On Thursday, January 11, 2018 at 10:57:36 AM UTC, Sepp Ruf wrote:
Andre Jute wrote:
On Wednesday, January 10, 2018 at 4:46:01 PM UTC, Frank Krygowski wrote:

But unlike aluminum ones, stainless steel bars are
very rare, if not nonexistent.

Just because your weight-weenie, replace after one season or die, racer LBS
doesn't carry them? Chances are it doesn't offer full Joergian-strength
cromo bars either.

I chuckled at your "non-existent" stainless steel bars. It's so dumb,
nobody will believe it. I have two stainless steel handlebars on bikes in
the loft, and probably more in boxes of components. One I chose from the
Humpert catalogue to be fitted to my Utopia Kranich as a temporary measure
just to see how I liked something different from my normal North Road Bars.
In Europe Humpert bars are the mainstream for upscale bikes, and they're
nutters for testing components. If they list stainless bars, you may be
absolutely certain there is nothing wrong with stainless bars.

You should check your facts, Franki-boy.
Andre Jute
Always happy to help

PS The Humpert catalogue also comes in English

http://ergotec.de/files/service/downloads/Humpert-Katalog_2018.pdf

A few shapes I remember Utopia offers, or at least used to offer, in
stainless steel aren't in ergotec's 2018 issue. They might slowly get
replaced by "MAS-Nb" steel. But it still shows some.

Back in 2008 the standard fitment to the Utopia Kranich was the Tour Nirosta (German for stainless), and the most popular options were the Sport, NSU and Cruiser, all stainless, all with Nirosta in the name, for a mickey mouse uncharge. Plain steel wasn't listed at all, though you could probably have had it fitted if you asked nicely; if you knew what you wanted, you could have anything as long as it was made by a reputable German company, which suits me fine. The funny thing is that you got the stainless Tour in the price, but the uncharge for an ali Tour was nearly three times as much as the stainless options. There were also four fancy ali bars at various uncharges. All these bars were from Humpert. I seem to remember that one of my stainless bars, all of them from Humpert, is called Manheim.

Currently it would seem from their catalogue that Humpert is largely going over to a steel alloy, MAS-Nb as you have it, that they have tested extensively and are making a big thing of, with a section to itself in their catalogue.

I love Humpert components, but I doubt that the weight weenie roadies will. Even a Swiss stem with locking weighs less than the Humpert Xstacy adjustable stem I had on the bike until I tuned in my position to the millimeter. Humpert gear is made to leave to your grandchildren. Also, Humpert engineers have respect for history, so there's nothing "boutique" about their gear; for instance, their best headset is an exact copy, made for them by Cane Creek, of the Cane Creek headset that started the Aheadset standard now almost universal. It came standard on my Kranich, and is absolutely superb, very good value too, I believe, though that is probably irrelevant as I cannot see myself ever needing to replace it.

It's not that I'm a particular fan of stainless steel bars -- I was just correcting that idiot Krygowski -- but that I'm a fan of Humpert. If they ever make a North Road Bar with the width and rise and sweep I require, I'll fit in in whatever steel alloy they are confident enough to make it.

Andre Jute
Respect of sound engineering