Soma Fabrications Condor 2 Handlebar Drop: Understand the 50mm Net Figure
Soma Fabrications Condor 2 handlebar drop appears in two forms in the specification: 100 mm drop and 50 mm net drop after allowing for the bar’s 50 mm rise. Both numbers belong to the same handlebar. Understanding their relationship is more helpful than comparing only one against a conventional compact drop bar.
Read the Soma Fabrications Condor 2 handlebar drop figures together
SOMA describes the Condor 2 as combining a compact drop bar with a riser shape. Its list gives 50 mm rise, 100 mm drop and explicitly identifies a 50 mm net drop with that rise included. The net figure is therefore the manufacturer’s way of describing the combined shape, not a second version of the bar.
A rider comparing replacements should keep the complete profile in view. Changing the stem position or brake-lever placement changes where the hands actually sit. The rise figure cannot, on its own, promise that a particular rider’s hoods or drops will finish at an exact height.
Compare the right width measurement
The Condor 2 also uses paired widths, such as 40/46 cm and 42/48 cm. SOMA specifies that the smaller number is centre-to-centre width at the hoods. Its 14-degree flare helps explain why reading a single width number without its measurement location can mislead a comparison.
Record which hand position you are comparing: hoods, drops or tops. Then discuss the bar’s 63 mm listed reach and the stem arrangement with the fitter. These measurements describe different parts of a cockpit and should remain separate on a build sheet.
Assess it as a complete cockpit change
SOMA lists a 31.8 mm centre diameter and says it removed the original Condor’s backsweep for the second version. An older review of the original bar therefore does not supply the whole Condor 2 shape. Identify the version before using a review or owner measurement as a comparison.
A useful trial checks access to brakes and shifts from the positions the rider will actually use. Ask the workshop to assess the controls and their installation with the chosen bar. The unusual shape offers another fitting option; it does not guarantee comfort or correct an unsuitable frame or existing installation by itself.
FAQ
Is the Condor 2 drop listed as 50 or 100 mm?
SOMA lists 100 mm drop and explains that its 50 mm rise leaves a 50 mm net drop.
What does the smaller paired width mean?
It is the centre-to-centre width at the hoods.
Does the original Condor have exactly the same shape?
No. SOMA identifies removal of the original backsweep as a change for Condor 2.
Take the full rise, drop and reach description into a cockpit comparison. Find further SOMA Fabrications guides, or read the steel-frame introduction when planning the rest of a touring or gravel build.
Primary references: official reference 1 (https://www.somafab.com/shop/soma-handlebar-condor-2-2218).
Photograph credits and permissions
Photograph 1
Original title: Touring bicycle (file: Touring bicycle.JPG)
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License / permission: CC BY-SA 3.0
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