It's becoming more and more difficult to find a classic track bar in 26mm diameter as the road market moves to almost solely oversized stem clamps – a problem if you’re building up a track bike or fixie.
Most of the big European brands have discontinued the standard diameter, so the options have been to look for a secondhand or old-stock bar, or go for imported Japanese keirin-approved models, which can be pretty expensive. But now Genetic has made this classic shaped steel bar in 26mm only at a budget price.
The shape, which follows similar lines to Deda’s Pista, but with a slightly shallower drop, is great and it’s easy to find plenty of comfortable positions. Being steel though it is very stiff. Rock solid might be what you need for the track, but over rough tarmac it doesn’t transmit vibration, just kind of smashes through it. It comes in three widths: 38, 40 and 42cm (612g).