Redshift Top Shelf Handlebar Review: 50 mm and 70 mm of Rise for a More Relaxed Ride

Introduction

Drop bars with rise occupy a small corner of the handlebar market, but they answer a question plenty of riders eventually ask: how do you keep the hand positions of a drop bar without the low, long reach that normally comes with them?

The Redshift Top Shelf Handlebar is one of the more committed answers to that question. Rather than adding a few millimetres of lift, it builds 50 mm or 70 mm of rise into a flared drop bar shape, with the clear aim of making the riding position more comfortable.

The bar is made in three widths: 44 cm, 47 cm, and 50 cm. Those figures are worth reading carefully, because the bar is flared aggressively. On the 44 cm version, the brake levers sit roughly 38 cm apart, which is a far more conventional lever position than the headline width suggests.

Who This Product Is For

The strongest case for the Top Shelf is a rider who already owns a bike they like and have no wish to replace. A frame that fits well, a build that has been refined over years, and then a change in comfort or flexibility that makes the original position harder to hold for long rides.

The usual workaround is a flipped stem. It raises the front end, but it also shortens the reach and changes how the bike steers, and it rarely looks like it belongs on the bike. The Top Shelf raises the front end without touching the stem, so the reach of the bike stays as it was.

This is not a bar for riders chasing a lower, more aggressive position, and it will not rescue a bike that is the wrong size in every dimension. It is a targeted fix for one specific problem: hands too low and too much weight over the front.

Rise, Width, and Flare Options

Two rise options are available, at 50 mm and 70 mm. The 50 mm version already sits noticeably higher than a standard drop bar, and the 70 mm version goes considerably further. Riders used to a conventional setup will feel the change immediately. Most riser drop bars on the market offer only a small amount of lift, in the region of 15 mm to 20 mm, so both of these options stand well clear of the norm.

The base shape carries over directly from Redshift’s Kitchen Sink handlebar, which means the same amount of flare, the same drop depth, and the same measurements. The smallest size on offer is 44 cm, and riders who prefer a narrower bar than that will not find one here.

One practical detail to check before ordering: the diameter of the bar is closer to a mountain bike bar than to a typical road bar, so some accessories and mounts may need adapters in order to fit.

The shape also frees up mounting space. There is considerably more room along the tops for a bike computer, a light, or both, which is useful on a bike that already carries a head unit and a front light.

Main Strengths

The core appeal is straightforward: the Top Shelf changes the front end of a bike without changing the frame. A rider who needs a more upright position gets one, while the reach and the handling of the bike stay close to what they were.

• A choice of 50 mm or 70 mm of rise, which is significantly more than most riser drop bars provide.
• The proven Kitchen Sink shape, with the same flare and the same drop depth.
• More space along the bar tops for computers, lights, and mounts.
• Three widths, from 44 cm to 50 cm.
• A neater result than a flipped stem when the bike is viewed from the front.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The look is the most divisive part of the package. From directly in front, the bar reads a little like an old school mountain bike or BMX bar. From other angles it is far more unusual, and that will matter to some riders more than others.

Weight distribution changes as well. With the hands sitting higher, more of the rider’s weight ends up on the saddle and less on the hands. That is the whole point of the design, but it is a different feel, and not every rider will enjoy it.

The smaller diameter of the bar is worth planning for. Accessories designed around a standard road bar may not clamp on without adapters.

Price is another common sticking point. This is a considered purchase rather than an impulse one, and it makes sense to be confident that the change in position is the one you want before committing.

There is also the wider question of why a product like this needs to exist at all. A bar with this much rise is often a fix for a bike that was never set up to be comfortable in the first place, and some riders would rather address that at the point of purchase.

Buying Advice

Start with how much rise you actually need. The 50 mm version is the more moderate option and still delivers a clear change in position. The 70 mm version is a much bigger step and suits riders who want a significantly more upright front end.

Then look at width and flare together. Because the bar is flared, the lever position ends up narrower than the nominal width, so a 44 cm bar gives a lever spacing closer to 38 cm. Riders who want a narrow lever position may find the smaller sizes work better than expected.

Check accessory compatibility before ordering, particularly if you run a computer mount or a light bracket on the bar. And if a flipped stem would solve the same problem for less money, weigh that option first. The Top Shelf earns its place when the goal is to raise the front end while keeping the reach and the character of the bike intact.

For riders whose bike fits well everywhere except at the handlebar height, this is one of the few clean solutions available.

Conclusion

The Redshift Top Shelf Handlebar is a specialist product, and it is honest about that. It will not suit riders who want a low, racy position, and its proportions take some getting used to. But for anyone who needs the front of their bike higher without parting with a frame they love, it offers a direct answer, with two rise options, three widths, and the proven shape of the Kitchen Sink bar underneath.