Way back in the day, Grant Petersen took a pair of Nitto drop bars and stuck the bottom part in a vise and bent the ends out. He did that because Bridgestone was about to release a dirt drop mountain bike. The bar shape was different than the preexisting WTB dirt drop bars (which were also made by Nitto). The tops of the Grant bent bars shaped more like a road bar, with a flatter ramp. Flatter ramps make the brake hood more comfortable to ride on, especially when combined with a contemporary brake lever. We like the SRAM ones, or if you NEED silver, the TRP drop bar brake levers. Nitto eventually started to make these bars for general consumption, but the shape is based on that first vise bent bar. Don't bend your bars in a vise, they won't last. There are not many good 26mm clamp bars left. This is the one to get if you want some wrist clearance flare, want that Nitto vibe, and need a safe and strong bar that's otherwise free of silly bends or gimmicks. Pair it with a Nitto Dirt Drop Stem for the ultimate in comfort and historical accuracy, like it's 1989. Also works fine with Nitto Technomic stems. Strong enough for chill off road riding. Don't do any drops with this bar. The wider bars are more expensive because they're heat treated. Measurements are center to center at the tips / ends of the bars, where plugs or bar con shifters would go. 26mm handlebar clamp.
