THE CREATOR

The Passchier handlebars story (pronounced pash-air) goes back to 1978 when Dirk Passchier started kayaking and, being of Dutch descent, saw fit to create his own kayak paddles out of bamboo. Long story short, he experimented in his workshop with multiple construction techniques, endless testing and refinements.

The resulting paddles proved to offer a degree of comfort and flex that traditional Kevlar paddles couldn’t deliver. Confirmation of how good his paddles were was echoed by a mate of his, Tim Tayler, who was paddling around New Zealand. Tim dropped into New Brighton on his way and was convinced into taking Dirk’s paddles for a whirl. The following day and 86kms later, Tim had no interest in giving them back, as it was the first day that he finished up without  sore shoulders.

40 years later, Dirk bumps into Mike, who being a biker, figured out that if you could make kayak paddles out of bamboo that delivered comfort and style, then it would be worth a go to use the decades of knowledge that Dirk had gained to create some bamboo handlebars, that delivered the same benefits.

Many dusty hours in Dirk’s workshop, involving building, testing, building again and more testing, has delivered what we (and those that use them) think as something that is pretty special and just a little bit different.

To be continued… RIDE ON

COMFORT, CONTROL & STRENGTH

Up till now, handlebars have been designed to be strong and stiff as a means to point your front wheel in the desired direction.

Advancements in handlebar technology has seen the introduction of carbon and titanium to make them stronger and stiffer.

Given that they were already strong and stiff enough, this advancement is really only of benefit for the very top tier of cyclists that need every ounce of energy converted into forward motion… with stiffness being the answer.

Our approach to riding is that you need to enjoy the journey, some energy can be converted into the sheer pleasure of riding a bike, so we created handlebars that have natural flex that delivers a more comfortable ride, with less vibrational stress to the hands and shoulders.

With the flex and absorption the handlebars have, the first question that people asked us… are they strong, as the flex can convey thoughts of weakness.

The answer to this very important question, is most definitely yes… with the disclaimer that these are not designed for aggressive downhill riding or for riders who tip the scales over 110Kg. These bars are designed for the cruiser, comfort-focused rider that does easy trails, long tours and jaunts around town, to the store and daily commutes. If you’re tearing downhill over roots and drop offs, then get yourself some stiff carbon bars and hang on.