kwyll

In the past i have some good quality tourers with drops.....!but did i ever use the drop!!!!!!!!! virtually never!!!!!!!I always used the flat part of the bar..!Which leads me to ask ....how many really use the drops**********?Yes......., drops offer you many more different hand positions but do you really use them all.....im asking this because im a recent convert to straight bars,i think they are more comfortable,you see more...and the all round cycling experience is enhanced by them.....!!!

DataJunkie

I dislike flat bars. I can see just as well riding the hoods on a drop bar and enjoy the many hand positions.
Anyhow, I frequently use my drops as well.

Javan

I have flats and thought I wanted drops, but with some good bar ends, I find that I am put in a good aero position, with good visibility...

deraltekluge

But you won't look like a racer without the drop bars! People gotta have drops on their bikes the same as they gotta have wings and spoilers on their econo-box cars...how else can they play Walter Mitty?

DataJunkie

Do touring riders look like racers? What a silly comment.

AlmostTrick

Ha ha, so true. I have my flat bars positioned as low as I ever want to go, (about saddle level) and have no desire to ever drop lower. I'm just as areo as I would be if I were riding the hoods on drop bars. Still, I wouldn't mind giving drops another whirl, but I'd have to jack 'em up a little. What ever works for you is what you should run.

maddyfish

There is no comparison. Properly sized drops include flat bars.

Last night I went on a group ride and I used the drops, the tops, the bends, and the hoods. About 30% hoods, 30% tops,20% bends, and 20% drops.

TromboneAl

I changed from drops to these about a year ago



but just recently switched back:



There were just a few times when I'd have a strong headwind, and miss the drops. And I have to admit, it was partly because of the look of the bike.

AlmostTrick

If you like narrow flat bars without shifter access. (without moving your hands to the hoods or drops)

Not everyone does.

d2create

If I'm going to use straight bars, I like "straight" bars that curve towards you a little bit. Makes for a more natural hand position and your wrists aren't tweaked funny.

Moustache bars are an interesting option. Lots of hand positions and you can sit more upright or aero.

Nitto Noodle bars are the most comfortable drop bars ever. I spend most of my time on those with my hands resting on the curves.

mastronaut

I've been using "bull moose" bars for about 5 years, I'll never go back to drops.

dynaryder

Yay! Drop bar bashing!

Actually,it is kinda nice to see drops taking some hammering. Whenever there's a discussion about bar types,a few drop bar zelots will take the attitude that flat bars are useless,in some cases even questioning the reasoning ability of those who use them. I do the vast majority of my riding in a heavily urban area. All the hand positions on drops are pretty much moot for me;it's simply not possible for me to travel any kind of distance without having to come to a stop for a good 10-30sec at a time. Plus I really do need to cover the brakes. I often ride with a finger or two on the front lever. If I was coming in from the burbs on the trails,traveling miles at a stretch non-stop,then I could see drops. But in the city flat bars come into their own.

Rob_E

In college I had a bike with drops that replaced the old, swept back barred Schwinn that I had been riding. I hated needing to be in the drops to brake, and eventually I turned them around and up so that the "drops" were the highest part. Knowing what I do now, about all the available styles and how easy it can be to switch, I probably would have just swapped them for something that better fit my riding style. But then my upturned drops really annoyed my roadie room mate, so maybe not. ;-)

I have little use for drops, but I also don't like flat bars, especially if I'm going for any distance. Right now I've replaced my flats with trekking bars, and I think I'll outfit my next bike with something mustache-like.

DataJunkie

Flat bar zealots. jeeze

maddyfish

Read the quote that you quoted. Properly sized drops include flat bars. PROPERLY SIZED. Nearly every bike I see has drop bars that are too narrow. My shifters are easy to access from the top. Maybe you are thinking of old time downtube shifters?

maddyfish

Useless? NO. I would rather ride flat bars than a bike with no bars. Extremely limited? Yes.

caloso

Ride what's comfortable for you. Personally, flat bars cause me wrist discomfort but if they're comforable for you, enjoy.

Buglady

Different bars suit different needs. For city riding on my errand bike, I like my North Road bars; for longer distances, I DO use all the possiblities for hand position on my touring bike's drop bars. Plain flat bars like mountain bike bars do not suit me well, because of some specific wrist problems I have. I would never tell another rider not to use something that worked for them.

Bionicycle

First of all…calm!!!!!!!…down!!!!!!!, it will be ok.

Personally, I have ridden everything from “drop bars” to “ape hangers” to “Flat bars” to “Mustache bars” and even a Stingray type bike with a steering wheel…(circa 1970’s) and can honestly say, that they all had their advantages, and disadvantages(except maybe the steering wheel, it was just silly). I think it all just depends on what type of riding you like to do, and where you are now, in your personal physical evolution. And, yes even to a certain extent, how you want your bike to look.

At this time in my life, you couldn’t pay me to ride a bike over a mile, with drop bars, or flat bars; it just wouldn’t be worth the discomfort to me… After two lower back surgeries, and a hip replacement, I have evolved(if you could call it that) to where I like the upswept Dutch style handle bars the best myself… They are what works for me.

So… I guess my point is, if I have one?... other than to say I find Drops, and Flats uncomfortable to me; is to say… just ride whatever you like, and are comfortable with, until you aren’t comfortable with it anymore… because every type of handlebar made has some advantage, and some disadvantage to their design,(whether looks, or comfort, or aerodynamics, or just to be different) otherwise nobody would have bothered to design them… But, it’s really just all about what you like…

Longfemur

So, don't use drops. My opinion is that if you never used the drops, you were missing out on a pretty valuable hand and body position.

bhop

I use my drops occasionally.. it gets windy sometimes. I definitely notice a difference in wind resistance when i'm lower.

envane

I ride in drops 95% of the time. I like to keep my hands vertical, and I have instant access to brakes and shifting.

Sirrus Rider

+1 Most of the guys I've seen around here are so fat they can only ride drops for a mile or so. Plus, the marketers really push both road and MTB racing to make the money for the cycling industry.

krazygluon

+1 for drops, although I've never tried (real) trekking bars, bullhorns or aero bars, so maybe I'd like them better.

mandovoodoo

So much depends on fit, power output, need to handle hard cornering, taste, etc.

I really find discomfort on flat bars, even with bar ends.

I really do use the drops about 15% of the time - a very important 15%. Downhill, headwinds, and pounding hard.

Otherwise, I really like the wing bars. Very comfortable for me in many positions.

But I just got a noodle for my tourer. Will be fun to put on.