Touring - Flat bar vs road bars

What is more comfortable flat bar or road bars? I'm updating my Marin Novato, and need some help.

Thanks,
GEEK

For me, flat bars are ok for an hour or two but my hands seem to feel very uncomfortable stuck in the limited positions they offer (even with bar ends) when I'm riding all day. I honestly would find it torture to tour with flat bars. But that's just me. You'll hear different from others, I'm sure.

I don't like drop bars. Give me flat bars with bar-ends (or something similar like a Brahma bar).

But I didn't find that out until I had tried both for awhile.

Drop bars. Ditto to what Blackberry said. I need hand positions, and they provide me plenty. Just have to have them high enough so that I'm not putting massive torso weight on my wrists and thenar areas.

Sheldon Brown has a rather hilarious, ingenious, and functional Surly with both droppers and flat bars (and a Rohloff, and dual disc/cantilever brakes...that guy is excellent).

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/surly-rohloff/index.html

I bought a flat bar road bike for commuting and found that I need/want more hand posisitons. I also wanted a way to get out of the wind more when needed. I put a clip-on aero bar along with bar ends... It looks rather hideous, but is very effective. I think I would be happier with drops though, and am planning to put some on this summer.

Can't you pop some inline brake levers on your drop bars, then bring the drop bar a little higher and towards you a little so you can essentially use them like a flat bar if you want.
You can get the same hand positions with a flatbar and bar ends. But believe me, the first time you hit a 20 mile section of headwind, you'd be very glad you have your drops.

Flat bars seem more comfortable for short trips and rides up to maybe 2 hours. After that the extra hand positions on the drop bars provide more comfort. One does not have to have drop bars very, very low. With a taller stem you can somewhat have your cake and eat it. You can be up high like straight bars on the tops and still get low for headwinds and speed. This is very comfortable on long tours or rides.
As slvoid says even if you only going 20 or even 10 miles in a headwind, you will love the drops.

flat bars for me ...

I used to have drop bars on my trek 520 and also more recently on my Thorn Nomad, but after swapping them for flat bars I find these more comfortable ...

pics of my Thorn Nomad and its development ... (http://www.hoogie.co.nz/bikes/nomad.htm)

everyone has their own taste and opinion in this ...

I bought a Trek 520 last year and planned to go with the drop bars. I tried to make it work and tried some more but I never got comfortable with them. I finally switched to the flat bars and I am much happier. I plan to add some bar-ends this year.

Drop bars here, it is a personal preference...like leather saddle or... :p I just got done switching my Giant Excursion over to drop bars from flat bars, much nicer for me to ride on the road now. Part of it may be what you started out riding. I rode drop bars on the road for over 15 years before I ever got my first flat bar bike. Rode cyclo-cross too with the drop bars.

Aaron :)

I've had no end of problems converting from drops to flat bars re setting-up and now numb hands. Now I have ditched the rubber grips as I think that they, being solid, tend to transmit road vibrations to the hands. So now have copied my usual way with drops ie foam grips covered with cork tape extending all the way up the barends and providing I hope sufficient hand positions. I think I'll thicken them a little at the transition of bars to barends with more tape. Here's hoping!

I would go for a flat bar- you can get quite a lot of different hand positions with wide aerobar and also achieve a reasonable aerodynamic shape if you stretch out on them. Personally I don't really like drop bars.

Has anyone used a "butterfly" -style handlebar? Are they any good?

--J

Flats for me. No problem doing big distances. Specialized Large grips, set of bar ends which I have not used much and a pair of cycling gloves.
Just could not warm to drop bars - at my stage in life I don't use the drops that much anyway.

I have a bike with a drop bar, and it is okay for a short while, but after that, the place between the index finger and the thumb is sore from riding on the hoods. I don't use the drops much, and I don't use the top part much either, so it is like there is only one position for me, and it is is an uncomfortable one for me. I won't be buying any more drop bars.

Who makes that butterfly bar?

flat bars for me ...

I used to have drop bars on my trek 520 and also more recently on my Thorn Nomad, but after swapping them for flat bars I find these more comfortable ...

pics of my Thorn Nomad and its development ... (http://www.hoogie.co.nz/bikes/nomad.htm)

everyone has their own taste and opinion in this ...


I noticed your handlebars were probably lower than 2 inches (from the saddle) when you had the drops. You could never get comfortable on drops that low and this could have been your problem.

Who makes that butterfly bar?

That particular one was from the German web store Roseversand (http://www.roseversand.de). I don't know the manufacturer. Here's the Nashbar (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=92&subcategory=1049&brand=&sku=9756&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=) version.

--J

I'm currently trying out a set of modified "Trekking" bars (similar to the butterfly bars above) that I got on sale form Nashbar for $12.00. So far I think this set-up is great. Another option to throw into the mix. Here are some pictures of how I modified the bars and the finished product.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journal/page/?o=as&page_id=17715&v=3v

I'm curious.

Since I have used nothing but drop bars since I graduated from my balloon tire bike 4/1 2 decades ago (and 80,000+ miles ago -- would have been more but for military service and a total lack of roads at one point in our living situation) ago, I was wondering what it is about drop bars that people don't like or can't get used to.

What is more comfortable flat bar or toad bars?

I prefer toad bars because they are softer than flat bars and the eat flies and mosquitos in camp.

I prefer toad bars because they are softer than flat bars and the eat flies and mosquitos in camp.

I'll have what he's having!

Has anyone used a "butterfly" -style handlebar? Are they any good?

--J

Tried 'em for a week on a rental bike in the UK. Riding 35-60 miles per day. I liked them quite a bit and thought they'd be superb for touring.

I'm curious.

Since I have used nothing but drop bars since I graduated from my balloon tire bike 4/1 2 decades ago (and 80,000+ miles ago -- would have been more but for military service and a total lack of roads at one point in our living situation) ago, I was wondering what it is about drop bars that people don't like or can't get used to.

I think many people get road bikes that are fitted improrperly and/or poorly set up. When their hands hurt and they can't reach the drops, they blame the bars.

Incidentally, flat bars are often seen as the =only= alternative to drop bars for more upright riding when there are other options that give the multiple hand positions of drop bars and the upright posture of flat bars. Flat bars really seem to me to be the worst of all worlds for distance riding, but some people manage with them.

I think many people get road bikes that are fitted improrperly and/or poorly set up. When their hands hurt and they can't reach the drops, they blame the bars.

Incidentally, flat bars are often seen as the =only= alternative to drop bars for more upright riding when there are other options that give the multiple hand positions of drop bars and the upright posture of flat bars. Flat bars really seem to me to be the worst of all worlds for distance riding, but some people manage with them.

This is an excellent point. A lot of people convert to straight bars when all they need is a higher or shorter stem. On my touring bikes, I have the top of the drop bars even with seat. I can sit way up this way, and still get lower on the drops when needed. This is the best of both worlds. Many new touring bikes I see are like this or close to it.

A racer wants to get his back flat and parallel with the ground for aerodynamics. It also takes a long time to adjust your body to this position. Not for me on a century. But I want those drops too. And the hoods for climbing. They work like bar ends for climbing, you are more forward.

Flat bars give you better control off road, that's what they were designed for.

I'm curious.

Since I have used nothing but drop bars since I graduated from my balloon tire bike 4/1 2 decades ago (and 80,000+ miles ago -- would have been more but for military service and a total lack of roads at one point in our living situation) ago, I was wondering what it is about drop bars that people don't like or can't get used to.

Its just personal preference and you will probably think that I am talking rubbish but In my case I didnt like having the brakes in such an inaccessible position. It seemed that the only way for me to get a decent pressure on the brakes was to ride in the drops. Since most riders spend most time on the hoods/tops it just didn´t make any sense to me. Trying to swap to the drops to brake in an emergency is quite awkward. This is compounded by the fact that the brakes are positioned (due to having them reachable both from the hoods and the drops) in such a compromise position that they are not easy to reach from the drops.

I also don´t like the feeling of lack of control with drop bars.

Riding on the hoods gave me Carpal tunnel and this is something I have never experienced with flat bars.

The thin bar tape didnt help much with preventing vibration.

I also was distinctly unimpressed by the Ultegra STI shifters.

Halfspeed is correct that some of the above points may be due to incorrect fitting but the end result made me give up on them.

I prefer toad bars because they are softer than flat bars and the eat flies and mosquitos in camp.

:lol:

I hear they taste like chicken.

I noticed your handlebars were probably higher than 2 inches when you had the drops. You could never get comfortable on drops that low and this could have been your problem.

The flat bars and drop bars are actually the same height as each other ... it was more that I spend a lot of time riding on the brake hoods and don't actually use the drops at all ... my hands used to get very sore after some time on the hoods ...

I just find that flat bars work for me ...

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

I'm using this bar on three of my bikes, but I do recommend drops, nothing is better than having more positioning. And if you think that it will sit to low on the bike, well raise the stem to a better height. It is just the change of the stem height.

Riding and braking on drops is a matter of practice and habit. Once you get the hang of it, you can stop in a hairpin braking from the top of the brakes. Moverover, there are top levers attachable to the horizontal part of the bar which double the drop-levers. I find these too redundant, but many cyclo-cross pros have come to use the top levers. The thing is that you can brake from virtually any position!

I spend most of the time on the drops. I feel my back relaxed and at ease, while my arms support the upper body weight. It's a matter of flexibility and practice. In case one doesn't feel so comfortable in this position, there is always the possibility raise the handlebar to be even with the saddle, or a bit higher given the case.

Control again is a question of habit and practice... You can add as many bar tapes on top of the other as you feel comfortable with, besides the fact that there are fluffy cushioned gummy tubes available.

Sorry about your Carpal tunnel, Royalflash. I don't know about this ailment, nor how common it is or to which extent riding on the drops can be blamed for that. I've been riding/touring on drops for years without a single cramp / pain / difficulty... but many people have fallen from 3rd storeys and got away without a bruise and that doesn't appeal to me to jump too ;D.

I don't like STI shifters. Bar-end shifters are far more convenient, durable, robust, reliable and flexible.

All the best.

I've been riding/touring on drops for years without a single cramp / pain / difficulty...

All the best.

I think that one of the reasons that it works for you is that you have been riding drops for years. Your back probably is very used to this. Also you say that you spend a lot of time in the drops. Most people that I talk to who have road bikes say the opposite that they spend very little time in the drops.

It is great to hear that the drops work for you.

Hi, Motorhommer,
Spotting that you're Irish (or live in Ireland), I'm glad to say that the only time I've toured on flats was a 2-week trip around Ireland, from Dublin to Cork, then to Galway, Sligo and back to Dublin in March-April 1990. Since then I've come back to Ireland and I love Irish culture, landscape, people, music, cows, sheep, wind, clouds, seashore, pubs, accent, roads, sky, birds, nature, rain, cottages, dogs, grass, trees, coffee shops in the middle of nowhere, sparkling clean sun light... Too much to be spoiled by a flat bar. But with my drops it'd been just paradise. The only problem was a drag and rob the first day: three guys in a car grabbed and tore from the money belt of one of the girls in the group who happened to have gone alone ahead up a hill several miles off Dublin. Unfortunately she held on to the money bag and suffered bruise burns in her leg because she was dragged over the asphalt, and finally she was punched on the face to force her to let go. She lost passport, most of her money and key to the lock (we were too naive to even think of the possibility of being robbed in Ireland and she had all her valuables in the same money belt). Anyway, many people stopped to help us and they all were just lovely. Even this incident builds for what I stated before.

All the best with an Irish pipe.

The flat bars and drop bars are actually the same height as each other ... it was more that I spend a lot of time riding on the brake hoods and don't actually use the drops at all ... my hands used to get very sore after some time on the hoods ...

I just find that flat bars work for me ...

I think Dahon.Steve is right. Your drops were too low.

Halfspeed's half-fast rule of non-racing bike fit: If you can't comfortably ride in the drops 20-30% of the time, your bike doesn't fit or isn't set up right.

The whole point of drops on a touring bike is that 1) you can use them to get in an aero position to fight a bad headwind and 2) you get to move around more over a long day. If you're always in the same position, you don't get to stretch out and unweight different parts of your body and you're stuck at the same position all the time regardless of the winds.

If drops just can't work because of a physiological problem or because replacing a badly fitting bike with a better one is not feasible, moustache or trekking bars are probably better choices than flat bars.

Still, I'm not going to tell you that you can't use flat bars. It's your bike and if you eventually do find that you need more hand positions, there are other alternatives.

Um, why is it important that everyone ride the same equipment? Do we all have the same proportions, the same physical abilities, the same needs and wants?

How about: If you are uncomfortable, try something different. Different setup, different angle, or maybe different equipment.

If you feel best riding a bike with ape-hanger handlebars, a big yellow wicker basket, and a Sponge Bob squeeze horn, then that is the best thing for you.

Um, why is it important that everyone ride the same equipment? Do we all have the same proportions, the same physical abilities, the same needs and wants?

Well, I want to go for drop bar BUT I'm a college student who has not a lot of money. I want to know more than I know now to deside what I will do. Like, butterfly handle bars I didn't know about these, I wnat to learn more about handly bar and the internet is not a lot of help, but you guys are. I just need help, that's why I'm asking.

Thanks,
GEEK

Um, why is it important that everyone ride the same equipment?

Um, who said anything like that?

If you feel best riding a bike with ape-hanger handlebars, a big yellow wicker basket, and a Sponge Bob squeeze horn, then that is the best thing for you.

When did you see my bike? :)

OH, so that was what that sheldon brown bike (pictured above) was for?!?! I have been wondering since I saw it in Harris Bikes and was polite to ask.

i toured with flat bar and it wasn´t a big problem, just had to sometimes use the fingertips to hold the bar, probably didn´t set up well. on my new bike i use drop bar, the top is about level with the saddle, however if i go down to the drops i feel kinda awkward, probably because i´m not used to it. i´ll either get a new stem (shorter/steeper) to let the bar higher than the saddle or just turn the bar upside down. did it yesterday to see how it goes, and though it looked somewhat weird at the first sight, it did feel very comfortable.

it´s a bar, a personal thing, so is a bike, what is others favorite might not be yours. you can only know the possible pros and cons, but the final word is up to you (or your body).

My drops have turned out to be more comfortable than my flat bar - even though the reach is a little longer. On the flat I keep locking my elbows - it doesn't happen on the hoods of the drops or further back. Basically you just have more options on the drops. Bar ends help, but I'm thinking of going to drops on my back up bike - I'd do it today if the shifters would be convenient, but they just won't work with drops. I might try some of those add on drops for flat bars.