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    Velo Orange granola or Porteur?


    I am converting an old trek 820 from the 90’s. I was interested in the velo orange granola bars but I just bought a Nitto 25.4 stem. It looks like the granola bars only come in 31.8.

    https://velo-orange.com/products/granola-bar?keyword=granola%20bar

    I looked at the Porteur(they come in 25.4) but they seem really narrow at 48cm(480 mm). Less rise and not sure if that is bad.

    https://velo-orange.com/products/vo-porteur-bar-config?variant=50647680327

    Is the Porteur too narrow? Should I just get a new stem and go with the Granola, or is there a better bar out there? Looked at the Orgine 8 citi.

    https://www.modernbike.com/product-2126286013

    Any thoughts?

    by Traditional_Bake_787

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    13 Comments

    2. ziptiefighter on

      I first got the VO curvys to ditch the drops and make my road bike much more upright. Realized I wanted more rise and more sweep so I got the granolas…not yet installed.

      I utilized this tool to determine how much change I wanted in the stem, and then the bars.
      http://yojimg.net/bike/web_tools/stem.php

    3. KingSurly on

      Porteur is tiny. I had one on a fixed gear years ago. Can’t really even fit levers and grips on it. Certainly no shifters. The Granola bar is fantastic. Just be sure you have a 31.8 clamp stem.

      Edit: You knew that. The VO quill stem is also awesome. I have one on both of my Rivendells.

    4. Vivid_Professional74 on

      Purchasing a Nitto stem before deciding on bars or dialing fit is kind of getting the cart before the horse.

      Decide on a bar you think you’ll like.

      Buy a cheap quill adapter and threadless stem. Try it out for a while.

      Buy other cheap threadless stems as needed to adjust fit until you’re happy.

      Perhaps buy a different bar if you’re not happy with the width or position.

      If you like it, invest in the appropriate quill to finish the conversion.

      Keep cheap stems for similar future needs or sell at minor loss.

    5. BurnerAndGooch69 on

      I love the Granola – the width, sweep and resulting wrist angle. So all the things that set it apart from the Porteur. I’m using a quill-to-threadless adapter to run it on an early 90s Novara Aspen.

      I have inner bar extensions at the apex of the forward curves of the bars, giving me about a foot of adjustment forward and back in hand position. On the ends of the extensions it feels really fast, and with my hands all the way back it feels beach cruiser-y. I love being able to sit up straight in traffic.

    6. BugsBunnysCouch on

      I’ve had both. Granola all day.

      Porter was small and kinda awkward. Here’s a cockpit shot of the Granola, if it helps

    9. KCcoffeegeek on

      Porteurs are quite narrow. Granolas are great. If you’re just riding around town (not trail riding) you can check out the Tourist Bar too.

    13. Its_Okay_2_Be_Chubby on

      I don’t recommend those Porteur bars. Others have said it already, but they’re claustrophobic and narrow to the point of being obnoxiously twitchy… Porteur bars are great, but VO’s are disappointing.

      The Granola bars are a well-designed & much loved, classic handlebar nowadays. I find them a *teensy* bit too wide, though.

      I highly recommend the Milan bars from VO – they have a modest 57cm width and 25.4 clamp, with plenty of room for grips, levers and shifters.

      Since I’m here, must mention Dimension “Urban Cruiser” bars. They’re 25.4 and come with several rise/sweep options. ^(and they’re twenty bucks)

      https://whatbars.com/ is a platitude by now but it’s very helpful. You can tap/click on a handlebar, and it will overlay the blueprint so one can compare the design. Nice!

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