The new off road drop bar on the market by Salsa Cycles is the Woodchipper. Check out the comparison between the Woodchipper, Midge Bar, and the Gary Bar that I posted previously here. I did forget one critical measurement for these bars and that was the reach measurement. I will get to that in this post, plus I will give my first impressions of this bar.
The Woodchippers in Winter!
First off, I wanted to detail out what I did with these Woodchippers. I decided to mount them first to my trusty Karate Monkey. I have had various drop bars set up on this bike, including the Gary Bar and the Midge Bar, so it was a no brainer for me to put the Woodchipper on this bike since the bike itself is basically a known entity to me and would provide a great basis for comparison, having had the two main competitors of the Woodchipper on it before.
Installation was a breeze and the bars taped up just fine with some Salsa bar tape I had already. The controls, in this case a set of vintage Shimano SLR aero levers, fit perfectly and were no problem to get around the drop and into position. The levers were easily put where an extended index finger could reach out from a drop position and grab the end of the lever for braking. Perfect!
A view looking forward at how the levers sit on the Woodchippers.
The brake levers are ever so slightly canted outwards. This still leaves the possibility to use the hoods in a “modern-traditional” manner. However; since the drop measurement on the Woodchipper is minimal, your range of effective reach to the brakes from the drops may be compromised if you set your levers up to use the hoods as a primary grip position. And with all that swept, long, and lovely drop extension, that would be a pity. To my mind, the Woodchipper is all about riding in the drops. If it isn’t, then the main features of this bar are a moot point. Might as well stick to a Nitto Randonneur bar, or a Salsa Bell Lap bar if being on the hoods is important.
A view from the front.
No, to my mind you buy into the Woodchipper so you get that great drop section. It’s long, it’s swept at a nice angle, and there are several hand positions. Another thing the swept drop section does is it opens up the area near the front of the bike more for standing climbing and for out of the saddle maneuvers where hitting your knees on a straighter drop may be an issue. I was launching up and over three foot high piles of frozen snow and ice and the freedom to throw in some body English without fear of smacking the knees was appreciated. I also had several ways to rest my hands along the long extension which was nice for weighting the front wheel in different ways. Added to that was the nice feeling, round drop. Kudos to Salsa for not using an anatomical bend here. Finally, the 25.4mm 46cm wide example I am riding has a nice, springy flex to it, which should take the edge off some trail chatter.
The drops are not all the Woodchipper has to offer though. The top, which is far wider than anything else I have tried on this bike, were great to cruise or climb seated with. Plus you have a lot of room to set up accessories if desired without encroaching upon valuable grip area. I found that the bend to the drop section filled up my palms nicely and was a great spot for cruising flats on.
Okay, what about that reach comparison? Well, here you go………..
Woodchipper:70mm
Midge Bar:90mm
Gary Bar:90mm
I measured the reach from the center line of the stem clamp/bar top to the apex of the drop center line using straight edge and tape. Several measurements were taken on each bar, then averaged. These measurements should be taken as approximates.
That said, the clear winner in the reach department is the Woodchipper. This is important more for off road performance than fit, although knowing the reach measurement is important for set up. Getting the reach down into this range opens up the area above the drop extension, and with the sweep, this bar should provide maximum performance off road. In terms of fitting non-drop bar specific mtb’s, the Woodchipper’s minimal reach measurement and long extensions should mitigate any concerns for a shorter top tube.
Look for a more extensive trail report once the spring weather breaks!
Wow, this bar will make my XL KM fit SO much better than with Midges! It always felt like an XXL with the stem I found for it.
Would you think alternative brakes lever blades with aid in access to the brakes when riding the drops, hoods placed for preferable hooded position? I was thinking maybe elongated with a back curve to it.
Did you find it necessary to increase the rise of the stem? I have a set of Woodchippers on the way, along with a Fargo. I’m wondering if I’m going to have to get a new stem with more rise.
@Cloxxki: Alt brake levers sure would be an idea here. I think you have a good idea for those who insist on having the hood position in “Lance mode”.
@WKilburg: I directly replaed a Gary Bar here, but that said, the set up has been the same for years in terms of the stem. My feeling was that with the extensions coming back further that this was the best feeling set up so far.
As for a Fargo, which has been shipped with Bell Lap bars for the most part, this will only make set up even easier. Fargo forks come uncut, so adjustments can be made to taste by the end user. You shouldn’t need another stem, but that possibility may exist yet dependant upon your personal set up preferances and body type. I doubt it though.
Would it be feasible/desirable to run crosstop levers like a cyclocross bike so you can brake from the bartops? Drops on an MTB are a new idea to me but I’m curious.
BTW have you looked at the Soma Clarence bar yet? The bend is similar to an On One Mary and I am using one on my utility bike which is a 26″ wheel hardtail converted to rigid.
With Drop Bar V-Brake Levers from Tektro I’ve been able to achieve a very fit neutral position between the hoods and drops. The Tektro’s have a long blade that allows for this. The fit of the hoods wouldn’t be considered appropriate per current ‘flat top’ road setups, but it is more than appropriate given the complexity of a drop bar design. I have also learned to cant my hoods/blades to mate up with the general angle of the flair of the drops. This is very comfortable given the wide stance and position.
I’m stoked to have these out and being ridden by others. I’m looking forward to the feedback.
@Slow Joe Crow: You could do that, but when riding off road, which is what these are intended for, you won’t be on the tops much at all. So, in a mountain biking sense, it isn’t optimal to have B-Levers mounted for braking purposes. But again- you could if you wanted to. I recommend trying the bars as intended, ride in the drops almost exclusively, and see what we mean for off road use.
@JMEISER: I think your comment reads as a bit of a compromise in terms of how road bikers are using hoods these days, and that is my point in the post. If a roadie set these up, the braking from the drops would be marginal at best.
I find that many folks new to the mtb drop scene have only road set ups as a reference so this is important to point out to those folks.
Ted, I run WTB drop bars and I,m curios why they they weren’t included in the mix?
@”Go Go” GADGET: WTB off road drops certainly have their fans, but in terms of the needs of off road use, they don’t compare well to the others. Too much drop causes the WTB model to be difficult to impossible to set up correctly for off roading for many riders. The anatomic bend in that model is also frowned upon by many off road drop bar users.
Personally I feel the WTB drop bar is too much road, not enough off road to be considered in the same comparison with the others. Much like a Salsa Cycles Bell Lap bar in that regard, which I feel is a better bar to compare to the WTB one.
GT- I take it you didn’t have any issues with smashing your wrists on the “heels” of the woodchipper? I’m not sure if “heel” is the right word, but you know what I mean -that corner where it goes from the flat tops to the ramps. One thing I really appreciate about the WTB-by-Nitto oiginal dirt-drops is that wrist clearance.
Thanks for the review!
I am waiting on my Woodchipper 31.8 with a new stem to set them .75 in further reach. I am riding a medium for the standover in the woods but need a little more length. My expectations are I will have a better position, a bit lower, in the hoods while still maintaining my most often used drop position. I am correct ?
I may miss that second bend in the drops from the Bell Lap, I can move some serious rubber from there.
@jimmythefly: Right, the swept extensions help with wrist clearance as well. Just like Charlie Cunningham did with the old WTB bars, the swept extensions, along with Salsa’s tweaks to reach and drop, allow for a nice off road maneuverability in the drops.
@justanoldhobo: You could have that position, it depends upon the levers used. As JMEISER stated, the Tektro/Cane Creek levers will allow for a better compromise in this way. My choice here of 80′s era SLR aero levers limits how high I can place the levers up the bend, but I am not concerned with such things.
Gted,
Thanks, I rarely am anywhere near the tops or on the hoods but a little lower top would be good for eating a pizza while riding.
GT – Are those the Road version of the Avids? Just curious about different brake lever options for drops. Have the mtn BB7′s myself.
@spudz15: No, they are BB-7 mtn calipers. I find they work quite well for me with the SLR levers.
My current drop-bar MTB setup is just a standard road bar w/ Ultegra brifters (which I intend to keep). Do you think these bars would be a good setup w/ a road STI setup?
@Fonk: I think they would set up and work great. Keep in mind that the drop section is nearly vertical, so no awkward positioning on the shift paddles should be seen with a Woodchipper.
I use BB-7/ 185 mm rotors on my KM and to match the linear cable pull I chose DC 287-V (now Cane Creek SCR-5V) levers on my WTB Dirt Drops with bar end shifters.
I like the BB-7 MTN for having rotor size options (140 mm only on BB-7 R) and the longer actuating arm. Look at a road BB-7 unit and little rear rotor; its all about not overwhelming the contact patch and friction a road tire can bring to bear under braking, from retained counsel’s view.
Now imagine if you have your fattest knobby tire mounted on your drop bar 29er and see if it is a good idea to choose the lower mechanical advantage road caliper and petite (140 mm) rear rotor swept area instead of making some tough but sound choices about brake levers and shifting. Its been nice to have the friction mode available on the shifters too.
Then again you might not need or depend on brakes as much as I do. Mine don’t fade on steep trail descents with 2.2″ knobs under the fenders.
Ted,
A question for you, or any one else; I am putting together a new custom Monstercross, mostly for riding paved roads and fire roads. I am a newbie to MTB/Cross drops and essentially testing the water. I figured I would most times on be on hoods (i.e., palms above the brake levers), when need be, tack in on the drop (headwinds, or going downhill) and occasionally at the top for a third position.
Giving the above, I wonder which drop bar would you recommend for this application? Is it the Midge or the Salsa Woodchipper? Or maybe something else all together? For esthetic I don’t wish to use a road bar.
Thanks…
@RubberBoy: How about a Salsa Bell Lap? I liked the one I tried and it would seem to be the obvious choice here.
I just put some woodchippers on a Gryphon and am still feeling out the fit. Plenty of sweep and lots of room in the drops. Missing the flat flare space of the Bell Lap a bit. I will raise the bar a couple of spacers before I ride tomorrow. The top of the bar and the hoods are much more useable then the Bell Laps.
@RubberBoy; I wouldn’t put drop bars if I didn’t plan to spend most of the time in them. I figured I would spend most of the time in the Fargo hoods too but was soon won over by the comfort and control in the drops.
Any thoughts on drop bars on a Haro Mary SS? Have 2009 model and looking to add something different than the On-One Mary bar The stock brakes and levers are: Avid BB5 w/160mm rotor brakes, Avid FR-5 levers.
Thanks
@Keith: You’ll have to get something like some Tektro RL 550 levers for drop bars. They will work with your current brakes. Otherwise a stem change for proper bar height and reach should do the trick. I’ve seen a Haro Mary with drops on it and it should work great.