katezila

My old schwinn uses it's original swept back north road bars but I've been seriously considering getting some moustache bars. I'd like some opinions in if they'd suit my needs.
Most of my riding is casual upright riding. My commute is non-existent so my bike is my grocery getter and local transportation. However I do love taking longer rides at least once a week when the weather improves and I've been thinking about drop bars to work my muscles more. I've heard moustache bars can offer me the benefits of being "in the drops" but still allow me to ride upright instead.
Does anyone know how true this is? Does anyone right a bike like an upright with moustache bars? Is it comfortable?
Thanks in advance guys!

gerv 

If you want to get the feeling of moustache bars, put some bar tape on the currently exposed section of your north roads and stop using the familiar grips.

Actually, if you do put that bar tape on your current ride, you could have most of the benefits of the moustache and still have the hand positions you are familiar with.

narr33

I really like moustache bars and will probably always have at least one bike with them. They offer multiple hand positions and you can still get fairly low by grabbing the brake levers, and they offer better leverage for climbing compared to drops. I found when going from drops to moustache bars it works best to shorten and raise the stem and tilt the bars slightly to match the position of the wrist. Here is a good site for setting them up.

https://www.stanford.edu/~dru/moustache.html

GriddleCakes

I've ridden with both moustache bars and north roads on my MTB commuter, and I prefer north roads. The rise/drop is about the same; moustache bars have more forward reach for better aero, where north roads reach further aft and provide a more upright and comfortable riding position. If you want to see if you'd like moustache bars, just flip your north roads and wrap them up past the bends. Then decide if you'd like to be able to stretch farther forward, at the cost of losing some of your aft hand positioning.



On my Albatross bars I've wrapped the bends, so that I can duck out of the wind and for when I'm feeling like hammering a bit harder than the aft position allows. I don't like how they handle when flipped, plus I prefer an upright position 95% of the time.

BigDaddyPete

I have an old Schwinn I put moustache bars on last year. I love them, it's great for cruising down to the local coffee shop or commuting my 35 mile RT commute. I say go for it.



It has fenders on it now.

Shawnrs

I have a pair of Nitto Mustache bars sitting on my shelf. I tried really hard to like them. I love the look but I just could not find a position of comfort during my commute (23km each way). Had to switch to drop bars.

Shawnrs

fietsbob

They are fitted on My Winter Bike, use older campag brake levers , operating Drum brakes
bar end shifters and a deore gear kit . could stand to have a taller stem raiser..
because I'm Old now.

no1mad 

Then either put that thing up for sale or put it into the 'For Trade' thread.

ninamaxine

I tried really hard for a long time to like my moustache bars, but I finally have to switch to drops. And this is from someone who usually ride very upright set ups! I just couldn't really get comfortable on them, as each hand position was just slightly off from a comfortable position. Unfortunately, I think it's both a very personal decision and also one that can take a long time and lots of tinkering - very hard to know before you buy.

Bat56

Flip your current bars upside down.

katezila

Hey thanks everyone! I'm definitely going to flip my bars soon as I have the chance. Will I need a different break lever? All the moustache bars I've seen have been fitted with hood breaks but I'm wondering if this would work https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...s/br-0024.html or maybe some inverse levers. I suppose only time will tell!
BigDaddyPete thanks for the photo! Hopefully I can come by a pair soon. My LBS is a hell of a treasure trove sometimes.

katezila

For the curious, here's the bike I'd like to put them on. The bars and stem are the originals, but the chrome is pretty shot along the bottom and I've been planning to replace them anyways.

NormanF

The narrow Origin 8 Tiki moustache bars have worked well on my Schwinn Super Sport DBX. With Specialized gel tape they feel comfortable and provide the advantages of an upright position with the multiple hand positions of a drop bar.

Sigurdd50

I use Velo-Orange's Porteur Bars
They are more subtle vs. Moustache bars. I am with those that couldn't get comfortable with them... they felt too big. The Porteurs are on my 650B bike



and I love them. They have a few positions, set me in an upright, back position, and they have real estate to mount stuff
good price too (no affiliation with VO)

Seattle Forrest

I see enough moustache bars while commuting. I'm not sure what their appeal is, especially over drop bars, but other people seem to get by OK on them.

GriddleCakes

Bar on bar comparison, Nitto Albatross (which is pretty close to the OP's north roads) on bottom, Nashbar moustache on top:


The rise/drop is almost identical.


The upright hand position is quite a bit further forward on the moustache bars, so you won't be able to ride as upright as you were. The bends are also further forward, which will put you in a more aero position than can be achieved with north roads, even if you flip 'em. Add road style brake levers so that you can ride on the hoods, and you can stretch out even more.

I started seeing them up here about two years ago, and since AK is no less than 5 years behind on any fad, they're still pretty rare. I think the appeal is mostly the unique look, while still being fun to ride. I made the switch because I was tired of the riser bar/bar-end combo, and Nashbar had moustache bars on sale for $15, so I tried 'em. Turns out that they weren't what I was looking for, which was a more comfortable and less aggressive riding position. They were fun, though.

hairnet

They just feel different and you can get a good low position with them for fast riding. I was using them on my fixed gear for a while for commuting and working out.

katezila

Thanks everyone for the input, it might be a while before I can truly test them. I've been thinking a lot about those porteurs now too!
I'm mostly hoping the moustache bars will allow me to support my weight different and give a better work out without me having to go all the way with drop bars.

jtgotsjets

Your stem is too long for moustache bars. Perfect for those porteur bars though.