spare_wheel

This why I like chopped flat bars in the city. That twitchiness allows me to quick turn on a dime.

mustang1

I like flat bars for all the reasons you state but prefer drop bars for the following reasons:
1. The bars are narrower so I can get through gaps in the traffic more easily.
2. I have a couple of short climbs on my commute and prefer the feel (ahem, power transfer ) better on a drop bar bike.

Hub Spanner

You mention aerodynamics...I find drops invaluable on my afternoon commute home since the wind is always in my face. I don't go very fast or very far, but the drops still are nice.

fietsbob

Bending over into a headwind is accommodated my the Far reach of trekking bars and bending your elbows a Little .

davidallenxyz

I've never understood the cult of drop bars. I think the main reason is I grew up with BMX and MTB bars so never got conditioned to drop bars. I (almost) never use the drops and (almost) never find myself in a situation where I need them (or where bending my elbows doesn't get me out of the wind). Maybe they make sense on long, open roads - but I live in the city. On the right bike, drops do look great, I'll grant you that.

My MTB-based commuter bike runs trekking/butterfly bars which give loads of hand positions. My ex-racer "fun" bike runs bullhorns which gives me the two/three positions I use for 99% of the time on drop bars and a bit more security with my grip as well.

rmfnla

I've been thinking about trying some bullhorns.

Does your bike have shifters? If so, how did you set it up?

hardboiled718

^^
Running single speed, no shifters
But check out TT bikes, they all run bullhorns with brake and shifters.


*Edit: Did a quick search, check out this thread: https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-me...rs-set-up.html
Not sure if it'll be too much help though. I didn't realize the shifters were intended to be used on flat bars. Seems the little bend up on the end of a bullhorn might make it difficult to reach the shifters?

jimmie65

I've got butterfly bars instead of bullhorns, but I ended up using stem-mounted shifters. Might be a possibility for you.

chas58

I have drop bars, flat bars, and bull horns.


Sure, flat bars are the way to go if you have physical problems, and/or
want to sit relatively upright, ride for less than 30 minutes, ride 10-15mph, don't ride out of the saddle, and like slower steering. The best thing about flat bars is they are wide, which allows really precise steering response when going off road. Really need some Ergon Grips though.


Drop bars are probably my favorite due to the speed potential and multiple hand positions. I can't afford to spend an hour on a 10 mile commute. 30 minutes works for me.




Bull horns are a great compromise as they offer multiple hand positions and are great for commuting and urban riding. Wonderful out of the saddle and a good match for Fixed Gear. Its not like anyone rides in the drops more than a small fraction of the time anyway.

RaleighSport

Now that the initial build is done I'll post these bars here like I wanted to in the beginning. I plan on using this bike for a lot of commuting and riding in general, I wanted something closer to North Road bars and these fit the bill, they also fit in my modern ritchey stem!

noglider 

Some people like them, and you're calling it a cult? Why can't people just like what they like without their intellects being questioned or insulted? Am I in a cult if I like Mozart or Chagall or George Carlin or Linux or plain yogurt or cool breezes?

kickstart

YMMV?

My real world average speed on my drop bar bikes is only 1 - 1.5 mph faster than my upright bikes. On shorter rides the difference in speed is irrelevant, and on long rides because of the increased discomfort and fatigue I take more breaks which negates the speed difference. I also find it more enjoyable to simply not need to move my hands around.

spare_wheel

Linux?
Not only a cult member but possibly an enemy of the state.

More seriously drop bars are one of those things that some people do have pseudo-religious attitudes about. For example, there is quite a bit of drop proselytization (even though most commuters use flat bars) and their are some claims that drops are generally superior because...yada, yada, yada. Flat bars, on the other hand, have proponents that typically qualify their support.

noglider 

Then I that's why I say things like, "I like X better because" instead of "X is better because." The world has produced many kinds of handlebars, and we can choose whichever we like best without belittling people.

chas58

Yep, YMMV

I'll use flat bars in the 10-15mph range, Certainly in the 20-25mph range wind/aero makes a big difference

tigerteeuwen

Drop bars are way better for the variety of hand positions, also for fighting headwinds on rides home if need be. Flip your stem if you need to be more upright. perhaps get a 35 degree stem.

jfowler85

CrossLakeSales on ebay always has some pretty long Kalin 22.2/25.4 quill stems. They are quite long. I used one on my Panasonic DX2000 to raise my drops up a fair amount before I switched to a threadless adapter.

kickstart

I see that stated over and over again, but I have yet to hear a reasonable explanation of why that is better than a setup that is comfortable enough to not require a variety of hand positions.
On my bikes with drops or lutterwassers, multiple hand positions are a necessity not a benefit. My bikes with northroad, porter, or dutch bars simply don't call for more than one position.

jfowler85

Linux is the most widely used operating architecture in the world. Apple's iOS is based on a Linux kernel. The VHA - the largest hospital system in the US and one of the largest in the world - uses Linux for it's entire appointment system, secured communication, hospital directory, etc.

Hardly what I would call cult. Linux OSs (Ubuntu), on the other hand, a different story...totally cult. Awesome cult though...free, supported, and nearly no need for virus protection.

tigerteeuwen

let me clarify actually, a drop bar is better on a bike with geometery that takes advantage of it. i would never ride a dutch bike or a flat bar commuter because of the limited body positions availible and the efficency of pedaling.

if that makes sense....

Johnny Mullet

Hmmmmm. When I had the drop bars on this bike, I did use the multiple positions for numbness in the hands, but with these MTB bars, I have 2 positions to use but only used one position all week long while commuting with no numbness.

spare_wheel

If you are going to get all lecturey you should at least get your facts right. Linux is a kernel not an operating system. OSX and iOS run on a completely different kernel (with an inferior open source license).

PS: RTFM!

spare_wheel

My need for a variety of hand positions on my commuter is: ∅.

willtf

^ Good for you. I like having "fast" and "faster" settings. It's a matter of preference, though I think a lot of the people saying drop bars are uncomfortable no matter what could do with a good fit adjustment.

TGT1

Interrupters on drop bars give you the best of both worlds.

Don't care what the roadie purists say.