Weirdly enough I have 5 sets of handlebars for this bike (Road drops, Dirt drops, Flat bars, Bullhorn, and this Northroad/townie bar) Tonight I took off the road drops and 7 speed IGH and put back on the flip-flop rear wheel and these northroad style handlebars. This process also required a bottom backet swap to restore the correct chainline. The bike is currently running as a freewheeling SS which should be nice as a "townie bike" for cruising around DC. Right now it is running 48/16 but I'd like to get a 18t or 19t freewheel to make it a little more cruiser and less sprinter. Sorry for the crappy cell phone pic.
I'm sure you know how I feel about anything "tarck", but I gotta say, that looks like a nice bike for around town. As far as having 5 sets of bars, I totally understand, since I'm pretty much doing the same thing with my Windsor. Drops, bullhorns, and a flat bar so far.
Yeah, I call it "tarck" since the geometry and clearances aren't nearly slack enough for a "real" townie bike (and who has a bright orange townie really?) but its amazing how much more upright I am when I go from riding the hoods of drops to the back-swept handlebars.
It works as a utility bike too. Taking the tandem wheel to the LBS for a new axle after the old one was discovered to be bent.
I think a rear rack would do you a bit better and if you put a mud flap on it you will not walk into the store with a brown stripe up your backside after a bit of rain. All my bikes have some kind of fender, but I live near Portland OR and It likes to rain here.
Not North Road bars (or tarck) but I've got these VO Porteur bars on my Premium Brew: Experimenting with different bars is fun.
