I’ve been using a cheap Chinese Cree light strapped to my head for a few years now, it’s still going but I have replaced the battery packa s the original one set on fire
I just don’t like having it on my head that much… After putting it on my bike handlebars I realised how much better it is, and would like that for my uni too
Like I said, I did have it mounted to the front of my handlebars but I smashed it up when I UPD’ed with them (The light still works, but the mounting bracket shattered so I’ve had to bodge it on since…)
So yeah, I want a handlebar mounted one, that’ll allow me to put it further back on the handlebar and point it forward. Not to mention the repeated re-soldering of wires in my current light have left it a bit dim and it occasionally cuts out completely
Have kh handle on my 29 and my 36.
For my new muni project I decided to use the Q-handle I already had.
Since it is a 26er I can fix it lower (on the frame)than on a 36er.
Too low and my knees can touch the handle loop, too high my large legs are rubbing against the T
When I put it at about the center of the frame, like on the second pic, my right leg only rubs sometimes, not so annoying, and my knees never touches the handle loop.
To avoid any rubbing issues I am thinking about finding a longer stem
In this piece maker’s pic we can see that the stem is 12cm long (center to center)
I can find longer stem but not so longer: 13cm is the max I can find so far on the internet without looking for tandem stems (that doesn’t necessary fit the T and that are louder, more expensive and more inclined), and I don’t know if one more cm is enough to avoid the rubbing issues.
I will try to virtually check it out.
Do you guys have stem references that can fit? (longer than 13cm or adjustable).
I have seen pretty long stem pics in the home made handle bars threads, but I don’t want to add too much weight nor spending too much.
The q-handle may look heavier than kh t-bar but is actually lighter or equal (didn’t weight it).
Also thinking about going without handle, but so much used to handlebars on my unis.
There also is an interesting place in the loop to put the brake lever.
Didn’t have my unis under hand when I posted my last post.
I just measured the stem, it’s not 12 but 13cm center to center, so already the max length I can find in the aftermarket so far.
Anyway, when I see this video I really wonder if it’s worth it to keep a handle, especially if I mount the brake lever under the seat.
In the other hand, the saved weight if I remove the handle is about 1/10 of the muni’s weight, and it only occasionally rubs my legs, so will it make a big difference if I remove it?
existential questions here
Seems to be the only thread for the Quax handle.
I put one on my new 36 and found that the ‘knuckle’ rubs the inside of my thighs…
I ride with my legs in close to the frame, too close as I have to wear long pants or I rub the skin off my calves… Might be related to running, I don’t know, I run more than I ride. So just a heads up for people.
I did like the loop type bar though, sort of infinite range of gripping options. Might see about getting something similar for the KH bar.
Cheers
Now that I’ve seen the whole thread I realise I am saying nothing new…
Since I have been experimenting on my 36x150 for few weeks and put the Q-handle I had under hands on it, I find that if you put it extremely high, just against the saddle, the rubbing issue decreases (see the pic: ) but you still feel it rubbing a bit, especially if you ride with long cranks like I do (150s) cause you knees go high on the up stroke.
But with an easy modification (just tested it on a 20 mile ride) it turns out that the rubbing issue totally disappears.
I just filed the T part in a kind of V shape, like you can see in this photo:
wow, what a coincidence!
The good news is that you can buy only the new (and longer) stem and the new t-part if you want to use your old q-ax handle loop, it’s compatible.
Edit: at least I hop you can, but the 2nd pic makes me wonder if you really can as the two tubes of the loop may be too far one from another to enter in the two clamps of the new T part.
I PMed Qu-Ax and they gave me a quote of 45 euros (including UK shipping) - as that’s almost the price of the full bar (fair enough considering that came with the Stoker stem and the T-bit) I decided to do the bodge as shown in this thread.
I hacksawed it, then filed it down to smooth the shavings off, then hap-hazardly put the plastic bungs in. The plastic bungs don’t hold very well so I might look at something better for that (As I don’t really trust my filing skills too much…)
Has anyone looked at options for wrapping the handle in anything other than the supplied foam noodle? I’ve been using bog standard handlebar tape on mine but having to replace it everytime I UPD is becoming a bit tiresome (For those who don’t ride road bikes, handlebar tape will spontaneously unwind itself when broken as it’s pulled taut when fitting it!)
I’m considering just buying a massive foam tube of some sort and just cutting a length off it as and when I need it. eBay seems to sell them (I guess they’re used as pipe insulation or something?) in ~2m lengths for fairly cheap, but just a bit worried about longevity again.
Foam insulation tubing, to be put on hot water and air conditioning pipes, is sold at hardware and home improvement stores where I am for about $1/six feet. Dunno what’s available over your way but here it comes in a range of sizes and costs less than the shipping alone for anything sold online.
You can buy the same foam as on the original qu-handle for cheap on amazon then you can cover it with an old tube (fitting, not wrapping), it will protect the foam during UPDs.
It’s a pain in the ass to install and the result is rather bulky cause the foam doesn’t deform under fingers as well but it works well.
You can make it a bit less bulky by wrapping it (tight) with some iron wire.
I have done that on my home made bar-end loop for my kh t-bar and it works well.
My brother pointed me towards another idea that I’ll be exploring - extra-long handlebar grips for cruiser bikes! They’re usually made of pretty hard rubber so should hopefully withstand a UPD, and even have a little thumb-stopper ridge on one end I can put at the front of the handle to take some further impacts.
Hockey tape works real well. Cheap, flexible, and durable, and as you said, easy to just wrap another layer on when it starts to get chewed up. It’s what I use.
