# Groovy Luv Handle vs Bontrager Satellite Plus Trekking



## r1Gel (Jan 14, 2004)

Has anyone else noticed that these two bars are very similar?
Luvs - 660mm wide, 25.4mm rise, 21.5deg sweep, 315g
Bonty - 650mm wide, 20mm rise, 20deg sweep, 300

The Bonty just has that extra middle section and is about $35 cheaper. 
Anybody have experience with the Bonty?

(PS, decided to ask this here since the Luvs seem to be quite popular with SSers)


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## nitrousjunky (May 12, 2006)

Curious, where did you find the Bontragers available at?

I've rode a bike that had them, but I haven't used the luv's so can't be much help in comparing them.


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## w00t! (Apr 28, 2008)

It looks like you could mount a headlight on that extra middle section of the Bonties. 

Not so much luv for headlights on the Luvs?


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## D.F.L. (Jan 3, 2004)

I have the Bontragers and really like them. Nice sweep, but they're 650mm wide, which some people will find too narrow. You will need a 20-30mm shorter stem.

My next bar will be a Salsa ProMoto (31.8) or MotoAce (25.4) with 17 degree sweep (just about the same as the Bontrager).710/660mm wide. You'll probably want a 20mm longer stem with either Salsa bar.

I find that the extra sweep keeps my thumbs from hurting on longer/rougher rides and I don't have to reposition my hands as much to keep them happy. If more people tried high-sweep bars, more people would use them.


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

Anyone try the new flat Titec J-Bars yet?


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## jl (Feb 23, 2004)

Why do you need a shorter stem?



D.F.L. said:


> I have the Bontragers and really like them. Nice sweep, but they're 650mm wide, which some people will find too narrow. You will need a 20-30mm shorter stem.


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## D.F.L. (Jan 3, 2004)

It reaches forward more than it sweeps back. If you look at it, you'll see that the forward part of the bar begins about 2.5" ahead of the clamped section. It sweeps back a lot, but not enough to use the same stem length.



jl said:


> Why do you need a shorter stem?


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## r1Gel (Jan 14, 2004)

nitrousjunky said:


> Curious, where did you find the Bontragers available at?
> 
> I've rode a bike that had them, but I haven't used the luv's so can't be much help in comparing them.


Haven't found a retailer yet. Based the price on the Bonty website.


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## r1Gel (Jan 14, 2004)

w00t! said:


> It looks like you could mount a headlight on that extra middle section of the Bonties.
> 
> Not so much luv for headlights on the Luvs?


Ye. That's one of its advantages over the Luvs.


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## r1Gel (Jan 14, 2004)

D.F.L. said:


> I have the Bontragers and really like them. Nice sweep, but they're 650mm wide, which some people will find too narrow. You will need a 20-30mm shorter stem.
> 
> My next bar will be a Salsa ProMoto (31.8) or MotoAce (25.4) with 17 degree sweep (just about the same as the Bontrager).710/660mm wide. You'll probably want a 20mm longer stem with either Salsa bar.
> 
> I find that the extra sweep keeps my thumbs from hurting on longer/rougher rides and I don't have to reposition my hands as much to keep them happy. If more people tried high-sweep bars, more people would use them.


My current riser bar is 635mm wide, and am finding it a bit too wide 

I've never used a large sweep bar and so am very eager to try one out.


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## r1Gel (Jan 14, 2004)

D.F.L. said:


> It reaches forward more than it sweeps back. If you look at it, you'll see that the forward part of the bar begins about 2.5" ahead of the clamped section. It sweeps back a lot, but not enough to use the same stem length.


The way I see it, the grip sections (where your hands would fall) aren't that too far forward relative to the stem clamp section. So all in all, the reach shouldn't differ much from a straight bar. At least not as much as say, the BOS FloWing or the FuBar.

I wish someone with an '08 Soho would post pics of the bar for us to see how it really looks :thumbsup:


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## D.F.L. (Jan 3, 2004)

Care to make a little wager? (with the guy who owns two Satellite Plusses and has measured them)

Anyway...



rigel said:


> The way I see it, the grip sections (where your hands would fall) aren't that too far forward relative to the stem clamp section. So all in all, the reach shouldn't differ much from a straight bar. At least not as much as say, the BOS FloWing or the FuBar.
> 
> I wish someone with an '08 Soho would post pics of the bar for us to see how it really looks :thumbsup:


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## r1Gel (Jan 14, 2004)

D.F.L. said:


> Care to make a little wager? (with the guy who owns two Satellite Plusses and has measured them)
> 
> Anyway...


Hey cool! Thanks for the pic! I've been looking for something like that :thumbsup:

Apologies for my arrogance :blush:

Am I correct in saying that's the zero rise version? I believe there's a 20mm rise version as well?


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

D.F.L. said:


> Care to make a little wager? (with the guy who owns two Satellite Plusses and has measured them)
> 
> Anyway...


I spy with my little eye some I9 wheels there! ooh baby! :thumbsup:


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## D.F.L. (Jan 3, 2004)

I couldn't get a good pic of the rise, but they seem to have about one inch. I don't know of any zero-rise version, but maybe. Any Trek dealer can order this bar and when I got mine, they had both silver and black. They may need to check Trek's web listing of parts if the catalogue doesn't show it. I recall it took some work before I was able to get mine.

And I-9... It's just one of those products that's smart, simple, and works perfectly. Light and super stiff. Only complaint is that mine have a spoke color that matches my old bike. I need to get my hands on some red spokes.


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## nitrousjunky (May 12, 2006)

Will have to say the Bonty's felt way better than I expected, but I think I was too into riding D.F.L.'s bike to focus on the bars.:thumbsup: 

I will also say listen to D.F.L. about the stem difference, it is obvious in person.


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## 1 cog frog (Dec 21, 2004)

You can order them from any trek dealer. I have the old version that look similar to the mary bar but with a tad more sweep. Paid $15 for them.

frog


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

D.F.L. said:


> I couldn't get a good pic of the rise, but they seem to have about one inch. I don't know of any zero-rise version, but maybe. Any Trek dealer can order this bar and when I got mine, they had both silver and black. They may need to check Trek's web listing of parts if the catalogue doesn't show it. I recall it took some work before I was able to get mine.
> 
> And I-9... It's just one of those products that's smart, simple, and works perfectly. Light and super stiff. Only complaint is that mine have a spoke color that matches my old bike. I need to get my hands on some red spokes.


Or paint your bike copper.


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## Wish I Were Riding (Jan 30, 2004)

D.F.L. said:


> Care to make a little wager? (with the guy who owns two Satellite Plusses and has measured them)
> 
> Anyway...


I was going to say that's more ByStickel than we usually get to see!


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## D.F.L. (Jan 3, 2004)

Wish I Were Riding said:


> I was going to say that's more ByStickel than we usually get to see!


Shut it!

I'm trying to create a mystique here


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## jl (Feb 23, 2004)

D.F.L. said:


> It reaches forward more than it sweeps back. If you look at it, you'll see that the forward part of the bar begins about 2.5" ahead of the clamped section. It sweeps back a lot, but not enough to use the same stem length.


The plain picture doesn't make it look that drastic. I would of assumed more of a "mary bar" hand placement. But the picture with the bars mounted on the bike tell the real story....


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## Wish I Were Riding (Jan 30, 2004)

D.F.L. said:


> Shut it!
> 
> I'm trying to create a mystique here


Ah, its working!


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## r1Gel (Jan 14, 2004)

Dug up an old thread pertaining to bars similar to the Bonty in the 29er forum here. Go to page 2 and they mention a similar bar is spec'd by Santos on their SUB line of bikes. Kona had them on one of their choppers a while back


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## nuggets (Jul 7, 2008)

what's the price of the luv bars.


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## donalson (Apr 13, 2004)

nuggets said:


> what's the price of the luv bars.


http://groovycycleworks.com
$85 + shipping... with a 2+ month wait... if it wasn't for the wait i'd have ordered a pair for Christmas...


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## TripleThreat (Jul 22, 2004)

donalson said:


> http://groovycycleworks.com
> $85 + shipping... with a 2+ month wait... if it wasn't for the wait i'd have ordered a pair for Christmas...


didn't take that long to get mine...and comfy for sure


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## donalson (Apr 13, 2004)

I just got an email from him a week ago... he's was taking orders for Feb... still can't wait to try some out...


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## r1Gel (Jan 14, 2004)

*Kalloy makes 'em*

Found this last week, just didn't have time to post:

http://www.kalloyuno.com/productuno.htm

Go Handlebars, then to the PG Trekking bar / Racing bar page, near the middle.

The AL-095N is nicknamed "Dexter"

Wouldn't be surprised if Kalloy made them for Bontrager/Trek.


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## tominpinson (Jul 1, 2008)

My wife caught me looking at this thread a few weeks ago. I found these under the Christmas tree. I have them on my 08 rig. Got to try them out for the first time today. I think I have a keeper.


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## ETP2008 (Aug 26, 2008)

tominpinson said:


> My wife caught me looking at this thread a few weeks ago. I found these under the Christmas tree. I have them on my 08 rig. Got to try them out for the first time today. I think I have a keeper.


grats on the super cool wife


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## zarr (Feb 14, 2008)

Anybody know where to get the Kalloy Dexter (AL-095)? All I know is BTI, and they're out of stock.


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## r1Gel (Jan 14, 2004)

tominpinson said:


> My wife caught me looking at this thread a few weeks ago. I found these under the Christmas tree. I have them on my 08 rig. Got to try them out for the first time today. I think I have a keeper.


oooohhh... I envy you! :thumbsup:

Wish my wife would take a peek over my shoulder once in a while during my web browsing sessions 

Let us know how you're liking that bar. Did you get a shorter stem or stick with your original one?


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## tominpinson (Jul 1, 2008)

So far I like them. I dug up a used stem with a 25.4 clamp. It is about 15mm longer than the one that came on the rig. I do believe I will order a shorter stem. The bars pull forward slightly making me reach even more. I like the angle of the grip and the width is good for me. I do not like my bars to wide. Where I ride there are some tight spots. I am an old man, new to mountain biking. I dont want to be smacking trees with my handle bars. Thanks Tom


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## r1Gel (Jan 14, 2004)

*Jones Loop H-Bar*

Just found out that Jones has done his version of the "Dexter" and is calling it the Loop

http://www.jonesbikes.com/h-bar.html


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## zarr (Feb 14, 2008)

rigel said:


> Just found out that Jones has done his version of the "Dexter" and is calling it the Loop
> 
> http://www.jonesbikes.com/h-bar.html


That's good to know, but I bet it cost way more than the "Dexter". I had a LBS try to get a Dexter for me. The price? $19.95. But they said BTI is out of stock and said they probably will be for quite a while. I wonder if that's because Bontrager and Jones and whatever other companies are snatching them up from Kalloy and slapping their names on them.(As another poster mentioned too. I have bought other parts (from Trek if I remember right) with Kalloy etched on them. Well, nothing wrong with making a profit I guess.


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## JAKEtheDOG (Sep 14, 2005)

zarr said:


> I wonder if that's because Bontrager and Jones and whatever other companies are snatching them up from Kalloy and slapping their names on them.


Don't know about the Bontys but I highly doubt the Jones are rebranded Kalloys. They're made of Ti and run about $550!










For what it's worth, I've been riding Luv's for about 4 months and they are the bee's knees. They're a tick wider, nice sweep, and made of steel. Give Rody a call.


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