Old School Handlebars
 

Hello,

I've finally finished my first fixie project and it is definately much more fun to ride than a freewheeler. However, I've seen some other photos of other fixies as well as ones on the streets with the old school looking type handlebars. They're drop down in style but the radius of curvature is much higher. Anyone know where you order those?

Thanks

Horace

they are made by soma, they are called Major Taylor bars.

http://store.somafab.com/majortaylorbar.html

Yup, right pretty bars. They're what I'll be using when I get enough cash to build my frame up.

http://store.somafab.com/majortaylorbar.html
http://www.thebikebiz.com/product_p/trk-bar-soma04.htm

I think the op means track bars.

Are the Major Taylors not track bars? Other track bars fit the description as well, but I think Major Taylors are the curviest and classicy-ist looking. Not to mention the cheapest.

Heres some more track bars, Horace:
http://www.thebikebiz.com/Handlebars_s/121.htm

soma is also going to be introducing some more styles:
http://www.somafab.com/somanews.html
the one in the top right looks like the real old school bars you see on early 20th century path racers.

if you ride track drops on a conversion everyone will laugh at you.

true story.

Sorry, I'm quite new to the bicycle world.

What are track drops? The real professional looking modern drop down bars?

Also, has anyone attempted to make their own handlebars with a bender and some aluminum or steel tubes?

HoraceLai, road drops have a flat area on the top next to the stem that you can hold on to, and farther out the flat is supposed to go into a pair of brake hoods. This is good and very practical because it creates a lot of hand positions. But when sprinting very hard in the drops the bar tops can bump your forearms, especially if you have em set way down low like a track racer. Track drops are designed for maximal forearm clearance when sprinting and there are no flat areas to hold on to up top. It's generally agreed that they look hot on the street (unless teyre on a conversion) but are not anywhere near as sensible as road drops with hoods. You only have one real hand position and it's fairly ridiculous for day to day street riding.

major taylor's are acceptable

track drops are bars (like the major taylors) that don't have a portion perpendicular to the ground for attaching a road style brake lever.

if you like em, ride em. dont give the style nazi's any thought.

i totally agree.

So the track drops are like these:

http://snipurl.com/1jup4

I just picked that from the photo thread, nice bicycle

those are actually bullhorns..the major taylors are track drops...like stated before..if u like them ride them n dont worry about others..ive rode on my friends nitto b-123 track bars and i find the top part of the bar where the curve is at is very comfy to ride...

those are bullhorns, which i personally love on the street but a lot of people aren't into them.

these are track drops:

http://afromania.org/~k-ozaki/diary/...20061002_7.jpg

I used track bars on two of my conversions. No one laughed. At least not to my face. Go with what's comfortable, functional, and what you think makes your bike look nice. It's your bike, no one else's.

F that, they wouldn't be laughing any less if you showed up for a serious track event with major taylors.

i love this thread

these are track drops:

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk...merkens800.jpg


these are ergo road drops:

http://www.eastonbike.com/images/P-b...30_'05.jpg


these are nonergo road drops, classic style:

http://www.dedaelementi.com/img/arti...one_Grande.jpg

these are risers:

http://www.eastonbike.com/images/P-b...50_'06.jpg


these are bullhorns:

http://www.hubjub.co.uk/nitto/nittobbarzm.jpg

these are flats:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/I.../Full/6002.jpg

what the hell is up with you doofo? that's the most useful, informative post i've ever seen you put up. back to sarcasm!

On the off chance the OP is thinking of randonneurs, those look like this right nyah:
http://catalog.ride-this.com/images/...odl/HB1021.jpg

http://harriscyclery.net/merchant/37...nneur-bars.jpg
And by the way you should run them, they're the only thing nobody else is running so it's guaranteed cool points.

rando bars make me want to puke, personal opinion i know but the they are just gross

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk...merkens800.jpg

This bike on the other hand makes me want to do dirty things

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the responses. The ones I've been thinking of were the Major Taylor's. Not as rare as the Rando's shown above but i just love the old school look of it.

Thanks for the pic above with the old school guy riding the track bike. Does anyone know what kind of handlebar stem that is? I've never seen one that bends down like that. What is that style called and where can I get it? :)

The bike that I converted is a Schwinn Traveler with the 4130 steel. I've cut off the holders/clamps that was supposed to hold the brake cables and gear cables for the deraileurs to make it look more simple and kinda like that bike in the pic above. I think the Major Taylors will look old school on it even tho it might be stupid in the eyes of people who know bikes.

BTW, why do some people leave their bars untaped? Looks? Or some actual advantage over the feel? Less weight? :)

weird...