Is wider better? That seems to be the consensus over the past years for a number of products. Tires, rims, axle spacing, and yes, handlebars. The wider bar trend which we saw take over mountain biking is now making its way into the world of drop bars – at least for gravel, all road, and bikepacking rigs.
Certainly not everyone needs to be riding a 52cm wide bar, but if you find yourself on the taller end of the spectrum, you may be happy to see wider options. To this point, Salsa Cycles has added new sizes of their Cowchipper bars in 48, 50, and 52cm widths. Note that this is measured at the hoods, so the actual bar width will be even wider with their 24° flare angle.
Late in 2019, Salsa also announced that they would be adding silver options to two popular bars – the Cowchipper and Cowbell. These are still available, but the silver Cowchippers will not be offered in the new ultra wide sizes. The silver versions top out at 46cm widths but with the same retail price.
The ultra wide Cowchippers will be offered in the standard black aluminum Cowchipper and Cowchipper Deluxe for $50 and $80 respectively, as well as the Cowchipper Carbon at $215.
Features & Pricing
Cowchipper
- 6061-T6 aluminum alloy construction
- 38cm to 52cm widths available in Black; 38cm to 46cm available in Silver
- 116mm drop, 68mm reach, 24° flare angle, 12° drop angle
- 31.8mm clamp diameter with 120mm width for use with Salsa Anything Cradle and aerobars
- U.S. MSRP $50
Cowchipper Deluxe
- 7050-T6 series aluminum alloy construction
- 38cm to 52cm widths available in Black; 38cm to 46cm available in Silver
- 116mm drop, 68mm reach, 24° flare angle, 12° drop angle
- 31.8mm clamp diameter with 120mm width for use with Salsa Anything Cradle and aerobars
- U.S. MSRP $80.00
Cowchipper Carbon
- Carbon fiber construction
- 38cm to 52cm widths available in Black
- 116mm drop, 68mm reach, 24° flare angle, 12° drop angle
- 31.8mm clamp diameter with 120mm width for use with Salsa Anything Cradle and aerobars
- U.S. MSRP $215.00