Eight years on from their inaugural ride, Velo Orange’s Crazy Bars have been refreshed, now wider, with more rise, less backsweep and shorter horns. The unusual 3-piece aluminium bars have long been a popular choice in the bikepacking and touring communities, thanks to their generous sweep, compatibility with bikepacking bags and, undoubtedly, their made-you-look vibes. Let’s dig deeper into the next generation Crazy Bars.
Velo Orange Next Generation Crazy Bars
The Velo Orange Crazy Bars have seen a number of changes over the years; materials used, tubing shapes, finish and clamp area size have all seen tweaks. It has also been the inspiration of another bar in the Velo Orange line-up; the Seine Bar is essentially the Crazy Bar minus the forward horns.
So, what’s new this time? The next generation Crazy bars are now 780mm wide, with the sweep reduced to 35°. Velo Orange say those numbers deliver the perfect balance of leverage for out of the saddle climbs and natural wrist positioning for regular riding. The extra width adds real estate to the cockpit, allowing riders to spec longer grips, with more brake/shifter compatibility and space for mounting lights or a cycle computer.
Now for the Crazy bit… the horns. After all, the bar wouldn’t be much to look at without the addition of the TT esque hand position option. These have been shortened to 110mm, but still retain the ability to mount bar end shifters.
Velo Orange say this allows significantly easier access to all of the positions without having to reach to the extremes of the bars. They sit 420mm apart from one another.
As these are aimed at Touring Bikes, Velo Orange have added some rise to the Crazy Bars, now at 40mm to gives rider a more upright seated position. Finally, they are tested to MTB safety standards.
Pricing & Availability
The next generation Velo Orange Crazy Bars are available in bead-blasted silver and Noir finishes. Stock is expected in June 2021. Pricing likely around the $85 mark.
