My Breezer has gone through several cockpit iterations over the past several years as I have looked for the perfect combination.
I started with the compact drop bars that came as stock and transitioned quite quickly to a Salsa Cowchipper, which had been on my previous gravel bike. This led to a return to a flat bar with and without bar ends. Nagging wrist and hand pain forced me to reevaluate.
Toward the end of last season I installed a cheap swept bar that I bought on Amazon. The geometry of the grip area was similar to the Jones H-bar that I had been looking at for a while. My hope was that the inexpensive bar would provide an analogous experience to the Jones bar at a fraction of the cost.
My experience with the swept bar was good. The hand and wrist pain that I was experiencing was lessened, but the lack of hand positions was uncomfortable over the long run.
So, over the winter break from riding I built out a totally new cockpit:
This is a Jones H-Bar Loop in the 710mm size. The grips are ESI XXL Extra Chunky cut down to ~7 inches from their original 8.25 inch length. The components are the same as prior versions including the TOGS thumb grips.
In the loop area I installed a Surly Moloko bag. It fits perfectly and I prefer the style to the Jones bag. Of particular note is the Surly bag’s bungee straps on top that allow me to stuff a sweat rag for easy access or stow my sunglasses if the weather changes rapidly. It’s a little thing, but when you are riding fifty miles from home the little things start to matter a lot.
Unfortunately, the weather in Iowa this spring has been absolute garbage. Cold, rainy, and windy have been the order of the day for the past month or so. Riding opportunities have been limited, but the forecast looks good in the upcoming week. My hope is to put some miles in to report on how the cockpit setup is faring.
Happy trails!