Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Which handlebars?

The new bike came with the Ritchey Biomax Pro handlebars with the strange double bend on the drop portions of the bars. I can't find a comfortable drop position with these bars and am thinking of replacing them with a more traditionally shaped bar.

Ritchey Biomax Pro (http://www.ritcheylogic.com/dyn_prodfamily.php?k=299398)

Any one of you have a favorite bar for long distance riding?

FSA Compact;

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll210/wildcat-bucket/Soma2x2009handlebar.jpg

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll210/wildcat-bucket/2010bikepictures007.jpg

Any one of you have a favorite bar for long distance riding?

For a couple years I used the stock Kalloy drop bar that came with my Surly Long Haul Trucker. It has been OK for rides up to 200K (my longest so far).

Then I ordered Nitto Randonneur (http://www.velo-orange.com/nirabar45.html) bars (42 cm) with the Bike Friday New World Tourist that I got to take to England and Ireland this summer (mostly work, a little vacation). I love them! The ramps are really comfy, and the flared drops angle the brake levers so that it's really easy to brake from the hoods. The ramps and hoods are closer together than on a traditionally bent drop bar, but it doesn't bother me. The flare also feels comfortable when riding in the drops or the hooks, since it's close to the natural angle of my wrists when I extend my arms.

When I got back home this fall and went back to riding the LHT, I immediately noticed that the Kalloy bars were a lot less comfortable than the Randonneurs. The bikes' geometries are almost identical, so I think it must be the bars. I've decided that the LHT is getting Randonneurs too.

I've also heard good things about the Nitto Noodle (http://www.rivbike.com/products/show/nitto-noodle-bar/16-113), which has a much smaller flare, as well as the Salsa Woodchipper (http://salsacycles.com/components/woodchipper/).

Before you go buying new bars, have you tried rotating the current ones or adjusting the hood positions? You'll get a lot of recommendations for different bars that work for different people but you have to remember they may or may not work for you. We all have different sized hands, shoulder width, arm reach, handlebar rise etc. than you do. Don't forget, changing your hand position will/can change your seat position slightly. Will that cause you a problem? Everything is inter-related. It'd be a real bummer to have someone say "these bars are the best" only to have you buy them and find out too late they are worse than the ones you have. This is another reason that every serous long distance rider should be fitted properly.

i got a set of bars that have the wing shape at the top and i love them. i never used the tops of my bars until i got these. i did a 500 mile week this summer and the "new" hand position was very welcome when climbing and casually riding.

edit: they also make the invisible aerobar position nicer

i got a set of bars that have the wing shape at the top and i love them. i never used the tops of my bars until i got these. i did a 500 mile week this summer and the "new" hand position was very welcome when climbing and casually riding.

+1 on the wing-top bar

By the way, the style of bars like the Ritchey Biomax are typically called "ergo."

I prefer ergo bars, so of course it's my bad luck to get stuck with round bars. ;) I agree with Homeyba that you should try adjusting them first.

Also, keep in mind that different bars often have a different reach, and this can impact your riding position. For example, the Biomax has a 75mm reach, and the Nitto Noodles has a 95mm reach. This leaves a little more room for your hands when you're riding in the hoods, but to maintain the same position you will want a stem that is 20mm shorter.

I like the Salsa Moto-Ace Bell Lap. It's got the ergo hooks, a short bottom on the drop, comfortable shape to the bend (IMO), and I like the wide (12 degree, iirc) flare they have.

By the way, the style of bars like the Ritchey Biomax are typically called "ergo."

I prefer ergo bars, so of course it's my bad luck to get stuck with round bars. ;) I agree with Homeyba that you should try adjusting them first.

Also, keep in mind that different bars often have a different reach, and this can impact your riding position. For example, the Biomax has a 75mm reach, and the Nitto Noodles has a 95mm reach. This leaves a little more room for your hands when you're riding in the hoods, but to maintain the same position you will want a stem that is 20mm shorter.

Hmmm....I have really large hands. XL gloves are usually too small. And I just can't find a comfortable drop position with the Biomax bars. The double-curved portion just feels like it is shaped wrong and the flat portion of the bar at the end is to short to grip even though I find myself sliding my hands down there and gripping with only half my hand. I do 90% of my riding with my hands on top on the hoods so it isn't a really big deal. But it just doesn't feel right yet. I'll mess around with different tilts and hand placements. But I don't want to mess up my predominant hand position on top of the bars in order to optimize the drop position that I rarely use except if I'm riding on a group ride in a pace line or something.

I personally detest anatomic/ergo bars. I've never found one that allowed me to place my hands where I want in the drops. I prefer a more traditional (read: almost impossible to find these days!) bar like those sold through the Bicycle Quarterly website. (Yes, I drink the KoolAid.)

My favorites are the upswept Randonneur (http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/Handlebars.html) model, but I could understand how someone with a modern bike might not want such an old fashioned bend. For me, they are the most comfortable bars around. I agree with other posters who note that there is no single bar (just like there is no single saddle) that will work for everyone.

<edit> Traditional advice for folks with large hands was to use a deep drop bar. In my day that generally meant a Cinelli 66 "Campione del Mondo" (http://www.bikepro.com/products/handlebars/cinell_drop.html). I used it extensively for road racing but now find that my back doesn't tolerate such a low position.

I hated those Biomax shaped bars too (I had Salsa Poco's but same shape) - switched to Easton EA70, couldn't be happier.

When I looked it up just now I got this link - very good sale!
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/HB402B00-Easton+Ea70+Ergo+Road+Bar.aspx?sc=FRGL

Funny, I had the same experience (and am on EA70's right now)
That bump on the biomax bar created a sore / numb spot on longer rides, and there is no flat spot on the drop that is big enough to put your entire hand on.

I picked up some EA70's. They are pretty good. The flat spot on the drop is larger (though not huge). The only thing that you have to do is play with the angle of the bars so that the flat spot is at the same angle as your hands when you are climbing on the tops. Only after that angle is found should you finalize the position of your brifters (I had to re wrap my bars a couple times because of this).

i found moving to something wider (i'm on 46 noodles) - and getting rid of the 'ergo' bend helped my comfort.
i also like the flat ramp on the noodles - lots of landscape on the top of the bars into the hoods for varying hand placement.

i used to run the salsa bell laps. like em enough, but the drops with the ergo bump were uncomfortable for extended cruising.
i tried some short and shallows too - but they were too short - so i couldnt get comfortable in the hooks.

pretty happy with the noodles - but i'd first try rotation / lever placement adjustments before buying new bars...

FSA Compact;]

I switched all my bikes to these. Very comfortable when in the drops and it's a more natural position (for me) when trying to swift or brake from the drops.

I'm another satisfied noodle user. Although as someone mentioned, everyone is different and has different needs, I haven't run into anyone who's tried them and doesn't like them for long distance riding. What I like about them is that they got the angle between the drops and shoulders just right; I can rotate them so that both the drops and the shoulders have positions that don't make my fingers numb. With other bars, I've been put in the position of having to choose one or the other.

I just picked up the FSA k-wing, with the new top shape that's smaller and let's you wrap tape all the way up. They're effing awesome. Multiple centuries-0 numbness, great vibration dampening innthe drops, they definitely take the edge off big hits, and they're still stiff enough to race. After a race crash then 2 weeks later getting hit by a car on a training ride, the left side would flex by about 2" in the drops. Carbon cracked at the bend when the car hit my brake hood. Liked them so much I bought another pair.

I love my FSA Wing Pro Compact bars.

- Shallow drops
- Ergonomic top bar position by having a wider surface area

Only drawback is that your available accessory mounting space is limited on the top due to the flatness of the bar.

For a couple years I used the stock Kalloy drop bar that came with my Surly Long Haul Trucker. It has been OK for rides up to 200K (my longest so far).

Then I ordered Nitto Randonneur (http://www.velo-orange.com/nirabar45.html) bars (42 cm) with the Bike Friday New World Tourist that I got to take to England and Ireland this summer (mostly work, a little vacation). I love them! The ramps are really comfy, and the flared drops angle the brake levers so that it's really easy to brake from the hoods. The ramps and hoods are closer together than on a traditionally bent drop bar, but it doesn't bother me. The flare also feels comfortable when riding in the drops or the hooks, since it's close to the natural angle of my wrists when I extend my arms.

When I got back home this fall and went back to riding the LHT, I immediately noticed that the Kalloy bars were a lot less comfortable than the Randonneurs. The bikes' geometries are almost identical, so I think it must be the bars. I've decided that the LHT is getting Randonneurs too.

I've also heard good things about the Nitto Noodle (http://www.rivbike.com/products/show/nitto-noodle-bar/16-113), which has a much smaller flare, as well as the Salsa Woodchipper (http://salsacycles.com/components/woodchipper/).

+1 on the Randonneur's I have them on most of my bikes now.:thumb:

I just picked up the FSA k-wing, with the new top shape that's smaller and let's you wrap tape all the way up. They're effing awesome. Multiple centuries-0 numbness, great vibration dampening innthe drops, they definitely take the edge off big hits, and they're still stiff enough to race. After a race crash then 2 weeks later getting hit by a car on a training ride, the left side would flex by about 2" in the drops. Carbon cracked at the bend when the car hit my brake hood. Liked them so much I bought another pair.


Is that the carbon bar that goes for $250+ ??

If so, that's a little rich for my blood. Or is there some place cheap to buy them that I don't know about?

i found moving to something wider (i'm on 46 noodles) - and getting rid of the 'ergo' bend helped my comfort.
i also like the flat ramp on the noodles - lots of landscape on the top of the bars into the hoods for varying hand placement.

i used to run the salsa bell laps. like em enough, but the drops with the ergo bump were uncomfortable for extended cruising.
i tried some short and shallows too - but they were too short - so i couldnt get comfortable in the hooks.

pretty happy with the noodles - but i'd first try rotation / lever placement adjustments before buying new bars...

I went from 42 cm Biomax to 40 cm Noodles, then to similar width Randonneurs. Now nearly all my riding is on Noodles or Randos.

I tried a lot of positional variation on the Biomax, but nothing clicked for me. It was just too hard to reach the brake levers and shift return key on my Ergos.

I'm curious about those FSAs that Barret showed us. I do like a shallow drop.

Is that the carbon bar that goes for $250+ ??

If so, that's a little rich for my blood. Or is there some place cheap to buy them that I don't know about?

Unfortunatley they are ludicrously expensive for handlebars, but for distance riding the ergonomics just fit my hands so well, i just sucked it up and went for it, and i couldn't be happier. I know FSA doesn't make any Al bars with the wing shape up top, but they migt have the flattened out bend and same radius drop for less, which IMO are the two best parts of the bar, cadillacing it is already comfortable, you don't really need a weird shape up top. I just rode them on a bike at the store while i was shopping with my buddy (he is in the process of buying a new bike, so i ride ridiculous bikes to chase him when he goes for test rides) so i got off the bike with these bars ,and went i have to have these bars, didn't really do much research i just fell in love with them and went for it. They're not the compact, just the standard FSA drop, which i think is by far the most comfortable drops I've ever ridden. But YMMV with geometry/size/personal preference.

FSA K-Wing is carbon but FSA makes some similar alloy versions, these are the wing pro and the price range is arount $60-$80.