I was really prepared for a bone ratting ride with these bars but that has not been the case. I ran those SQ 711 grips in the photo only for my initial ride around the neighborhood. On trail, I've only run Wolf Tooth Fat Paws which give good vibration dampening. I also find that I'm not gripping the bars as hard with the higher setup so there are multiple factors at play.
One thing to consider when going back to the Surly bars in your stem's offset. I'm running a 31mm stem but the steering axis is actually behind the steer tube on account of the bar's orientation and backsweep. This setup helps resists flop or wandering in the front wheel (especially noticeable when climbing). I suspect this is because the bar (and my hands) provide counterweight to the wheel's tendency to flop/wander as opposed to exacerbating the flop with a positive steering axis offset with the mass of the bars and rider matching the orientation of the wheel. I hope that explanation makes sense.
Of note, I forgot to mention that I have a +3.5" ape index which gives me longer arms for this particular bike setup.
Nov. 2, 2022, 2:09 p.m. - roil
I was really prepared for a bone ratting ride with these bars but that has not been the case. I ran those SQ 711 grips in the photo only for my initial ride around the neighborhood. On trail, I've only run Wolf Tooth Fat Paws which give good vibration dampening. I also find that I'm not gripping the bars as hard with the higher setup so there are multiple factors at play. One thing to consider when going back to the Surly bars in your stem's offset. I'm running a 31mm stem but the steering axis is actually behind the steer tube on account of the bar's orientation and backsweep. This setup helps resists flop or wandering in the front wheel (especially noticeable when climbing). I suspect this is because the bar (and my hands) provide counterweight to the wheel's tendency to flop/wander as opposed to exacerbating the flop with a positive steering axis offset with the mass of the bars and rider matching the orientation of the wheel. I hope that explanation makes sense. Of note, I forgot to mention that I have a +3.5" ape index which gives me longer arms for this particular bike setup.