Como 2022+ Handlebar Question

[petrev]

Hi,

Getting a current Como 4.0 for a friend and wondering if it is possible to put a different set of handlebars on a Como ? Specialized seem to suggest no.

I know that the Como handlebars are not a standard fit, but they must fit a standard fork steerer tube, mustn't they ? Is it possible to fit a normal stem and spacer setup and thus standard bars ?

TIA

 

[landonphd]

When I got my Como 5, the first thing I had my LBS do was switch out the Specialized handlebars for my preferred aftermarket handlebars off my old analogue Cannondale. The LBS didn't seem to have a problem with the fit of the handlebars, but that might have been dumb luck that the old handlebars fit the Como. I kept the Specialized handlebars in case I ever wanted to switch back. I also switched out the Specialized seat for my preferred aftermarket seat. I kept the seat, as well.

 

[petrev]

Thanks.
I think the 2020 Como has a traditional set of bars and stem. The newer ones have a custom set of bars that have an integrated fastening instead of a separate stem. Still hopeful that a swap/change could be made ...

 

[CiscoComo]

Hello I believe it is possible and I am in the process of trying to do it. I have a 2023 Como 4.0 I just took off the integrated bars/stem to see what is underneath and what I found that it seems to be possible. The only issue is finding a headtube cap/cover that will fit properly to protect the bearing and not impede the steering. I am going to contact some companies for help and hope I don't have to get something custom made. Anyone's help here would be appreciated too. Here are some pics and specs.

Steerer tube = Standard 1 1/8 (28.6mm) diameter​

Total stack of steerer tube = 61mm​

Headtube outer dia. = 58mm​

Headtube inner dia. = 42mm​

​

The bottom of the cover would need a lip that is also the same as the top opening for the steerer tube (28.6mm) so that the cover sits on the split ring you see in the pic that sits between the bearing and steerer tube. That way when I compress everything the cover is not sitting directly in the top of the headtube and creating friction or grinding it when turning. At least I think this is how it is supposed to work. If the cover sat directly on the headtube, it would need some kind of plastic/rubber washer/shim maybe?

Other specs here are some more if it helps:

Split compression ring sits about 1.5mm above Headtube​

Split compression ring has about a 2.5mm thickness (from steerer tube outward)​

According to Specialized, the upper bearing is a fully integrated 1.125" Campy-style 45° cartridge​

​

Any recommendations for a Headtube cap/cover?

 

[CiscoComo]

Update on my project. It is possible to change the bars. It took a long time trying to find a headset top cover that would work since the Como has a large diameter headtube. I found one by FSA that is not perfect but will do. It is part of headset No.55R 1.5" the cover is part #H2285. They don't sell the cover by itself, so I had to get the whole headset which runs about $45 (I got it on discount for less). It is a nice piece that has a rubber gasket that hugs the steerer tube and prevents water/dirt from seeping in. The cover is a little larger in diameter at 61mm (headtube is 58mm), ever so slightly larger than the headtube diameter but I figure it will help water/dirt from getting into the top bearing. There were other FSA covers that would work, the closest being one that was 55mm in diameter which would leave a 1.5mm of headtube exposed. Once I get my spacers I'll add the stem and bars I got to show.

 

[CiscoComo]

It can be done! Here is my Como 4.0 IGH with Zipp stem, Carbon bars, Ergon grips, and FSA headset cover. Has a more sporty position and still comfortable. I think I like it better than the Vado.

 

[Bavi]

Absolutely brilliant, thank you very much for this, your information is invaluable. I hope you get many, many miles of comfortable bicycling on it.
As a long term sufferer with back (and leg! issues) I "may" need to do a similar mod but in my case to give me an even more upright riding position.

 

[CiscoComo]

Absolutely brilliant, thank you very much for this, your information is invaluable. I hope you get many, many miles of comfortable bicycling on it.
As a long term sufferer with back (and leg! issues) I "may" need to do a similar mod but in my case to give me an even more upright riding position.

Yes that is possible. You can find the same cover I did or anything between 56-61mm in diameter. As long as the cover is flat on the bottom it will sit on the compression ring and work. You need to get a higher angle stem, maybe 46 degree, and perhaps some 20-35mm riser bars depending on how high you want.

 

[UrgentDelay]

@CiscoComo once again congrats on your bike's transformation. I just wonder how is the bike handling, comfort, and general feel after the change? By removing the back sweep you basically increased the bike by two sizes and it is a really long bike to start with. I'm considering a similar transformation, just using a riser handlebar with some back sweep to retain some of the comfort.

I also tried looking up another steerer cover that would match the headtube more closely, but yours seems to be the best fitting one.

 

[CiscoComo]

@CiscoComo once again congrats on your bike's transformation. I just wonder how is the bike handling, comfort, and general feel after the change? By removing the back sweep you basically increased the bike by two sizes and it is a really long bike to start with. I'm considering a similar transformation, just using a riser handlebar with some back sweep to retain some of the comfort.

I also tried looking up another steerer cover that would match the headtube more closely, but yours seems to be the best fitting one.

The bike handles well and still feels comfortable. I'm 5'10" and have the medium size Como frame. The bars a more forward but since I only used a 70mm stem and 15mm riser bar, I don't feel like I'm extended a lot more than the original setup. My positioning is still more upright than a road bike, with a slightly more forward position. With the original setup, it was comfy but I felt off-balance when going into turns being so upright. I felt I needed to slow way down or I might loose control of the bike. I also didn't like the positioning of the bars when climbing a hill (even though I can just use the motor more, I still keep it on eco to get the exercise). Now with the new setup, the bike feels more nimble, feels like I have more control in turns, and better positioning for uphill climbs. With my weight a little more forward, it takes the weight of my seat so no soar butt after a long ride. I love it now as a road/groomed gravel commuter bike for my area that has lots of hills.

 

[UrgentDelay]

The bike handles well and still feels comfortable. I'm 5'10" and have the medium size Como frame. The bars a more forward but since I only used a 70mm stem and 15mm riser bar, I don't feel like I'm extended a lot more than the original setup. My positioning is still more upright than a road bike, with a slightly more forward position. With the original setup, it was comfy but I felt off-balance when going into turns being so upright. I felt I needed to slow way down or I might loose control of the bike. I also didn't like the positioning of the bars when climbing a hill (even though I can just use the motor more, I still keep it on eco to get the exercise). Now with the new setup, the bike feels more nimble, feels like I have more control in turns, and better positioning for uphill climbs. With my weight a little more forward, it takes the weight of my seat so no soar butt after a long ride. I love it now as a road/groomed gravel commuter bike for my area that has lots of hills.

I bet it must feel much more sporty, and funnily as it has a slacker / more mtb-like head tube angle than the Vado, it might be better suited for descending and off-road. Just be aware when going gravel, that its BB height is 10 mm lower than that of Vado, so swapping to a shorter crank might be a good solution for solving both crank-strikes and knee problems. The BB is still higher than most gravels though - 275 mm vs 268 mm in Sirrus X, and 265 mm in Diverge, so it should be fine.

Also good to know it feels nice when going uphill. That's something I was worried about, as usually long bikes are not very good at it. I might choose an even shorter stem to help with that and given the head tube angle I don't think, that choosing even a downhill stem would be a mistake, but I'd still need to confirm that.

BTW are you sure, that the stem conversion is sound from the technical standpoint? Was there a star-nut inside the steering tube? I suppose there should be one to compress the steerer.

 

[CiscoComo]

I bet it must feel much more sporty, and funnily as it has a slacker / more mtb-like head tube angle than the Vado, it might be better suited for descending and off-road. Just be aware when going gravel, that its BB height is 10 mm lower than that of Vado, so swapping to a shorter crank might be a good solution for solving both crank-strikes and knee problems. The BB is still higher than most gravels though - 275 mm vs 268 mm in Sirrus X, and 265 mm in Diverge, so it should be fine.

Also good to know it feels nice when going uphill. That's something I was worried about, as usually long bikes are not very good at it. I might choose an even shorter stem to help with that and given the head tube angle I don't think, that choosing even a downhill stem would be a mistake, but I'd still need to confirm that.

BTW are you sure, that the stem conversion is sound from the technical standpoint? Was there a star-nut inside the steering tube? I suppose there should be one to compress the steerer.

When I say gravel road, I mean well groomed, smooth and compacted gravel trails we have here for runners/bikes. I wouldn't take this in the "outback" trails or anything that has really rough terrain. The bike is not meant for that. And, yes there is a star nut in the there:

 

[UrgentDelay]

@CiscoComo what mount did you use for the Mastermind computer? I wonder whether a regular Garmin mount would fit. Did you consider bolting it directly to the stem cap?

 

[CiscoComo]

@CiscoComo what mount did you use for the Mastermind computer? I wonder whether a regular Garmin mount would fit. Did you consider bolting it directly to the stem cap?

I used an SRAM Garmin MTB mount. The specialized computer uses the same mount as a Garmin. I reused the part from the original Como bars that twist into the computer mount and give you the ability to adjust the angle. It also gives some clearance for the wire harness on the back of the computer. Specialized also sells handlebar mounts for the computer. I did think about getting one that moutns to the stem cap, but I decided I didn't want to have to take many things apart if I needed to access the steerer tube or service the bearings in the future.

 

[UrgentDelay]

Glad to see you're still here, it means the bike didn't fall apart. I'm just pondering about the centre of gravity and handling at lower speeds. Doesn't the bike feel twitchy when going slow?

Btw it seems that the crank arms can be replaced with shorter Samox E3 SH JIS, which could help with knee pain and give better pedal clearance for the gravel you mentioned.

 

[Fender]

On the L size, there are two "F" (marked on the figure above) spacers, is there only one on S and M or none on S size ?
I should try with one space less but with the same handlebar to check if the position is interesting...

 

[CiscoComo]

On the L size, there are two "F" (marked on the figure above) spacers, is there only one on S and M or none on S size ?
I should try with one space less but with the same handlebar to check if the position is interesting...

Yes the S and M have one spacer. You would need to take the bars off to see, I am guessing the steerer tube is longer on your L bike. Maybe the place you bought it when assembling didn't cut the steerer tube? If they used two spacers then that means they are needed. If you want to keep the bars, you could get the steerer tube cut down so you only need one spacer or none at all.

 

[gladiataar]

Thanks to the footwork done by @CiscoComo in this post, there is another happy Specialized ebike rider out there. For $150, and an hours worth of elbow grease, you too can have NORMAL, COMPLETELY ADJUSTABLE handlebars on a Como!

My wife really liked the Como 4.0 IGH after her first test ride, but ruled it out strictly on the lack of handlebar adjustment alone. It seemed like such a shame, given that it's an amazing bike in so many other ways. Especially that Brose motor -- to our hearing, it's practically undetectable while riding in the first two PAS modes. Thankfully, after reading this post, we went back and revisited the bike. When our LBS had her exact frame size in stock, with that beautifully glossy red paint -- at 30% off -- we jumped on it.

These handlebar restrictions seem so silly, considering it's such a mainstream model. I mean seriously, the stock handlebars aren't even round! You are VERY limited in what handlebar-mounted accessories you can add to this bike without serious modifications! This is not some niche brand, like a Vanmoof for example, where looks were apparently prioritized above many other factors. This is a mass-produced bike from a major, well-established company.

Anyway, thank you again @CiscoComo. Here are some successful conversion pics:

 

[Bavi]

...This is a mass-produced bike from a major, well-established company.

That's exactly it though, this is a general purpose e-bike for the mainstream. Please remember, it's a bike aimed primarily at people who will just buy it and ride it.... those who want to or know how to alter it are probably only a very small minority of purchasers.
Gotta say tho, what an excellent job you've done there, thanks for posting, especially the photos... very informative

My problem is, I love the style of OEM handlebars... I'd just like them to be a little bit higher.... I dunno if there's enough room on the headtube to fit a third spacer on my size large (F in the diagram posted earlier) but I think that might be all that I'm looking for.

 

[UrgentDelay]

Thanks to the footwork done by @CiscoComo in this post, there is another happy Specialized ebike rider out there. For $150, and an hours worth of elbow grease, you too can have NORMAL, COMPLETELY ADJUSTABLE handlebars on a Como!

My wife really liked the Como 4.0 IGH after her first test ride, but ruled it out strictly on the lack of handlebar adjustment alone. It seemed like such a shame, given that it's an amazing bike in so many other ways. Especially that Brose motor -- to our hearing, it's practically undetectable while riding in the first two PAS modes. Thankfully, after reading this post, we went back and revisited the bike. When our LBS had her exact frame size in stock, with that beautifully glossy red paint -- at 30% off -- we jumped on it.

These handlebar restrictions seem so silly, considering it's such a mainstream model. I mean seriously, the stock handlebars aren't even round! You are VERY limited in what handlebar-mounted accessories you can add to this bike without serious modifications! This is not some niche brand, like a Vanmoof for example, where looks were apparently prioritized above many other factors. This is a mass-produced bike from a major, well-established company.

Anyway, thank you again @CiscoComo. Here are some successful conversion pics:

Nice work. How would you evaluate the handling and position after the swap? You've increased the reach a lot. I would recommend sizing down the frame when attempting to do that. I'm just about to go through the same process.

Unfortunately, they run out of red-coloured frames, but the black one has a vibe of its own too.