Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Tumbleweed Alloy Persuader Bar V2
The Tumbleweed Persuader Bar is among our favorites in the bikepacking-friendly alt bar category. Today, the Alloy Persuader just got a relatively subtle update that makes a big difference. Learn more here…
To be frank, I’ve wanted to love the Tumbleweed Persuader Bar since its release back in the summer of 2019. Its wide stance, generous but not overzealous backsweep, large clamp area, and nice upright posture seem like a perfect match for bikepacking and general alt/ATB style cycling alike. When Tumbleweed released the Alloy Persuader last year and cut nearly 35% of the weight from the original steel model, that made it even more enticing. There was still one thing hindering me from absolutely loving the Alloy Persuader, however. Fortunately, it just got an overhaul with one simple change that might be a game changer. Read on for details.
I put a dozen or so rides on the V1 Alloy Persuader before temporarily retiring it. I really liked it, but how it affected bike fit was the issue that kept it from finding a permanent home on my Nordest Sardinha. As I wrote in our “Best Handlebars” roundup last week, “Mountain bikes that seem to fit me well have a really long reach and a relatively low stack.” To maintain the fit of my two long hardtails—the Cotic SolarisMax and Nordest Sardinha—bars need to have a relatively low rise and a shallow backsweep. The Persuader’s significant 31° backsweep and 50mm rise threw that off a little bit. I could make it work with a long 80-90mm stem and the saddle slammed rearward, but it wasn’t ideal.
Fortunately, Tumbleweed just released V2 of the Alloy Persuader with a significant tweak that may have solved the issue for me (and anyone else who might have been on the fence with a fit issue). In short, the V2 bar has a longer 31.8mm clamp area, increased by four centimeters from 160mm to 200mm. This effectively decreases the reach of the Persuader by a full centimeter.
While one centimeter might not seem like a lot, this minimal geometry tweak has allowed me to run a 70mm stem—which I would consider a reasonable length for a mountain bike—and maintain a pretty good fit on my Nordest. I’m pretty stoked about it and plan on keeping the Persuader Alloy V2 on this bike for the foreseeable future.
A couple of other benefits stem from this update, pun intended. Folks who have no issues with fit on the Persuader could use a smaller stem, for one, which might be a good method for dialing in the feel of a mountain bike or ATB. Another merit to the wider clamp area is the added space for bag straps and accessories, which is one of the reasons Tumbleweed made this change in the first place.
The Tumbleweed Alloy Persuader Bar V2 is in stock and ready to order as of today. It comes in either 840 or 800mm and can be trimmed down to 760mm. Find a link and details below.
- Model/Size Tested: Tumbleweed Alloy Persuader V2 (840mm)
- Actual Weight: 417 grams
- Place of Manufacture: Taiwan
- Price: $115
- Manufacturer’s Details: Tumbleweed.cc
Wrap Up
There aren’t many products that get three mini-reviews on this site, so I suppose that speaks to how excited I am about the Tumbleweed Persuader Bar. It’s great to see a company continuing to put thought and attention into a product over time and releasing incremental improvements. And while the changes aren’t visibly dramatic with “V2″—and a centimeter doesn’t seem like a huge difference—the results are significant to those of us that like to really dial in components, fit, and comfort.
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