PeteFree.comDeity Topsoil mountain bike handlebar — a mini review
© 2016 Peter Free
26 August 2016
The Deity Topsoil handlebar is a nice one — even for arthritic riders
Ordinarily, having mild nerve damage in both arms, I favor carbon over aluminum handlebars on mountain bikes. Carbon noticeably reduces vibration. This makes a difference to me, especially as an arthritic rider.
Recently, however, as a result of spinal surgery, I had to raise my previously stretched forward riding position. This meant finding a handlebar with noticeable uplift. Deity's Topsoil bar turned out to be what I was looking for. No carbon bar manufacturer (that I could find) came close to providing the Topsoil's 50mm rise.
I wondered whether Deity's aluminum construction would pose a major vibration problem. It did not.
What follows describes my experience with it.
Test conditions
I regularly ride a 90 to 120 minute mostly logging road route in Germany. Significant parts of it consist of smallish rocks and stones embedded in narrow creek-like beds.
These segments occur where water finds the logging access routes and runs down them. The roughest sections feature very narrowly spaced lumps — almost like a car suspension torture section — as well as occasional small holes and cross ruts.
The terrain almost always alternates wet and dry sections and just enough variety to tweak steering. Sometimes the front wheel slips on wet rock or mud. Other times dry rocks and holes try to trap it. All in a few meters.
These sections do not look especially challenging. However, in practice, they are so rough that wheels have come off my bike on two occasions. Just staying on the bike takes effort, even at walking speed. Going fast is out of the question for me. Over the bar headers and broken ribs have emphasized the point.
Pertinent to this, shortly after I bought the Orbea that I ride, these chattering sections encouraged me to substitute a Chromag Cutlass carbon handlebar for the bike's stock (very stiff) ODI aluminum bar. The original bar made my body pay for each ride the following day. A younger person might not have noticed, but I did.
When it came time to raise my riding position from the carbon bar's lower height, I wondered whether the aluminum Topsoil bar was going to punish me the same way the bike's original aluminum bar had. Fortunately, it did not.
Although the Deity bar is more vibration prone than Chromag's carbon bar, the difference is livable. The Topsoil's rise helps take the pressure off the spine repair, without excessively brutalizing the rest of me. I am impressed with it.
Highly recommended
The Deity Topsoil is a fine product. Even for arthritic riders. If you could use its substantial bar rise, I highly recommend it.