Commuting - Why do lots of fixie riding hipsters use straight bars

Not relevant to commuting but this is where I post and read so deal with it. Why do I see all of these fixed gear bikes with wee little straight bars about the same width as my drops. Its like drops but with less hand positions available. And its clear than most of these bikes have been converted from bikes that would have had drops. So someone must have taken the drops off and replaced them. Is there a good reason for this? Am I missing something?

...Am I missing something?

Yes.

Because the short flat bars are suitable for short urban rides, tricks, and maintaining a certain aesthetic... look at any riders who lay down the serious miles and you won't see many flat bars.

At our shop we cater to commuters and have an overabundance of flat bars that have been pulled off bikes due to their unsuitability for commuting or because they are just so uncomfortable.

Straight bars or risers put you in a better upright position for watching traffic as you zip around the city's gridlocked cars.

Narrow bars (cut to shoulder width or less) make it easy to squeeze your bike where most people can't ride.

I understand the narrow argument and the upright argument but can't you just grab the tops of the drops? Isn't that the same thing?

sorta, but you don't have to reach down to the drops to use the brakes with straight bars.

sorta, but you don't have to reach down to the drops to use the brakes with straight bars.

How many fixies with straight bars have brakes?

it may also be the minimalist mentality at work too. if you don't need the drops then they need to go and be replaced with a simple straight bar. probly make sense if ur just doin short urban rides.

I understand the narrow argument and the upright argument but can't you just grab the tops of the drops? Isn't that the same thing?

It's not, if the reason you're doing it is to whip and weave through traffic. Grabbing the tops of the drops still leaves the rest of the bar hangin' out there to smack into rear-view mirrors and stuff.

Well... flat bars make it easier to steer and brake with one hand while you're holding coffee with the other... but if you're riding a brake-less fixie I don't know... Personally I think straight bars just look wrong on a road bike. Wrong, wrong, wrong I tell you! The shorter they are, the worse they look to me. But that's just my opinion. I would also think the really short chopped bars would have terrible handling characteristics. Yeah...I can see the advantage to having a super narrow profile in the thickest urban setting, but how many times do most people actually squeeze through shoulder-width spaces? I've seen bars chopped way shorter than shoulder and hip width as well... what's the point? Probably just fashion over function.

On the other hand I think swept back upright bars (Albatross bars and the like) look great on racing frame single speeds (especially if it's an older lugged steel frame). A lot of people would hate that look. Personally I think Nitto moustache bars are the best looking and most functional alternative to drops. I also like dirt drops.

I thought the small bars were preferred so that when the brakeless hipster collides with an unavoidable object the chance of his legs, feet, duffel bag and bong getting tangled is reduced when sailing through the air over the bars, thereby making the subsequent crash to the asphalt more predictable.

Are all fixie riders truly "hipsters"?

Maybe some of them are just complete dorks.

Why do I see all of these fixed gear bikes with wee little straight bars about the same width as my drops.

they're compensating for all the other fixters riding all-drop-no-flats b123's!

http://www.bikecult.com/works/parts/SomaMajorTaylorBars2.JPG

completely impractical for street use, but far and away the best-looking handlebars ever made.

I worked as a messenger in Sydney for 3 years. My bike at the time had wide riser bars. I never had trouble getting through traffic. The narrow bars are way more fashion than function.

A few of the messengers around here rock the narrow flat bar. Given the spaces they have to squeeze in to, it's functional. However, for the hipsters [white belt, check vans, flat pedals, superfuzz shades, Good Charlotte hair, coffee cup in hand] it's all about the mad steez.

Are all fixie riders truly "hipsters"?

Maybe some of them are just complete dorks.

Some of us don't just ride from one coffee shop to the next to practice our hands-free trackstands. There are a few of us who ride fixed because it's a great training tool, and improves our performance when we get back on our geared bikes.

I ride a '91 PDG Series-5 which I converted (properly) to fixed gear. I use 46cm bars, just like on my geared bike, and it even has both brakes on it.


I could never be a hipster. I'm too fat to wear girl jeans.

I have no idea why they do that. I assume it's largely fashion. Since I'm a middle-aged desk jockey, bike commuter, and Cat 4 pack fodder, I don't think I could ever pull of the girl jeans and white studded belt. Nor do I have enough hair left to style it like Good Charlotte. So my FG has good ol' 42cm 3ttt TdF bars. And two brakes!

I don't get this whole fixed gear craze anyway. Look at SF Bay Area Craig's List and it seems every other bike is a fixie. Seems a waste of functionality to take a perfectly good rood bike and turn it into a fixed.

Is there a good reason for this? Am I missing something?

1. Yes. The reason is, because they want to do it that way. This is cycling, not dressage.

2. Yes. See 1.

I've found straight bars to be a good thing. Especially since I'm hetero. :thumb:

BTW, I ride fixed gear, but no white belt, check vans, flat pedals, superfuzz shades, Good Charlotte hair, or coffee cup in hand. Last time I rode bars like that was in the mid '80s, and not too many were doing it at the time. Maybe I was a hipster then? They were pretty good for short hops in an urban environment.

Why so much hate on the fixed gear cyclists?

Remember, Sheldon "Coasting Is Bad For You" Brown was an advocate of the fixed gear bicycle.

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html

I don't get this whole fixed gear craze anyway. Look at SF Bay Area Craig's List and it seems every other bike is a fixie. Seems a waste of functionality to take a perfectly good rood bike and turn it into a fixed.

The fixie craze is a resurgence of infatuation with bike messengers. Think "Quicksilver" but 20 years later.

As for the waste of functionality, if you're looking for an easy to maintain bike, the fixed gear is it. There's squat to deal with for adjustments, save for keeping your wheel pulled back. Pedal forward == go. There's the instruction manual.
Like I stated before, I use mine as a training tool. I run a low gear ratio so I have to spin a little bit outside my usual comfort range. Keeping a super high cadence for a 25 mile ride once a week really helps me on the geared bike when I get to the hills; I can spin my little gears like a madman and power my way up the steepest grades with relative ease.

I don't think anyone really hates fixed-gears so much as they're annoyed by the sudden explosion in popularity of fixed gear bikes amongst certain crowds. As much as I'm all for the "as long as they're riding a bike it's cool with me" attitude, I'm not going to lie and say it doesn't seem a little foolish to me when I see four or five kids on track bikes almost crash because they can't skid to a halt in time because brakes aren't cool.

I am not dissing the fixed gears. I only posted because after seeing all these road frames with tiny flat bars I was wondering if there was some functional reason to use them. Apparently from what everyone has posted there is not.

Are all fixie riders truly "hipsters"?

Maybe some of them are just complete dorks.

What's the difference?

Because the short flat bars are suitable for short urban rides, tricks, and maintaining a certain aesthetic... look at any riders who lay down the serious miles and you won't see many flat bars.

At our shop we cater to commuters and have an overabundance of flat bars that have been pulled off bikes due to their unsuitability for commuting or because they are just so uncomfortable.

I've been commuting on flat bars every day over the last seven years. Seem comfy and suitable to me. Certainly it's subjective not a fact the way to put it. The large majority of bikes in the metro rack by my office are also straight bars. Considering the average commute is 5 miles or less, they are plenty suitable for commuting. I'd have no issue doing 20-40 miles on mine.

Flat bars are fine if all you need is a single hand position, two if you have bar ends. Many of us prefer more hand positions than gears.

sorta, but you don't have to reach down to the drops to use the brakes with straight bars.

Who does that?! I brake from the hoods 90% of the time. And I have better visibility from the hoods than from straight bars. And I hate bar attachments, so screw that.

Drops FTW.

So you can do this?

http://www.thatsbj.com/blog/media/200804CFInesFixedGear1.jpg


-------------------------------
I'm sorry but I am a jacka##. Nothing amuses me more than encountering a hipster with bars so short that they can barely fit one hand on each side of the stem.

So you can do this?

http://www.thatsbj.com/blog/media/200804CFInesFixedGear1.jpg



Now that's some excellent positioning for visibility and long distance line-of-sight.
Crap for aerodynamics, though.

^^^

Think she's clipped in?

No hate here for fixed gears. I'm about to build one up for myself. But, I have a serious loathing for those who ride fixed w/out a brake and with super small flatbars (unless it is messenger in a big city). They are endangering themselves and others for the sake of stupid fashion. They are the "non-conformist" conformist. That is, they are just conforming to the fixed-gear cultures. Anyway, paint your bike pink or put cards on the spokes. That's cool by with me. There's enough car-bike animosity here in Chicago to have some goofball skid through a stop light and get smoked by an SUV.

Who does that?! I brake from the hoods 90% of the time. And I have better visibility from the hoods than from straight bars. And I hate bar attachments, so screw that.

Drops FTW.


I do. But i'm new to drop bars, you've just enlightened me to a new way to brake.:thumb:

Are all fixie riders truly "hipsters"?

Maybe some of them are just complete dorks.


+1 If you're chopping bits off a perfectly good frame there is something wrong with you. :D

As for the waste of functionality, if you're looking for an easy to maintain bike, the fixed gear is it.

it all comes down to judging "functionality" by what "function" you want to achieve.

i built my fixed gear (100% suicide, right down to the qr's) for winter. direct drive gives way more control in slippery situations: think gearing down to first in a car when going down and icy hill.

after six months on it, though, riding a geared bike just seems kinda weird and detached and... unnatural. yeah, i know, you're sick of all the fixter types yapping about "zen" and "connectedness" and all that pseudo-metaphysical mumbo jumbo. me too. all the more so because i know exactly what they're talking about.

ps: road drop bars, one brake, black belt, no vans or sunglasses, coffee yes, coffee while riding no, helmet always, no messenger bag, no tattoos. score: 12.5%

they're compensating for all the other fixters riding all-drop-no-flats b123's!

http://www.bikecult.com/works/parts/SomaMajorTaylorBars2.JPG

completely impractical for street use, but far and away the best-looking handlebars ever made.

I ride a single speed and i think drops look horrible.

Anyway, fixie culture is a mix of track bike styles, bmx, and all kinds of youth influence.

It's not really practical to have clips, speed shoes, and no breaks when you only ride to the coffee shop... but they do it.

+1 If you're chopping bits off a perfectly good frame there is something wrong with you. :D

I didn't have to chop anything off my frame when I converted things to fixed gear. Removed the derailleurs, rebuilt the rear wheel with a fixed hub, removed a chainring, and put in the correct length BB spindle. I don't like seeing frames all chopped up for a conversion, although I've seen a few where they did it right: Heated the brazes to remove cable guides and filed the der. hanger very cleanly before having the frame repainted.



ps: road drop bars, one brake, black belt, no vans or sunglasses, coffee yes, coffee while riding no, helmet always, no messenger bag, no tattoos. score: 12.5%

Ooh ooh! There's points? What's my score?
Road drops, two brakes, two waterbottle cages (accelerade, no coffee), Protege 9.0 computer, superhero lycra, Look shoes, helmet (with mirror), lots of tattoos (none visible outside of short sleeves, though), as likely to ride at the velodrome as I am on the street.

I am not dissing the fixed gears. I only posted because after seeing all these road frames with tiny flat bars I was wondering if there was some functional reason to use them. Apparently from what everyone has posted there is not.

Yes there is - several are listed in responses to you're post - you're just not listening.

Ooh ooh! There's points? What's my score?
Road drops, two brakes, two waterbottle cages (accelerade, no coffee), Protege 9.0 computer, superhero lycra, Look shoes, helmet (with mirror), lots of tattoos (none visible outside of short sleeves, though), as likely to ride at the velodrome as I am on the street.

3.2%.... unless you're riding the velodrome at 3am with a 19 yr old art student in a capris and flip flops sitting on your handlebars holding a six pack of pabts blue ribbon.

in that case it's more around the mid forties.

3.2%.... unless you're riding the velodrome at 3am with a 19 yr old art student in a capris and flip flops sitting on your handlebars holding a six pack of pabts blue ribbon.


I don't think my fiancee would be too keen on that handlebar accessory. Best I can hope for is that this is like golf, and low score wins. :lol:

I've been commuting on flat bars every day over the last seven years. Seem comfy and suitable to me. Certainly it's subjective not a fact the way to put it.

It's not just subjective but also individual. I've had a lot of upper extremity injuries: hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, every single one has been broken or sprained or developed serious tendinitis or arthritis. What's "functional" for most people is a lot less so for me -- I can tolerate a lot less pressure on my hands and arms, so I just don't spend much time on the drops when I'm on my roadie.

I don't think anyone really hates fixed-gears so much as they're annoyed by the sudden explosion in popularity of fixed gear bikes amongst certain crowds. As much as I'm all for the "as long as they're riding a bike it's cool with me" attitude, I'm not going to lie and say it doesn't seem a little foolish to me when I see four or five kids on track bikes almost crash because they can't skid to a halt in time because brakes aren't cool.

Word.

Straight bars are gay. Ironically, gay bars are also gay.

sorta, but you don't have to reach down to the drops to use the brakes with straight bars.
On m y fixed gear i have a front brake only, and it's on top not on the drops.
http://www.2404.org/smull/fuji/4.jpg

I'm thinking of swtiching to bullhorns since i'm not really using the drops.

I am not dissing the fixed gears. I only posted because after seeing all these road frames with tiny flat bars I was wondering if there was some functional reason to use them. Apparently from what everyone has posted there is not.

Another reason people ride flat bars with no brakes is it is easier to skid. You don't have to worry about your knees getting caught between your head tube and drop bars which is a bad bad thing.....just trust me on this one. Anyway that is my take on the situation and I have found that drops vs flat is ultimately a preference thing. That's what so great about riding bikes is you can personalize how ever you want and no body should say any different about it.


This is my daily commuter....

'85 Dave Scott Ironman Centurion red/white, white deep v's w/black spokes, laced on white Phil Woods, 44/15 gearing, 170mm track drops.

It's only a bike and the worst bikes are the ones that don't get ridden.

If it's a fashion thing, so be it. It's not like Lycra and carbon fiber aren't all about fashion / looks as well -- at least for the level at which most of us ride (read: not professional racers).

If fixed gear bicycles are *just* a craze, so be it. What activity could "hipster" 20-somethings do that would make you happy anyway? Play video games? Drive like idiots? Knock over liquor stores? Don't worry so much about people who aren't hurting you and are engaging in an activity that we all love. Sheesh. Lighten up.

Crap, I didn't know we were scoring this one! Let's see...
XT SPD pedals
Shimano mtn bike shoes [smelly]
nylon webbing belt [grey]
helmet
mtn bike gloves
48cm road bar
both brakes
shonts [like shants, only shorter, but longer than regular shorts]
12 year old saddle with duct tape holding it together
1/4" long hair
scars, but no tattoos

I think I'm coming up with a big goose egg here, although the smelly shoes might keep me out of a negative score...

There's a lot of hate going on in this thread.

While there are plenty of hipsters who can't ride for sh*t, there are also plenty of good messengers who ride 10x more than the people making assumptions here on this thread and can probably handle a bike much better in traffic too, fixed, brakeless, and rocking flat bars. Are they better off with "proper" bars? Who knows, they do what they do well enough.

Personally I find the flat bars on my current commuter road bike to be pretty comfortable and a change of feel from my regular road bike. It's narrow, in between the drops and tops for height, and its comfortable enough. Honest, show of hands, how many people making assumptions here have ever ridden a fixed gear in heavy city traffic?

Crap, I didn't know we were scoring this one! Let's see...
XT SPD pedals
Shimano mtn bike shoes [smelly]
nylon webbing belt [grey]
helmet
mtn bike gloves
48cm road bar
both brakes
shonts [like shants, only shorter, but longer than regular shorts]
12 year old saddle with duct tape holding it together
1/4" long hair
scars, but no tattoos

I think I'm coming up with a big goose egg here, although the smelly shoes might keep me out of a negative score...

well, the clipless put you in double digits -- just barely tho', for the big score you'd need eggbeaters. of course no clipless system can beat toshi's on platforms. shonts are tough. if they're like bermuda shorts, well, that's a big hipster loss. if they're more like mountain climbing knickers, though, that's serious hip turf. especially if you go sockless.

11.4% with bermuda shorts
18.2% with knickers