Thin Noodle (25.4) Drop Bar Riv

Hey, Tani here from Blue Lug Kamiuma.

Do you know about the Noodle Bars?

They are drop bars made by Nitto.

The “Noodle Bar” is the name that Rivendell gave to the bars. In Japan, the handlebars are called the “Mod 177”, which have been sold for a long time. I personally think these are the most beautiful drop bars in the world and had inspired me a lot throughout the years of riding and building bikes.

This is one of my favorite photos.

Young Mr. Petersen. This kind of ride, with this kind of bike is always going to be my dream.

I talked about how important these bars are on my blog about the drop bars I designed, the All-Road Plus Bars, so if you are a nerd about bent metal bars, feel free to take a look.

One thing I considered as a  “weak point” for this bar is that they have a 26.0mm clamp size. Not a huge deal, but still frustrating at times. Back then, road bars generally had 26.0mm clamp diameters, while MTB bars had 25.4mm clamp diameters.

Looking back at my personal bikes in the recent years, I noticed that most of the bikes had 25.4mm bars & stems.

I didn’t want to make the riders who want to use these bars to buy a 26.0mm stem, just for these bars, which are pretty hard to find these days, so I nervously asked the pioneers of the handlebars if we can make a 25.4mm version of one of the most classic drop bars.

Introducing the 25.4mm clamp Noodle Bars a.k.a. the B177.

We got permission from Rivendell and made sure they pass the Nitto strength test. (It’s only a 0.6mm difference, but it makes a huge difference)

These thin noodles can fit the stem you currently have or a regular stem that your local bike shop has in stock.

———–side track——————

I was planning to build a drop bar road bike that goes perfect with the handlebars when they came out.

The Roadini was the best option for me, but my frame size were flying off the shelf and I certainly didn’t want to snatch the last one, so I had gave up on this option.

However, I had already bought the Noodle Bars. (I bough the 460mm width) Not even just the bars, I had already sourced out a group set and hubs for the Noodle Roadini.

“Shoot, when would be the next Roadini delivery?” I wondered with frustration. That’s when the Charlie H. Gallop had caught my eyes, which turned out to become the most bike I’ve ridden for the past few months after building.

Say, you were supposed to be a road bike right?

Come to think about it, the Noodle bars were on the Charlie I tested out at Walnut Creek.

Alright, that’s it. I’m turning the Gallop into a drop a bar build.

There I was, stripping down all the parts on the bike in my day off. What in the hell am I thinking, rebuilding a bike that I only had finished building a couple months ago.

It’s all okay. I had always wanted a zippy drop bar Riv.

And I would love to go on a country ride like this.

Noodle bike check continues.（These are all parts I had originally gathered for the Roadini）

Campy group set.
The Centaur is apparently the last silver components they’ll be making. I bought these when I heard the news. Campagnolo, I think you are making a big mistake, to quit producing silver parts.

As a person who look up to Grant Petersen, who loves derailleurs, I of course have to build this bike up with a 2x set up. Front Derailleurs rock.

I want to emphasize that I am a fan of front derailleurs. I’m not trying to push Campy parts. I think a normal Shimano 2×9 build with bar end shifters are perfect. The Noodle Bars are in fact bar end shifter compatible. Down tube shifters should look cool for the Roadini and the Homer.

 

White Industries Hubs, which are crucial.

The reason for that is that their hubs are easy to swap the freehub bodies. If it has a Shimano freehub, you can easily swap with Campy freehub. I can easily switch back to Shimano 9s if I wanted the Campy to the Roadini.

One other disadvantage of Campy parts is that they’re only available in high gearing for people with strong ass legs.

“You really think that a person with weak legs like you can pedal Campy road gearing on a Rivendell with fat tires?” you may ask.

“That’s when I pullout the Sugino OX2”

This crank I don’t usually use, can be set up with 30T, a very small gear ratio. The outer ring is 44T, which is twice as easy gearing compared to an average road bike gearing. Different brand, but works like a charm with 11 speed Campy. The crank was also something I sourced fr the Roadini.

*PACENTI* brevet rims Grant-san might raise an eyebrow for these lightweight rims, but I like light rims. I laced them with aluminum nipples.

The Gallop frame has a pump peg, so I automatically want to put a frame pump to fill in the space.

I like rear rack mount rear dynamo lights, and I always end up buying silver, so I chose an orange one to mix things up.

I gave up on wiping the shellac varnish that splashed on to the SKS fenders.

How does the bike feel?

It’s very agile. Who said Rivs were slow and heavy? I rode the bike to Digi’s wedding ceremony to Chioda ward, which is about 13km distance from my work, but it was so smooth. Changing to a drop bar from a sweep bar makes a huge difference.

I cannot wait to ride out to the country side with this build.

Noodle bar, or drop bar compatible Rivs are limited to a few models, but the new 25.4mm clamps should make it easier to install on many kinds of bikes. I just want you guys to get a taste of these noodles.

Roadini, Homer and Sam is definitely doable. Gallop, Appaloosa and Atlantis is “Noodleable” if you get the right frame size. And of course, the Noodle bars are not only for Rivendells, so I encourage you to try on any bikes you ride.

Thanks for reading til the end!

-Tani