Nitto Randonneur bars

[speedsixdave]

Afternoon all,

In my never-ending quest for the perfect handlebar, I'm wondering about a set of Nitto's lovely Randonneur bars, perhaps the B135. To make this difficult though, they will go on my Moulton with its foolish but beautiful wishbone stem which has two clamps with an overall width of 120mm. I know (from measuring) that some bars have a central sleeve of only 100mm or so which would be too narrow to use with this stem.

If anyone has a Nitto drop bar with the central sleeve, could you measure the width of the sleeve and post an answer here? Thanks very much in advance.

Wishbone stem with current favourite bars, the classic Scott Drop-In. Good for me in the 1990s, a bit deep now though.

[amediasatex]

If nobody chips in before I’ll measure some later this eve as have numerous Nitto bars, including a 135, pretty sure the sleeves are similar width on them all but will check that too.

[speedsixdave]

Thanks amediasatex!

[amediasatex]

Sadly the sleeve on a 135 is only 100mm (it really is 100mm, the tape is at an angle in the pic making it look like less)


Same on a 177 (noodle)


But the Nitto B115 do have a 120mm sleeve though, don't have the same rise as the 135 and less flare, but I find them lovely comfy bars...


I also found some old (60-70s) GB rando bars very similar in shape to the 135 but they had 100mm sleeves too, but I also found an older (50s) GB bulged (not sleeved) bar that has a 125mm wide bulged section


So you might be able to find some older GB bars in a rando bend with the bulge instead of the sleeve.
Other options mighe be to remove and replace the sleeve on some 135s?

[slowster]

120mm for a 42cm 185AA shallow drop bar.

I wonder if the sleeve width varies depending upon the bar width?

[amediasatex]

It might, but I have 177s in 40/42/44 and they’re all 100mm.

The 115s with the 120mm sleeve were 40cm, and the 135s with 100mm sleeve were 45cm.

I also wondered if it wa sleeve diameter related but again the 177s are 26.0mm, the 115 and 135 are both 25.4.

Maybe it’s more to do with the specific aluminum grade used and the wall thickness?

In summary; uuuummmm, who knows!

[531colin]

..... they will go on my Moulton with its foolish but beautiful wishbone stem which has two clamps....

What tubing diameter are the clamps made for?
I would be tempted to get the bars you want and some ali. tube to make up shims for the clamps.

[speedsixdave]

Thanks very much guys, this forum being as wonderful as ever when we're not falling out over disc brakes and geospatial privacy issues!

I feared the 100mm sleeve - I also have some GB randonneurs with a 100mm sleeve. And some GB '64' pattern bars with a 150mm sleeve, and GB bars with no sleeve at all. But they're all really narrow.

Colin, the clamps are for 26.0mm bars. So a sleeve 1.1mm thick I think? I might give it a bit of thought. Like Robert M. Pirsig I am a big fan of the beer can shim but 1.1mm is quite thick.

[531colin]

.........Colin, the clamps are for 26.0mm bars. So a sleeve 1.1mm thick I think? I might give it a bit of thought. Like Robert M. Pirsig I am a big fan of the beer can shim but 1.1mm is quite thick.

I measured the "plain" bit of my Noodles, and its about 24mm.
So yes, somewhere around 1mm, depending on how accurately everything is measured and made!
I found 19 x 1mm tube https://www.metals4u.co.uk/materials/aluminium/aluminium-tube/12115-p?msclkid=2e8a0d39e900180eb81252728795513f&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PLA%3A%20Materials%20Aluminium&utm_term=4577129470703217&utm_content=PLA%3A%20Materials%20Aluminium%20-%20Pipe%2FTube&gclid=CMvh5ZLMwusCFVWNhQodyW8BxA&gclsrc=ds
and somebody selling 0.9 and 1.2 mm sheet ali. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stainless-Steel-Aluminium-sheet-Chequer-Plate-Metal-Sheet-Brushed-Metal/152719435508?hash=item238ec9a6f4:g:O3cAAOSwnDZUKoKJ
1mm stuff shouldn't be too difficult to work with, but its always better if you can form the shim using something steel and/or disposable, not your new ali handlebars and exotic Moulton stem!
On the other hand, there are forum members who can use a lathe!

[hufty]

I have a set of 45cm Nitto Randonneur mod135 bars that I tried and didn't get on with - used twice I think 2 years ago. If anyone wants them for cost of postage let me know...

[speedsixdave]

I have a set of 45cm Nitto Randonneur mod135 bars that I tried and didn't get on with - used twice I think 2 years ago. If anyone wants them for cost of postage let me know...

Huffy that's really kind and I might take you up on that. May I ask whether 45cm is across the tops (brake hoods) or the end of the drops?

[nsew]

They’re measured end to end on the Randonneur’s. Which makes the tops about 35 or so on those.

http://nitto-tokyo.sakura.ne.jp/No29-2015.pdf