maximumrob

Gents (and ladies),


I'm pretty darn new to biking and am riding a Scott SUB40 right now set up for light commuter duty. However, I'm getting a hankerin' for more speed. Drop bars don't appeal to me at all so flat bars are my choice.

Is there a lightning fast road bike out there who's only difference from a racer is the flat bar? I've seen the Cannondales and Scott Speedster Flat Bar bikes that look pretty good, but the rest seem to be more "bike trail" kind of bikes. What makes & models am I missing in my search?


Thanks much.

fietsbob

I expect you will find such a model in most bike companies product range assortments..

Campagnolo and Shimano both make a straight bar
road drivetrain / wheel group-set..

Catch phrase: 'Fitness Bike'

examples : https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/fitness/

Shop the shop you buy from first.
what brand you buy should depend on what dealer you like
as they all work the same way.

no1mad 

Jamis Coda line, Giant Rapid line, upper end of the Trek FX line...

531phile 

or "Performance Hybrid"

Back in 2005-2006 Jamis came out with a Coda Supreme with reynolds 853 and carbon frame and carbon fork. Weighed like 20lbs. A real flat bar road bike. Road brake calipers, flat bars, long top tube, thin tires. I see them sometimes on sale used, so look out for them. Good buys. Cannondale's Quick line looks very nice.

The thing with these bikes is that that you quickly outgrow them. You want to go faster and faster and the only way to do that is to get in a aero position so drop bars on a real road bike is the natural progression one makes. We'll that's what happened to me. My first real bike was a performance hybrid Trek 7700 with Rolf Wheels, but after two years I realized I should have gotten a road bike. And you can't just slap on drop bars on Peformance hybrids b/c the top tube is way too long and the head tube is generally too high. It just wouldn't work fit wise.

531phile 

Try converting a carbon road bike with Bullhorns. I think this is what you are after. Maybe install some Paul Component thumbies for shifting and put TT brake levers. I'd recommend Dura Ace TT brake levers and Syntace Stratos bars. You can thank me later.

Handle bars really dictate your riding position so this directly influences speed. Drop bars are versatile: fast, comfy, three great hand positions maybe even 4 if you don't have those silly bends. With Drop bars, I am slowest on the flat, fast on top of the levers and Supa fast on the drops. Flat bars, you are only in one position. So you don't the option to go from slow to fast to lightspeed fast. With bullhorns you can. You also have about 3 positions: the flats(slow), the middle of the horns(fast) and the end(going back in time FAST!) PLUS!!! you can pull on them to generate loads of power!!!! This is something that bullhorns got over drop bars. I am going to build a multi speed road bike with bullhorns. I got small hands so reaching for the levers on drop bars are a pain in the butt, but TT levers generally have reach adjustments and I just feel a whole lot more comfortable with them.

Give it a try. I think this can be a whole new bike category.

AlmostGreenGuy

The Specialized Sirrus looks right up your alley. It's pretty much a flat bar road bike. Very nimble and fun to ride.

Grim

Go get a sheet of plywood and try to hold it up in 40mph gusts...get back to us.

You are the plywood and you moving 20mph into a 20mph head wind in a full upright position is that 40mph battle...does that make sense?

The misconception is that you have to ride in the drops and that you will be all hunched over. The fact is most people ride on the hoods and that usually about the same positions as a straight bar with bar ends if you are on a road bike (not a race bike) . Fact is my seat to bar height on my Touring bike is better then it is on my Mountain bike.
When you got that 20mph head wind then you have the option to get into the drops and reduce your aerodynamic profile.

InTheRain

I have a friend with a Giant Rapid. It's light, and it's fairly fast. I'm sure it could be faster with lighter wheels and 23mm tires. He has had the bike for 2 months. He would like to take it back to the bike shop and get a road bike. His intention is to do longer distance rides of 100-200 miles. The flat bar is not ideal for that and he has found that out rather quickly. This is the commuting forum, and for commutes of less than 15 miles one-way, I think that a flat bar bike is fine.

thdave

I have a 2010 Giant Rapid 1 and love it--I rode it to work today. It is a flat bar road bike with a carbon fork and seat post.

It's quick/sporty/fun. I feel more comfortable with my hands next to the shifters and brakes, so I like this style bike, plus the riding position is what I want. I tried a dozen drop bar bikes and went a good 5 miles on two different styles, but always felt uncomfortable holding my head up with the drop bar position, unless I was in the highest position. IMO, the design of these bikes is backwards--I'd put the brakes and shifters on the horizontal tops, which is where I'd ride when I'm starting out or slowing down. I could see me moving my hands to the hoods or drops when I get up to speed.

But, I don't mean to deflect attention from your post. Final advise: The most important thing is to buy a bike that you will ride. Nothing worse than having a nice bike you don't enjoy riding.

SouthFLpix

For typical commuting distances, I think a flat bar bike would work just fine. For longer distances, such as century rides, then you will probably prefer a drop bar bike.

tjspiel

It would be nice to be able to brake and shift from the tops but it's not a position that you're supposed to spend a ton of time in, so I wouldn't say the design is backward. Most people I know with drop bars ride on the tops maybe 5 to 10% of the time. I almost never ride on the tops.

I would say that aside from the engine aerodynamics is the most important factor in speed. Weight makes a difference only if you're dealing with a lot of hills. So keep that in mind when you're looking for a "fast" bike. Something with wide flat bars positioned relatively high is going to slow you down some no matter what the frame is made of or how high end the wheels are. A bar that lets you get down lower with your hands no more than shoulder width apart will help, - even if it's a flat bar.

The final thing I will add is the for long recreational rides, the type of bike you use can make a lot of difference, but for short to moderate commutes with a lot of stops and starts, it won't matter as much in terms of how long it takes to get to work.

AlmostGreenGuy

I took a fresh pic of my Sirrus Sport this morning.

HardyWeinberg

I guess Greg LeMond showed that to an extreme w/ his TT but I'd be surprised if non-TTers, just plain bike riders, get any difference between stretched to the end of bullhorns and stretched out on the hoods. How much stretch you get from whatever can vary w/ frame size and stem length too. And horn length also. Always a lot of moving parts...

monsterpile

Are you planning on getting an additional bike or replacing your Scott? Right now your Scott is a pretty good bike for want you want to do of course a nicer bike will be lighter etc, but how fast do you really want to go? If you want to spend money on a new bike there are plenty out there, but you could also throw some more narrow tires on there for some added speed as well. There is nothing wrong with getting a 2nd bike but I thought I would add a different perspective.

DVC45

I would do that first myself. But hey, a new bike is always nice.

idc

This is my favourite kind of bike to ride. It seems like most manufacturers carry something like this nowadays, although they're not the top-of-the-line racers (but they are affordable).

If I had to buy a new commuter today I'd look at maybe the Diamondback Insight line. Probably not fast enough for you though.

himespau 

what's wrong with your current bike? Anything new wheels/tires would fix?

AltheCyclist

Could you swap out the front crankset on your Scott? Thinking: put a double 53/39 on the front? That'll get you to roadie gearing ....

caloso

If you don't mind my asking, what about drop bars does not appeal to you?

AlmostTrick

Another misconception is that flat bars give a full upright position. They don't, unless you set them up that way.

Andy_K 

This is what I was thinking.

A lot of nice flat bar bikes have been suggested, but none of them strike me as something that would be a lot faster than a Scott SUB. I'm just not sure switching to another flat bar road bike is going to make much difference. Get some Mavic Aksiums on eBay and a set of GP 4 Season tires. If you still aren't satisfied, try a tighter cassette or maybe a new crank.

JAHowe

Here is a link to the Giant Rapid. https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/...id/7298/44050/
I will take drop bars any day over flat bars. I ride on the tops of the flat bars about 25% of the time and the hoods the rest. If I get stuck in the wind, or just need to make time, I will go to the drops. Have you tried a cross bike?

badger1

^^^^^
Correct.
... but that's Bike Forums for you; guy asks about flat-bar road bike options, states pretty clearly he doesn't like and/or want drops, and the hive-mind immediately sets to work to 're-educate' him.

Seattle Forrest

When I was younger, I wanted a fast hybrid. Specifically, I wanted a flat bar bike that was every bit as fast as a road bike. At one point, I went around to a number of shops when I was trying to buy a bike, trying to find this elusive speed machine. Naturally, I thought it was a conspiracy to make us buy two (or more) bikes! And I was sure that if, say, you took a road bike, and replaced the bars, or a hybrid bike and replaced the gearing, fork, wheels and tires, and whatever else, you'd be able to win the Tour de France on it.

Living in a windy place disabused me of this notion.

jeffpoulin

If you have $3k burning a hole in your pocket, you could take a look at the Trek 7.9FX. TBH though, it won't make you fast. Maybe only 5% faster than your sub 40 for commuting. You could probably gain that 5% with better aerodynamics on your current bike too, but that's up to you.