Wide bars are becoming more and more prolific in the drop-bar MTB, touring bike, and even gravel bike subgenres. A craze that began with the Crust and Ron’s Bikes Towel Rack bars has now become widespread in the industry, with multiple brands putting their spin on an ultra-wide offering. Among these is Tumbleweed, who have worked to design a model suited for the Stargazer touring bike (one of my favorites in that subcategory of drop-bar bikes). Fittingly dubbed the Big Dipper Bars ($115), I’ve been stealthily test-riding them on two recent review bikes. I have some thoughts on the Big Dippers and the appropriate application for wide drop handlebars in general. Let’s check it out below!
#tumbleweed-bikes
tag
Reportage
The Altai Traverse Part 3: The Road to Tsambagarav and Ryan’s Mongolia-ready Tumbleweed Prospector Review
After finishing the route up from Bulgan, I arrived in the largest city I’d come across in the entire trip outside of Ulaanbaatar. Yet, with a shade under 30,000 inhabitants, it’s not exactly a metropolis. Still, after so many days out in the middle of nowhere, it was nice to have a hot shower and a couple of restaurants to choose from. A serious upgrade from settling for boiling instant noodles in a hotel’s electric kettle in some of the smaller villages.
I intended to come here to visit the military guard post, which is responsible for issuing permits to reach the Altai Tavan-Bogd region at the border with China. In the past, one was allowed to simply use their satellite tracker as a means to be allowed entry or higher a guide on a horse right at the park entrance to obtain a permit, but since Covid, they changed the rules up and tourists could no longer go to the region without a local jeep tour guide straight from the city of Ölgii.
Being tailed by a jeep for a week in the countryside isn’t exactly my idea of a great time, so I started looking for alternatives to fill that gap in my route. A quick glance over some satellite maps showed a small cluster of snowy peaks that were only about 50km away as the crow flies, and there was a little white-checkered line crossing them on the map, so this seemed like a nice plan B, no chaperon required.
Radar
Radar Roundup: Chromag Lowdown 170/158mm, Universal Colours, Singular Laing Ti Stem, Tumbleweed Rack Adaptor, Wheels MFG Colored BB, Restrap Custom Framebags, and Chumba USA Bikes: Handmade Bikes for All Riders
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Reportage
The Radavist’s Top Ten Bike Reviews of 2022
Every year, we get offers from companies, both large and small to review one of their upcoming bike models. We take on what we can and lean on our contributors for the ones we can’t fit into our own schedules. We’re still just three people running this site over here! At the end of the calender year, we dig through our analytics, social media channels, and comments to determine which bikes did the best and compile a list. This year’s ran the gamut from full suspension mountain bikes to, cargo, all-rounder and gravel racing machines. There’s something for everyone in this one, so read on for The Radavist’s Top Ten Bike Reviews of 2022!
Radar
Radar Roundup: Tumbleweed Stargazer Titanium, Swiss Cross 50th, Rapha Merino MTB Shirts, Kromvojoj 2022, Bikepacking Denali, and Wheel Builders in Town
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Radar
Radar Roundup: Platypus Pre-Order, Prospector Pre-Order, AO X MW Navigator, Greatest Gravel Giveaway, Lost & Found Registration, and Camp Hat Restock
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Reportage
Best in Class? John’s Review of the Tumbleweed Stargazer Touring Bike
“Best in Class” is not something I would throw around casually. I often find it polarizing to establish such hierarchies when referring to subjective statements. Yet at times, a bike rolls into my temporary possession that deserves the highest of praises. I’ve been riding the Tumbleweed Stargazer for a while now and having reviewed a number of similar bikes in this space, I feel like that title is fitting, yet no bike is perfect…
Let’s check out my full review below!
Radar
Radar Roundup: Ritchey WCS GX Gravel Wheelset, Cybercycles Cranks, 13mm Voile Rack Straps, Tumbleweed Shirts, 4130 Olive Drab, Bicycle Nomad on VICE News, The Trails Before Us, Path Less Paved
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Radar
Radar Roundup: ATB Challenge 01, Tumbleweed Goods, ORNOT Jerseys, Paris Gao-Dakar VTT, and Is Riding Giving You Pain?
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Radar
Radar Roundup: Mid South Galore, Hunter Gatherer, MAAPxPAM, and Persuader Bars
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Radar
The Tumbleweed Prospector is Now Available for Pre-Order
We love the Tumbleweed Prospector. It’s a burly, do-it-all, expedition-minded tourer. Ryan Wilson put his through the wringer in Asia for 8 months and we’ve shared a number of build galleries over the years. Right now, Tumbleweed has opened up a presale for their Prospector in either a frameset, frameset with a Rohloff, or built completes. Head to Tumbleweed Bikes to see all the details.
Radar
Tumbleweed Stargazer Review & Specs : A Drop Bar Touring Bike
Tumbleweed Bikes, the makers of the Prospector touring bike (read Ryan Wilson’s Review here) have been teasing a drop bar tourer for a while now and just announced the pre-order for the Stargazer, a steel bike with clearance for a 29×2.5″ or 27.5×3″ wheelset, a 69º head angle, upright riding position, bosses galore and more.
Check out all the specs below and check out the pre-order at Tumbleweed Bikes where the frameset is $1,350 and completes as shown run $3875.
Radar
Tumbleweed Bicycle Co: Persuader Bar Pre-Order Opens Today
Tumbleweed’s 800mm wide Persuader bars are a great option for your touring bike, with a large, flat area at the stem clamp for bags, zero front sweep to keep those bags nice and neat, 50mm rise, a 30º back sweep, and weighing only 638g. These bars can easily be cut down if 800mm is too wide for your taste but can certainly be ridden uncut.
The pre-order opens today at 10 am PST at Tumbleweed Bicycle Co, with a two-week delivery time.
Radar
Tumbleweed’s Popular Racks Are Back for Pre-Order!
Tumbleweed Bicycle Co has made a name for itself thanks to its super durable, no-nonsense touring apparati. From a Rohloff touring frame to their Prospector bars and their unobtanium T-Rack and Mini Pannier Racks, they have you covered for back country trips both short and long. By popular demand, their racks are back available for presale, so head on over to their webshop to poke around and find one that fits your fancy…
If you’re unfamiliar with the brand, poke around some of our Archives listed in the Related section below.
Radar
You Can Now Pre-Order the Tumbleweed T-Rack and Mini Pannier Rack
Mini Pannier rack ($140 rear) and T-Rack ($130 front)
Tumbleweed Bikes’ rack designs have been in high demand since their inception. The T-Rack is a lightweight saddlebag or handlebar bag support, complete with cargo cage attachments on the support legs while the Mini Pannier Rack is inspired by a traditional rear rack but designed to take lightweight and compact panniers. Tumbleweed cannot keep both of these racks in stock, so they’ve opened a pre-order to help ensure everyone can get one this round.
This pre-order will hopefully ship in late March-early April. Head to Tumbleweed to pre-order now.
Radar
Tumbleweed Bicycle Co: New Prospector Frames, Racks, and Persuader Bars Pre-Order Starts Today!
Tumbleweed Bicycle Co, makers of those slick Prospector Rohloff touring bikes (with 27.5×3.8” clearance), as well as those slick unobtainable rear racks, and super-wide Persuader bars, is having a pre-order today for all the above, starting at 9am PST, so be sure you tune in to put an order down…
Reportage
John’s Titanium Sklar Pack Mule MTB with Tumbleweed Persuader Bars
This bike is the direct result of many experiences, beginning with my 44 Bikes touring bike and culminating with the Moots Baxter I spent a great deal of time on last year both fully-loaded and set up in what I could call expedition mode. After a lot of back and forth, I realized that I like 29+ bikes for bikepacking and yeah, titanium is really nice for desert riding. These mental musings came to the full realization after spending some time talking with Adam from Sklar Bikes this summer in Bozeman.
Radar
Tumbleweed’s Persuader Bar
Tumbleweed Bikes has been working on a new handlebar, the Persuader, to fit everything from their touring bike, the Prospector, to a trail MTB and beyond. We got an advanced look at the bar, which is due out later this fall…