Handlebars
 

What kind of handlebar do you have on your primary ride? Do you ever think of swapping it out for something else?

Drop bar/NO

Have the regualr drops plus have some profile aero bars which once I had the bike properly fitted are awesome especially when riding into the wind. I can get on the straight farm roads out here get on the aeros and ride for miles without having to move the upper body a bit, have even learned to handle a water bottle while on the aeros. Would never switch these out.

Drop bar, and no way would I change.

Two many positions for hand relief, and down low in a head wind.:)

I prefer the flat bar and the flat bar shifters that came with the Trek 7200 hybrid. I got a Trek 1000 to try the drop bars, but even after raising the bars I still don't care for them. Yes there are more positions on drop bar, but for me they are all uncomfortable. The road bike brake levers are too far forward for me to grab, and the sideways flipping of brake lever to shift is too ackward. No doubt the extra 60 pounds in my gut contributes to my discomfort. That all said I do like the ease of riding the high pressure 23c tyres. I have the parts, now just need the motivation to convert the Trek 1000 to flat bar.

DG, I assume you meant MTB riser bars to be in the 'other' catagory.

Yeah, what he said.

Currently drop, but plan to switch to aero.

Bars.......
 

Currently ride drop bars but I'm considering a bullhorn bar since I don't ride in the 'drops' because of discomfort.

Drop. Wouldn't change on the main bike. I'll be putting a moustache bar on my beater Fuji. Flat bar on the MTB (or riser if you must split hairs).

I currently ride a flat bar on my sirrus, but will soon be riding a drop bar on a roubaix. I will continue to ride them both.

Drop bars on four bikes
moustache bars on one bike
flat bars on one bike
1960s style three-speed roadster bars (what are they called?) on one bike

I know. I know. I'm nuts.

I'm using drop bars and was thinking of switching. After a while I started getting used to them again (but I don't think I'll ever get into the dropped position as well as I did when I was in my 20's :eek: ). I recently borrowed a bike with upright ("Leave it to Beaver" ??) style bars. Multiple hand positions are missing but the one you do have is more comfortable than and one drop bar position. I picked up another bike w/ upright bars... and fenders!

Bob

Mainly Mountain bike and I suppose it is a Flat bar but I use Riser bars. These bring the hand position up and rearwards and on top of that- I can get them In wide form. somewhere in the region of 28" instead of the normal 24" that is for flat bars- Definitely more control- Even as stoker on the Tandem as I can point the Pilot in the direction he should be going in if I wrench hard enough.

Ugh!!:rolleyes: :rolleyes: You guys can keep your back breaking drops &
your rotten arm twisting flats 'cause I'll take my human enginerred North
Road bars anyday. ;) ;) ;)

God didn't make our arms to twist sideways on a bicycle nor did He intend
for humans to ride all hunched over. :( :( :(

North Roads or Cruiser bars RULE!!!:D :D

I have a mid riser bar on my road bike. I like it. It is very comfortable and gives me a great deal of control. But I have not ruled out returning to a drop bar once my body gets back into good riding condition (I am 59 and want to be in better shape when I hit 60 than I was at 50.)

BTW, while I was in Indiana a couple of weeks back, i road a RANS recumbent a few times for five miles or so. I felt like I was commanding a clone between a lawn chair and an 18-wheeler. Very comfy all the way 'round, including handlebar position.

Two different types of drop bars on my two road bikes and aero bars on my TT bike.

I have conventional drops on the 5 road bikes, because I like the look and greatly appreciate the variety of hand positions.

I don't have any aero or triathlon bars, because I don't feel able to use them safely.

I have slightly shorter/narrower-than-average conventional mountain bars with straight bar end extensions on the mountain bike. The old school 4-finger brake levers give me braking from the extensions.

I have no current plans to change any of the above, although I may convert another road bike from downtube shifters to barcons.

bullhorns on the fixie
drops on 2 road bikes
flat (slight riser) on the mountain bike

Yes, Blackberry, you are nuts....but in a damned likable, sensible way. Drops for me...2 of my 3 road bikes have a simple clamp-on aero bar which I use a lot simply to add another position. I find conventional curve drop bars to be most comfy (especially on any ride over 10 miles) for me.

Drop bar and if I ever switched it it would be fo some bull horns. Right now I'm happy with the Drop bars though.

I have two current "main" bikes, an Atlantis and Rambouillet, ridden about equally. Both have wide drops (48 and 50cm; I'm 6'4" with long arms). Before I got the fit dialed in, though, I tried both flat bars and mustache bars on the Atlantis. Raising the bars so they were about level with the saddle made a huge difference--it's one of the things Rivendell recommends when you buy a bike. I resisted at first, but when I finally tried it, I realized it makes a lot of sense. I can cruise comfortably on the tops, but get down on the drops when I need to get aero. For the first time in 30+ years of adult cycling, I can use the drops without suffering.
The mustache bars are on my singlespeed now. I still like them a lot, but they don't have a comfortable cruising position for me, the equivalent of riding the tops on a conventional bar. The SS rarely goes more than six or eight miles, to they work fine on that.

Triple T Mutant drop bars, these things are so stiff you feel lots of road shock. I'm thinking about switching to more forgiving drops. I used Modolo on my old bike and they were softer. I'm afraid of the carbon bars because I tend to break things.

John,
Consider a switch to Nitto Noodle drop bars available at Rivendell for $47. I am very pleased with mine. Plenty of curves, not pig iron inflexible, a medium drop, and available up to 48cm ctr to ctr. Curve is conventional, not anatomic and, personally, I like that better than anatomic bars I've used-- but a matter of taste. Check 'em out here:

http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/handl...ape/16111.html