Redshift's funky new Top Shelf Handlebar is made for those who want their gravel bike to feel more like a mountain bike

I was first introduced to Redshift when looking for bar tape for my Ritchey Beacon XLs, none of the other tape options came remotely close to wrapping the entire bar. Redshift’s Really Long Bar Tape is amazing. It reminds me of a classic ODI mountain bike grip texture mixed with the squish of ESI bar tape. I have always been curious after seeing their Kitchen Sink Handlebar on various media. I love brands that are pushing the possibilities of drop bars as drop bars have never been my favorite, and I am always looking for the next best option for a more confident feeling drop bar -something that will get me closer to flat bar control with the comfort, power and efficiency of drops. Could this be the ticket?

Construction/main features

The Redshift Top Shelf Handlebar is constructed of 6061 T6 Aluminum. 

It comes in four different widths: 44cm, 47cm, 50cm or 53cm. And two different heights: 50mm rise or 70mm rise.

All versions come with 7º of sweep, 25º of flare, and 110mm of drop. The bar clamp is 31.8 diameter, and the top tube for accessories is 25.4mm. 

What’s in the box?

The bars come wrapped in a very simple and recyclable piece of paper designating which width and rise you’re getting. No accessories are included. Personally, I would have liked an inclusion of a wide shim for attaching 31.8mm accessories to the top tube.

Setup

Installation of the bars is the same as any other drop bar, except this bar will likely be changing your riding position dramatically. Especially if you’re going from a -15º 110mm stem with a narrow drop bar. I would encourage you to gather a handful of stems and try out a few positions before finalizing the fit and wrapping the bars. Installation instructions will be available here:
https://redshiftsports.com/pages/faq-instructions

For my setup, I went from a 70mm +15º stem to a 35mm 0º stem, the shorter stem definitely changes handling. Some might call it twitchy, but it gave the bike a BMX-esque feel, which was awesome. Highly recommend a dropper post for this setup. 

Initial Impressions

For a little context, I like to ride drop bars mostly off-road. If I am riding them on road, the majority of the time it is to get to some off-road bits. I usually make my gear choices based on how fun they will be once I get to the descents, and less on how efficient/fast they will be on the road. I thought that I had found drop bar nirvana in the Ritchey Beacon XL. That bar solved all my issues with previous, less aggressive options — Salsa Cowbell, Surly Truckstop, PNW coast bars. It offered more flare, and felt closer in control to a mountain bike bar than anything I had tried before. I attributed that to the excessive flare of 36º. The Beacon has no rise, which means that while I have a ton of control on descents, I am still hunched over quite far to descend in the drops. On extended descents this means that I am usually cramped up by the bottom.

Enter the Top Shelf bar. 

While it may not have a super aggressive flare, it does have the bonus of 50mm of rise. That means you’re not nearly as hunched over on the descents, and it is easier to comfortably drive the bike up and over things. It is also much easier to get the front end up when you need to bunny hop, or if you’re using the edge of a root and rock to boost off. It makes the bike feel more like a mountain bike! While I have only had a short amount of time on the bar so far, I am excited to throw these bars down some spicier descents and see how weird we can get together. I will add that the upright position adds some noticeable air drag, similar to a flat bar bike.

Stay tuned for a long-term update as I put these bars through the ringer.