“Wide bars save lives”, so they say. I’m a staunch supporter of wide bars on both my MTB and my gravel bike. Daniel of Idaho’s bikepacking and mountain bike touring brand, Tumbleweed Bikes also thinks “wide is better” as he introduces the new ultra-wide Big Dipper Drop Bar.
Wide drop bars, in my experience, allow for the more frequent movement of your hands to different parts of the wider bars. The frequent movement to different hand positions helps relieve any pain or discomfort while riding for long periods.
In addition, the wider bar can give you more stability and control (especially when loaded) while descending, as well as more leverage on techy climbs. This bar is good to go the the really rough stuff as it has been tested and rated for off-road use (ISO 4210 mountain bike strength/fatigue testing). Not to mention that for bikepackers, there’s more room to fit handlebar bags between the drops.
The Big Dipper was actually developed specifically for the award-winning Tumbleweed Stargazer. Being triple-butted 7000 series aluminum, the Big Dipper has an impressive average weight of 385 grams. With the width of the bar comes a shallow drop (109mm) and a short reach (50mm) to help “minimally impact your stem length for a bar this wide”.
It comes in three wide lengths which are measured center to center at the hoods… 51cm, 54cm, and 57cm. The Big Dipper has a subtle 5-degree back sweep and sports a 20-degree flair. It uses a 31.8mm clamp diameter.
Big Dipper Features and Retail
Retail: $115
- Material: Triple-butted, heat-treated 7000 series aluminum alloy, ISO 4210 tested for mountain bike use
- Widths: 51cm, 54cm, 57cm C-C at the hoods
- Clamp Diameter: 31.8mm
- Backsweep: 5 degrees
- Flare: 20 degrees
- Drop: 109mm
- Reach: 50mm (overall reach from center of clamping area to center of tube at front of forward sweep)
- Average weight: 385 grams
Get your “wide on” over at Tumbleweed Bikes!
