Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - handle bars

I have seen a wide variety of handle bars on fixies. Can anybody make a good argument as to which style is best or is it personal preference? I am leaning toward the cowhorn style.
Thanks,
Karl

Fixie handlebars are kind of like saddles and shoes, different ones work differently for different people.

First, think about what the bike will be used for, how long your rides will be, what kind of conditions,etc.

I love the moustache bars I have on mine. It's my only road bike and it sees everything from long road rides to rail trail touring to full on singletrack riding. The width and sweep works good for climbing and giving you good vision in traffic. The bends offer a good hammer position and also are great to climb in. Overall, the multiple hand positions are great for switching things up on long rides. Only downside: only made by Nitto and not a lot of people get rid of them so it's hard to find any deals on them.

Originally posted by riderx
Fixie handlebars are kind of like saddles and shoes, different ones work differently for different people.

Not to mention geometry, paint, accessories &c.


First, think about what the bike will be used for, how long your rides will be, what kind of conditions,etc.

Yeah that's for sure. People give themselves all kinds of aches and pains by thinking about looks before riding style and position.


I love the moustache bars I have on mine. It's my only road bike and it sees everything from long road rides to rail trail touring to full on singletrack riding. The width and sweep works good for climbing and giving you good vision in traffic. The bends offer a good hammer position and also are great to climb in. Overall, the multiple hand positions are great for switching things up on long rides. Only downside: only made by Nitto and not a lot of people get rid of them so it's hard to find any deals on them.

Well, it's also tough to mount a bag on them, and they're also a bit of a pain for lights, but yeah, I love mine too. They tend to go for about $45 on ebay, and you can sometimes get a stem along with them, but they only come up once a month or so.

Laughing boy.

bullhorns are good for city riding with lots of stops. they help with accelerating at stop lights and skidding, as they allow to lean forward more and offer more comfort when pedalling out of the saddle and climbing. they look pretty cool, too.

your other choices are track drops (if you have a track bike) and any other kind of bars (moustache, flat, etc) minus road drops. for some reason, road drops make otherwise beautiful fixies look like utter crap. they just don't fit...

i vote bullhorns too. I got the profiles from performance that come with two brake levers. Thanks to shrimpx and the group I haven't missed my track drops a second. skidding, stopping, and climbing are soo much easier

Thanks for the input. I have two sets of bars to use. I think I will use on set to flip over and hack the ends off. If I don't like it I'll go back to track drops.

Bull horns all the way. Great for climbing and stop and go.

aeroman. quick tip: if you hack off a pair of drops for bullhorns don't use a pipe cutter. it may be easier but you end up bending the hell out of the ends. fitting caps is impossible and then rain gets in and then rust and then...

Originally posted by stickerguy
aeroman. quick tip: if you hack off a pair of drops for bullhorns don't use a pipe cutter. it may be easier but you end up bending the hell out of the ends. fitting caps is impossible and then rain gets in and then rust and then... Also, pipe cutters do not work well around bends anyway......so it's best to use simply use a hacksaw.

So I can hack my drops that I got.. and they'd work out ok? Hmmm.. rather than spend 40 dollars on new bars...? Hmmm...

i used pipe cutters for my drops and they didn't bend. you just have to be careful and take your time with it.

Mounting drop upside down and haking off the ends is definitely the way to go for road-use fixies. At first I just did it to look cool (and everybody else was doing it) but I'm glad I did it, much more comfortable!

What's the difference between moustache and cowhorn bars?

ZK

Cowhorn Bar
http://www.bikepro.com/products/handlebars/hndlbars_jpg/v1v_prof_air_wing.jpg

Moustache Bar
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/images/moustachebar.jpeg

Halle Bar
http://www.ananova.com/images/web/35426.jpg

Anyone know of a good bullhorn bar that has some drop to it? The only one I found online is the Syntace Stratos 800 with an 8 cm drop to it. I tried to find the one pictured above in dirty tiger's post but the current bullhorns that profile makes are either flat or have a very shallow drop.

Halle Bar


She purty. :)

Cowhorn Bar
http://www.bikepro.com/products/handlebars/hndlbars_jpg/v1v_prof_air_wing.jpg



I have these exact bars :)

i feel that moustache bars are the ugliest bars you can get. as functional as they may be, i couldnt look at any of my bikes with them. and bc i ride in the lovely city of philadelphia, bar width is extremely important, and moustachers are wide as sh*t!!!!

Anyone know of a good bullhorn bar that has some drop to it? The only one I found online is the Syntace Stratos 800 with an 8 cm drop to it. I tried to find the one pictured above in dirty tiger's post but the current bullhorns that profile makes are either flat or have a very shallow drop.

old mavic TT bullhorns have about 2 inches. if you can find them...older cinellis (the curved ones) are also kinda steep. the cinelli LA84s are pretty nice looking...

http://www.kevingsaunders.com/personal/bob_jackson_1985.htm

that's a page with pix of a bike that has them...it's a pretty sweet bike, with pretty sweet parts, but that handlebar angle is pretty disgusting...but you can see how they would have some drop to them if you put them in a less vertical position.

There is a set of Mavics on ebay right now. Not mine and no affiliation.

Dave

[QUOTE=OneTinSloth]old mavic TT bullhorns have about 2 inches. if you can find them...older cinellis (the curved ones) are also kinda steep. the cinelli LA84s are pretty nice looking...

What's out there that's super cheap?

What's out there that's super cheap?

cheap-o steel anatomic road bars that you can hack the ends off.

:D

actually, some of the profile bars are kinda inexpensive...i picked up my mavics (which look almost exactly like those profiles that were posted earlier) for about $50...which is expensive, but they're nice bars, and super light...if only i had a bike to put them on...

What's out there that's super cheap?chucksbikes.com..........bullhorns with a slight drop...TEN BUCKS!

chucksbikes.com..........bullhorns with a slight drop...TEN BUCKS!

Ok, I owe you a bottle of 1998 Amarone for that tip.

I got the Tsunami El Toro bullhorn bars from chucksbikes.com and must say they feel pretty light. I also got the Tektro brake levers for it as well. For a total of $22 for both the bar and the brake levers, it is a very good deal.

I honestly would prefer a bit more of a drop in the handlebars, but that is a matter of personal preference. The prices I've seen for a good bullhorn bar with drop to it (Syntace Stratos) are six times as much as I paid for the El Toro bar.

Well, I ordered them today: 22 bucks plus shipping, which in the scheme of things isn't all that bad.

how long has shipping taken from chucksbikes, i know it varies as to where i live but what is the average?

how long has shipping taken from chucksbikes, i know it varies as to where i live but what is the average?
Shouldn't take long for me, I'm only about 80 miles south.

i once ordered two forks from chuck's. first of all, i never got a confirmation email saying that they had recieved my order, then after i emailed them twice about it, they finally got back and said that they had indeed gotten the order and everything should be shipping "soon." i wrote them back and asked them to send me an email when it went out. never got anything. after another few emails i finally got a reply saying that they had shipped my stuff (this was about a week and a half after i got the confirmation that they recieved my order). then i had problems with UPS, because i wasn't home when they tried to deliver it (i was at work, duh). but i never got anything from them saying that they had tried to deliver it until that notice that they send out came in the mail. well, the notice was postmarked for only a few days ago, but it said i had to call them on a certain date to make sure they wouldn't send my stuff back. surprise surprise, the deadline was the the same day that the notice came.

so i quickly call UPS, and they say they sent my package back and i have to contact them (chuck's) and have them reship it.

so i fire off another email which isn't answered until a few days later and they say they'll ship it back free of charge. so i'm golden, right? well, sort of. i had to fight with my boss to get the day off so i could be there when the package came. UPS had tried to deliver it twice at about 10am, and i wasn't about to miss it again. so the third day comes around, i had taken off from work, 10am comes and goes, and i'm getting anxious, the time when i would've been getting out of work comes and goes (now i'm irked because i took the day off). and finally the buzzer rings and it's UPS and i get my forks!!! YAAAY!!!!!

but they're both too long for my frame. i knew one would definitely be too long because chuck's didn't have the right size in stock, but the other one (a kinesis straight fork) was supposed to fit, but the threads didn't go down far enough.

it all worked out in the end, i sold the fork that was too long (i ordered it because i liked the way it looked and i figured i could cut the threads off and get a threadless 1" headset). and i got the other fork to work.

so...while chucksbikes may be inexpensive, i haven't had a very good experience with them. i'd order from them again if i could find something i wanted from them though...

why didnt you call ups and ask them to hold it at the warehouse and go pick it up after work, i have done it many times.

I always have stuff sent to my business address because nobody's ever home during the day.
Although I'm only like 10 miles away from them, I've never delt with Chuck's Bikes before. I once called them to see if I ever wanted anything if I can just pick it up in person, knowing this was not a bike shop but strictly a mail order business. They told me pickups are fine.

why didnt you call ups and ask them to hold it at the warehouse and go pick it up after work, i have done it many times.

at that point in time, i was living in boston, and the UPS warehouse was in watertown, which is kinda far...i think? and i don't have a car, and i wasn't entirely sure how to get there. plus my boss was a dick and i hated my job. i was just annoyed at the whole saga of it.

I always have stuff sent to my business address because nobody's ever home during the day.
Although I'm only like 10 miles away from them, I've never delt with Chuck's Bikes before. I once called them to see if I ever wanted anything if I can just pick it up in person, knowing this was not a bike shop but strictly a mail order business. They told me pickups are fine.

having it sent to my work address would've been the smart thing to do, especially since at the time i was working for my school's mailroom. but like i said in the above post, my boss was a dick, and i wasn't living on campus and it would have been a hassle to carry everything home on my bike.

chucksbikes were good to me, always answered my questions the next day.

I have the el toro bar and tektro brakes too, it's a good deal, though the bar could do with being a bit stiffer I think. It claimed to be steel on the website, but it's aluminium. It also has syntace stamped on it somewhere which is interesting. Personally I'd prefer no drop, but then I quite like riding with my hands real close to the stem.

I'm having kind of an issue with Chucks bikes as well. Still no package after almost 3 weeks. I'm in socal, as he is (about 100 miles south). I emailed to ask the status, and he returned the email saying it was shipped. That's it. It's an FPO address, so I'm not expecting fast delivery, but 3 weeks is a little alarming, and he didn't seem so concerned.

i ordered on a friday, email them for a trackin number and it was emailed to me on saturday and i recieved the package by wednesday. they answered my emails very fast.

CHucks bikes is excellent company!! THey are in Santa Fe springs I believe.. actualy just checked and they are in Orange now.. I picked up a few things from them a while ago, and just drove down and picked htem up no problems at all.

Wish I had the same experience.. so far, nothing, and I ordered a while back. If it's not here by December, I'll ask WTF.

"Those were sent out using the post office. I am sorry they dont have tracking numbers. "

Is all the email I got. :(

I hate when there is no tracking, but to be honest I have seen USPS take up to 30 days to get somewhere. I've shipped 2 things out this year that took over 25 days, one was to washington the other was to northern california, and I live in SoCal.

If you don't receive it in 30 days, I would ask again if there was insurance etc.. then the USPS coudl put a trace on it.. But they will not do anything till a item is missing 30 days.

i just received my order from chucksbikes: el toro bullhorns with the tektro brakes. pulled off the moustaches and threw on the bullhorns real quick. i noticed right away the difference with braking, starting and stopping. i have to say that moustache bars are great and ive been riding with them for the last few months. but as i rode more and more, i found that i needed something a bit more aggressive. with the moustache bars, i couldnt get as much forward lean when standing and stopping quickly felt a bit unstable with my hands in a horizontal position (at the most forward point). with the bullhorns, you can really put your weight forward without feeling unstable.
one question on those el toro bar/tektro brake combo: how to you fit the brake levers into the bars and keep them from moving around? i havent really messed with fitting the brakes but they fit loosely into the bars.

i just received my order from chucksbikes: el toro bullhorns with the tektro brakes. pulled off the moustaches and threw on the bullhorns real quick. i noticed right away the difference with braking, starting and stopping. i have to say that moustache bars are great and ive been riding with them for the last few months. but as i rode more and more, i found that i needed something a bit more aggressive. with the moustache bars, i couldnt get as much forward lean when standing and stopping quickly felt a bit unstable with my hands in a horizontal position (at the most forward point). with the bullhorns, you can really put your weight forward without feeling unstable.
one question on those el toro bar/tektro brake combo: how to you fit the brake levers into the bars and keep them from moving around? i havent really messed with fitting the brakes but they fit loosely into the bars.
I was lookin at those bars reciently too but they only come in 42cm widest. I would like a 44. Does there inventory change? 10 bucks is the best deal for sure though...

I was lookin at those bars reciently too but they only come in 42cm widest. I would like a 44. Does there inventory change? 10 bucks is the best deal for sure though...

i ordered the 42cm ones... now that theyre on and ive been riding them, i kind of wish i went for the narrower ones. im going to ride these out though and if i decide to change, its only 10 bucks to replace.
since i dont have any extra brake cable, i ve been riding brakeless today... i may convert... :eek:

i also have an extra tektro brake lever. ill save the other in case i decide to use it.