Commuting - What type of bars are you using?

On last poll, some said I didn't have good selections. Let's see if this is better.

Mtb riser bars.

One my fixie and my derailleur-geared bike, I use drop bars. On my three-speed, I use an inverted Nitto Albatross.

I voted "curved mustache" because that is the closest thing to my Nitto North Road bars.

Jones H-bar. Found 'em used--still too expensive, but I like the positions available. Mostly ride pretty upright--very comfortable--good control. Strong headwind the other day so I rode on the front extensions, arms tucked in and felt pretty aerodynamic comparatively.

What no option for treking/butterfly bars? They're great for commuting.

sorry, don't know what a butterfly bar looks like.

On my touring bike/nice commuter: drops (randonneur style).
On my beater bike: flat MTB bars, chopped down to 20 inches. I like the latter for control and visibility, the former for multiple hand positions, speed and getting out of the wind.

North Road bars on all three steeds. The drops that came on my 520 will be filled with sand and get bent into something resembling 'midge bars' that have been desribed to me. Just for grunts-n-grins.

sorry, don't know what a butterfly bar looks like.


ta da

http://www.nashbar.com/profile_moreimages.cfm?category=92&subcategory=1049&sku=9756&brand=

Strange, now put two of those together and you have a bar 8 logo.

Jones H-bar. Found 'em used--still too expensive, but I like the positions available. Mostly ride pretty upright--very comfortable--good control. Strong headwind the other day so I rode on the front extensions, arms tucked in and felt pretty aerodynamic comparatively.


I so want to check these out, neighbor. Ever do the Thursday night bar/bike hop?

On One Midge bars, and old school randonneur bars similar to the Nittos below.

Soma "Arc" bars. Flat bars with a continuous arc all the way 'round. I don't know if I like them, actually. They're pretty, and I like them in theory, and hanging onto the ends is nice for standing up, but I think where my hands go needs something flatter. So, I really like the option of positions and the angle of the sweep, but the actual curvature to the bars is a little funky. The Jones H-bar would be my dream bar, I think.

Soma "Arc" bars. Flat bars with a continuous arc all the way 'round. I don't know if I like them, actually. They're pretty, and I like them in theory, and hanging onto the ends is nice for standing up, but I think where my hands go needs something flatter. So, I really like the option of positions and the angle of the sweep, but the actual curvature to the bars is a little funky. The Jones H-bar would be my dream bar, I think.
I like the look of the Soma Arc bars. I almost bought some. They weren't compatible with my CroMo steel fetish so I passed.

On One Midge bars, and old school randonneur bars similar to the Nittos below.

How do you like the Midges? I've been considering either these or some more modern randonneur-style bars for my next bike.

I voted bullhorn as I'm running some Scott MTB bars with integrated bar-ends on the winter bike. Plain old drops on the Fuji, which hasn't seen the light of day in 5 months.

I passed a guy today commuting on a unicycle. So, no bars at all for him...

I've posted this info in other threads, but it's pertinent here, as well.

The setup on my 1983 Austro-Daimler mixte goes like this:

Mini-bmx handlebars mounted by the top crossbar to the stem.
A pair of drop bars are fashioned onto the side pipes of the bmx bars with long bar-ends.
And finally, aerobars mounted onto the top crossbar.

My headlight is mounted on the bottom crossbar, where the bars are meant to be attached to the stem.
My top mount shifters are down on the "drops" and my cyclometer, with night light, is on a swingbar mounted to the stem.

Due to all of my "accessories", it's hard to make out exactly how this is all set up. So I made a couple of line drawings that should clear up any confusion.

http://home.swbell.net/mcpoop//MMACH_5/images/Rosie_01_T.jpgWhole bike (http://home.swbell.net/mcpoop//MMACH_5/images/Rosie_01.jpg)
http://home.swbell.net/mcpoop//MMACH_5/images/RosieBars_rear_T.jpgFrom the back (http://home.swbell.net/mcpoop//MMACH_5/images/RosieBars_rear.jpg)
http://home.swbell.net/mcpoop//MMACH_5/images/RosieBars_Front_T.jpgFrom the front (http://home.swbell.net/mcpoop//MMACH_5/images/RosieBars_Front.jpg)

Here are the illustrations. At the risk of pointing out the obvious, here's a little legend:

Red=BMX mini bars (pulled off my son's old toddler bike, from when he was 3 yrs old).
Blue=Aerobars
Yellow=Long bar ends as drops
Green=Minoura Swingbar
Everything else=frame & stem

http://home.swbell.net/mcpoop//MMACH_5/images/HBars_FGr_T.jpgFull frontal (http://home.swbell.net/mcpoop//MMACH_5/images/HBars_FGr.jpg)
http://home.swbell.net/mcpoop//MMACH_5/images/HBars_SGr_T.jpgSide view (http://home.swbell.net/mcpoop//MMACH_5/images/HBars_SGr.jpg)

On last poll, some said I didn't have good selections. Let's see if this is better.


North Roads bars??

I so want to check these out, neighbor. Ever do the Thursday night bar/bike hop?

Not yet, I've heard of it--not much of a drinker though. Tonight looks to be a bit chilly too. :)

In any event, I would be happy to meet up for you to take a look at the Jones bar in person and take a spin if the bike fits. Let me know if you want to.

In cool weather I use wine bars, in warm weather beer bars, in Alaska polar bars. :rolleyes:

This bar.

I killed me a bar when I was only 3... :D

North Roads bars??
North Road bars:
http://i2.tinypic.com/r22ff9.jpg
http://i2.tinypic.com/r22gwz.jpg
http://i2.tinypic.com/r22hrm.jpg
http://i2.tinypic.com/r22hwg.jpg

Just bought some On-One Mary bars for the SS commuter. Love the feel, but light positioning is a little awkward. before these I had flat mountain bars with bar ends. I really like not changing hand positions all the time, and my wrists don't hurt anymore.