I have a pair of alloy Ragley Carnegies on my 29er which I really like. Tempted by the carbon version to a) save some weight (it all counts) and b) soften up the front end of the bike a bit with a rigid fork. They're on offer at CRC just now and I'd really like black, but they're not in stock and the delivery date keeps getting put back by one week every week and it's killing me!

So, do I go for:


These? by ianbarrington, on Flickr


Or these? by ianbarrington, on Flickr

hoping that the price doesn't go back up before the black ones come into stock?

They're to go on this:


Singular Pegasus Spring Setup by ianbarrington, on Flickr

Could try wrapping your bars in white electrical tape to see what the white bars would look like?

I cant really tell from the photo but it doesnt look like there is much bare bar showing at all? Would you even notice the colour change?

Go for the 'raw' ones, they look nice in the flesh ... if you go with white you may end up buying lots of other white trinkets to match.

The white one's look grim IMO, but as Touch mentions, there is virtually non on show anyway!

Ian, you read my mind, I've been deliberating the same thing and just today went for the raw ones. Bit of a shame the carbon ones seem to be only available in riser version, but I'm thinking that if I flip them then it might actually give me the slight drop I need to avoid trimming my carbon steerer any more (I've been using flat Carnegies for ages now).

As you know, my bike is pretty much the same colour scheme as yours and, in the absence of a black one, I figured the raw would look a bit different, as opposed to the in-your-face white. Plus, I'm going to be bar-taping them too (getting creepy now!) so I doubt there'll be much left on show.

Ok, I didn't like the look of the raw ones in the pictures, but based on two recommendations for these, the general observation that after bar tape there won't be much showing and nobody urging me to go white, I've ordered the raw. Added bonus is that my £10 off a £75 shop CRC voucher from before Christmas is still valid too, so a good deal I think :D
Thanks all

hmmm. What have we done?!



Oh well, at least CRC have a good returns policy if they really are that phlegmy looking!

They're not that bad looking in real life

Thank goodness for that. I'm hoping more like this...

I think the one on twentyniceinches.com is pre production as they've no decals, which are beneath the lacquer on the production ones. If they're anywhere near the colour of the first pic, then they're going back and I'm having the white ones!

yeah surely even Brant couldn't be mental enough to ruin a nice set of bars with a sick snot colour like that!

Ian, it strikes me that these [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512 ... .jpg[/img]
These? by ianbarrington, on Flickr[/url]
might match very nicely with these [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512 ... .jpg[/img]
New shoes by ianbarrington, on Flickr[/url]

Just a thought!

and if you carry on in that fashion you may end up looking like a storm trooper . . . .

<yorkshiremode>just buy them and giv' up ya surhern tart</yorkshiremode>

When your cycling through the wind and rain down a hill and your mind is only on the next 50 yards of darkness making sure you stay on course and don't miss the next turn, I'm not sure anybody cares what colour your bars are?

HTH

Fantasticmrmatt wrote: When your cycling through the wind and rain down a hill and your mind is only on the next 50 yards of darkness making sure you stay on course and don't miss the next turn, I'm not sure anybody cares what colour your bars are?

But it will be at the back of his mind, eating away, that had he been sensible, he could have colour coordinated his shoes and handlebar.

When your cycling through the wind and rain down a hill and your mind is only on the next 50 yards of darkness making sure you stay on course and don't miss the next turn, I'm not sure anybody cares what colour your bars are?

Like, for example, while trying to find a remote bothy in the dark without a map?

It's purely coincidental that a white bar would coordinate with the shoes, though I don't expect the latter to stay white for all that long. I had a long deliberation on shoes too as I don't particularly like black cycling shoes and trying to get decent shoes in a colour other than black (without spending the obscene amount of money the likes of Sidi charge these days) was quite difficult.

Ian wrote:(without spending the obscene amount of money the likes of Sidi charge these days)

I've wondered how Sidi come up with their prices e.g. Ergo 3 road shoe, rrp £330!

Just returning to the saga of the bars for a second ... no matter how gopping the raw bars look when they arrive, surely raw will be lighter than the painted versions?

Well, apparently not according to the website. They're 10g more.

Just found these pics, which look a lot better....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shedfire/4666224043/

Incidentally, what are people's thoughts on strapping heavy bags to carbon bars? I've been wary of carbon on this bike for that very reason, but I've decided to throw caution to the wind. I may just be nervous because I've broken carbon bars before (ouch!).

Ian wrote:Well, apparently not according to the website. They're 10g more.

They also claim 265g, but judging by chit chat on mtbr, actual carbon weights seem to be around 190 - 200g.

It's not the colour of the bar though, it's that lousy logo, bar tape is the definently the solution!

pedalhead wrote: Incidentally, what are people's thoughts on strapping heavy bags to carbon bars?

Have you missed the number of lightweight threads, people getting 'cuben fever', coke can stoves, Titanium this and that, PHD down, balloon beds! Heavy bags??

didnothingfatal wrote:

pedalhead wrote: Incidentally, what are people's thoughts on strapping heavy bags to carbon bars?

Have you missed the number of lightweight threads, people getting 'cuben fever', coke can stoves, Titanium this and that, PHD down, balloon beds! Heavy bags??

:D A fair point well made.