Velodrome - Track Gear, Tools, Saddles, Gloves etc.

On the other hand, 31.8 bars are about twice as stiff as 25.4 for the same weight, and look how long it took Nitto to spot that.

In theory they should be but in reality I have always found little difference overall between 25.4 - 31.8 set ups. The stems flex too though and the larger diameter 31.8 stems are generally not as stiff as the 25.4s. Actually the stiffest bars I have ever owned were an old set of 25.4mm with a long clamping area which suits most stems well, this is a stiffer bar then the Alpina 31.8mm carbon for instance. Unfortunately they do not have a great deal of drop and I never used them for sprinting. I currently have them set on a road bike mounted with an old and very overbuilt MTB stem from the 90s.

Their OS bars are still poorly designed, as the diameter drops to the same as their skinny bars much too quickly.

I didn't know that this was an issue with the 31.8mm Nittos thanks for pointing it out. Hearing this is disappointing and limits the stem choice - what were they thinking?

Tony