26.0mm standard handlebars

Are 26.0mm bars going away, or will 26.0 and 31.8 always be available?

-Nate

I assume you are speaking of road bikes, since the smaller size of mtn
bike bars is usually 25.4.

At least based on the QBP catalog, 26.0 road bike bars are just as
prevalent as 31.8 bars. I think the smaller size will be around a long
time.

26.0 is somewhat on the decline at the moment, in the sense that
there's now a lot of 31.8-only stuff, a lot of it being fancy and of
questionable worth. Basically what's going on is that 31.8 is gunning
for everything else (except 22.2, so far), and exactly how far this
will go in the end isn't foreseeable, except to say that it probably
will go far from all the way. I could certainly see it happening
eventually that you couldn't get any of the really expensive crap at
all in 26, and perhaps not more basic stuff in less common sizes
(short, high rise stems, for example). 26.0 stuff could conceivably go
the way of 25.4 road stuff, but it's quite a ways off, probably like 5
years at worst if it happens at all.

And this is all speculation, but I doubt there's anyone reading who can
answer with real certainty.

Nate Knutson wrote:
26.0 is somewhat on the decline at the moment, in the sense that
there's now a lot of 31.8-only stuff, a lot of it being fancy and of
questionable worth.

Agree with that.


Basically what's going on is that 31.8 is gunning
for everything else (except 22.2, so far), and exactly how far this
will go in the end isn't foreseeable, except to say that it probably
will go far from all the way. I could certainly see it happening
eventually that you couldn't get any of the really expensive crap at
all in 26, and perhaps not more basic stuff in less common sizes
(short, high rise stems, for example). 26.0 stuff could conceivably go
the way of 25.4 road stuff, but it's quite a ways off, probably like 5
years at worst if it happens at all.

And this is all speculation, but I doubt there's anyone reading who can
answer with real certainty.

25.4 stems and hbars for the road are still being made. 26.4 stuff is
still available after it stopped being made what a decade or more ago?
26mm is going to be around for a long time and the assumption that 31.8
is somesort of 'new' standard is an exaggeration at this point. We
still sell LOTS more 26mm thatn 31.8.

I agree that 31.8 is probably a good idea for carbon hbars but the
question is the value and frequency of carbon habrs...Aluminum is still
the 'standard'. 31.8 on aluminum is mostly marketing.

Jacobsen wrote:
I assume you are speaking of road bikes, since the smaller size of mtn
bike bars is usually 25.4.

At least based on the QBP catalog, 26.0 road bike bars are just as
prevalent as 31.8 bars. I think the smaller size will be around a long
time.

As Peter noted below, road bars are also made in 25.4mm.

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
Nate Knutson wrote:
26.0 is somewhat on the decline at the moment, in the sense that
there's now a lot of 31.8-only stuff, a lot of it being fancy and of
questionable worth.

Agree with that.


Basically what's going on is that 31.8 is gunning
for everything else (except 22.2, so far), and exactly how far this
will go in the end isn't foreseeable, except to say that it probably
will go far from all the way. I could certainly see it happening
eventually that you couldn't get any of the really expensive crap at
all in 26, and perhaps not more basic stuff in less common sizes
(short, high rise stems, for example). 26.0 stuff could conceivably go
the way of 25.4 road stuff, but it's quite a ways off, probably like 5
years at worst if it happens at all.

And this is all speculation, but I doubt there's anyone reading who can
answer with real certainty.

25.4 stems and hbars for the road are still being made. 26.4 stuff is
still available after it stopped being made what a decade or more ago?
26mm is going to be around for a long time and the assumption that 31.8
is somesort of 'new' standard is an exaggeration at this point. We
still sell LOTS more 26mm thatn 31.8.

I agree that 31.8 is probably a good idea for carbon hbars but the
question is the value and frequency of carbon habrs...Aluminum is still
the 'standard'. 31.8 on aluminum is mostly marketing.

Not to nitpick, but...

I didn't say that 25.4 road stuff was no longer made. There are Nitto
bars and stems, and some OEM-y bars. And that's about it. And it's
totally conceivable that 26.0 could wind up with similar levels of
product range. Not soon, perhaps not likely, probably not quite that
little stuff, but it could happen. That 31.8 on aluminum is mostly
marketing and has already been pushed to the level it has, in just a
few years, just makes this more likely.

Nate Knutson wrote:
Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
Nate Knutson wrote:
26.0 is somewhat on the decline at the moment, in the sense that
there's now a lot of 31.8-only stuff, a lot of it being fancy and of
questionable worth.

Agree with that.


Basically what's going on is that 31.8 is gunning
for everything else (except 22.2, so far), and exactly how far this
will go in the end isn't foreseeable, except to say that it probably
will go far from all the way. I could certainly see it happening
eventually that you couldn't get any of the really expensive crap at
all in 26, and perhaps not more basic stuff in less common sizes
(short, high rise stems, for example). 26.0 stuff could conceivably go
the way of 25.4 road stuff, but it's quite a ways off, probably like 5
years at worst if it happens at all.

And this is all speculation, but I doubt there's anyone reading who can
answer with real certainty.

25.4 stems and hbars for the road are still being made. 26.4 stuff is
still available after it stopped being made what a decade or more ago?
26mm is going to be around for a long time and the assumption that 31.8
is somesort of 'new' standard is an exaggeration at this point. We
still sell LOTS more 26mm thatn 31.8.

I agree that 31.8 is probably a good idea for carbon hbars but the
question is the value and frequency of carbon habrs...Aluminum is still
the 'standard'. 31.8 on aluminum is mostly marketing.

Not to nitpick, but...

I didn't say that 25.4 road stuff was no longer made. There are Nitto
bars and stems, and some OEM-y bars. And that's about it. And it's
totally conceivable that 26.0 could wind up with similar levels of
product range. Not soon, perhaps not likely, probably not quite that
little stuff, but it could happen. That 31.8 on aluminum is mostly
marketing and has already been pushed to the level it has, in just a
few years, just makes this more likely.

What I would like to see is some sort of standard between all the road
bar5s and MTB bars...say-26mm??

This 25.4(lowish end and MTB), 26, 26.4, 31.8 makes having the right
stem tough. Why MTB bars never went to 26mm mystyfies me.

Nate Knutson wrote:
Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
Nate Knutson wrote:
26.0 is somewhat on the decline at the moment, in the sense that
there's now a lot of 31.8-only stuff, a lot of it being fancy and of
questionable worth.

Agree with that.


Basically what's going on is that 31.8 is gunning
for everything else (except 22.2, so far), and exactly how far this
will go in the end isn't foreseeable, except to say that it probably
will go far from all the way. I could certainly see it happening
eventually that you couldn't get any of the really expensive crap at
all in 26, and perhaps not more basic stuff in less common sizes
(short, high rise stems, for example). 26.0 stuff could conceivably
go the way of 25.4 road stuff, but it's quite a ways off, probably
like 5 years at worst if it happens at all.

And this is all speculation, but I doubt there's anyone reading who
can answer with real certainty.

25.4 stems and hbars for the road are still being made. 26.4 stuff is
still available after it stopped being made what a decade or more
ago? 26mm is going to be around for a long time and the assumption
that 31.8 is somesort of 'new' standard is an exaggeration at this
point. We still sell LOTS more 26mm thatn 31.8.

I agree that 31.8 is probably a good idea for carbon hbars but the
question is the value and frequency of carbon habrs...Aluminum is
still the 'standard'. 31.8 on aluminum is mostly marketing.

Not to nitpick, but...

I didn't say that 25.4 road stuff was no longer made. There are Nitto
bars and stems, and some OEM-y bars. And that's about it. And it's
totally conceivable that 26.0 could wind up with similar levels of
product range. Not soon, perhaps not likely, probably not quite that
little stuff, but it could happen. That 31.8 on aluminum is mostly
marketing and has already been pushed to the level it has, in just a
few years, just makes this more likely.

Almost all of our new Giant road bikes and our entry-level Specialized road
bikes use 26.0 bars, even for 2006.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training