landscape was beautiful, but rarely have we welcomed the raising sun with such gratitude! 📷@wherethepavementends #allroadbikeCategories
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Category Archives: Handlebars
Handlebars: Wide vs. Narrow
One of the hardest parts of bike fit is the width of the handlebars. There are many recommendations, but not all make sense. For decades, racers have been told that handlebars should match the width of their shoulders – but … Continue reading →
BikeRadar Reviews the Compass Handlebars
At Compass, we design our components over thousands of miles on the (often rough) roads we ride, so we have full confidence that others will enjoy them as much as we do. Still, we were pleasantly surprised when the world’s … Continue reading →
Why Handlebar Shapes Are Important
Riders are realizing the importance of handlebar shapes again. In recent decades, makers tried to make ergonomic shapes by flattening the bars where the most useful hand positions are located. But human anatomies vary a lot, and locking riders into a few ‘anatomic’ hand … Continue reading →
Compass 31.8 mm Randonneur Handlebars
We are glad to offer our Compass Randonneur handlebars with a clamp diameter of 31.8 mm (for modern stems), in addition to the 25.4 mm model we introduced last year. These handlebars have been very popular, and for good reasons. They support … Continue reading →
Carbon and Leather
The Bicycle Quarterly‘s Specialized Diverge test bike came out of the box all black. Specialized’s photo (below) makes it look like a shadow, but when I saw the actual bike, I found quite unappealing. Everything looked like it was made from plastic. I dreaded taking … Continue reading →
Compass Randonneur Handlebars
Handlebars are one of the most important parts of your bike. As one of the three “contact points”, the handlebar shape determines whether you are comfortable on the bike or not. After every Paris-Brest-Paris, numerous cyclists complain about numb hands. … Continue reading →
New Handlebars and Stem
One of the all-time favorite handlebar shapes is the Philippe Professionel. Back in the 1940s and 1950s, you found them on the bikes of professional racers (below), randonneurs, cyclotourists, even track bikes. Their flat ramps provide plenty of hand positions, … Continue reading →
