derek13

What is your favorite type of handlebar? Does it need to be comfortable? Is looks more important? What do you like?

I am now riding my first FG that came with the most uncomfortable bars I have ever ridden. (Schwinn Madison) I prefer to ride flat/straight type bars. Are these types useful on a FG?

gehrkead

carbon track drops, but flopped and chopped or die

andre nickatina

If the bar didn't cost $300, how could it ever be comfortable??


Haha seriously though, looks aren't that important though I'd be lying to say they don't matter at all, I don't want to look like a complete dork I like bars that offer plenty of hand positions and are comfortable in sprints/wind cutting situations, as well as hills and long rides. Nitto bullhorns with thick cork just about best for me for satisfying all three. I also like Nitto track drops w/ cork, which beat out the bullhorns in sprints but are not particularly good for long rides or hill climbing. There's something I love about busting ass in the drops on the street, slicing through the air like it's nothing...

I dislike riding flats and risers for long because there's limited hand positions and bad leverage for rocking the bike back and forth while climbing a hill (or just getting up to speed). I will admit that risers are fun once in awhile but the novelty wears off quickly for me because I'm not much of a fan of tricks with the exception of things that are practical in traffic. Not a fan of chop and flops because they give a more limited hand position selection vs. real bullhorns.

ryanlovesyou

Many people find that riser bars are comfortable. I ride them cause they give me an upright position that is comfortable for short distance commuting that I do. A lot of people also like bullhorns because they give you more hand positions than risers. If you like flat bars, going with risers sounds like a good idea. Just go to your local bike shop and see if they have any cast offs in a used parts bin. Its super easy to switch bars around so just try em all out.

shasta

I've got 3 bars that I really like right now. I have chopped down easton low rise alloy bars for my dicking around bike. I switch back and forth between deda pista drops and profile t2 wing base bars on my fast bike.

I don't like my chop and flops or road drops very much.

Its all about comfort and being able to duck under the wind.

erikxvx

after trying regular drops..that came on my rush hour, track drops, bullhorns, riser bars, and flat bars...i prefer risers. i think they are the most comfortable. i dont usually ride more than twenty miles so multiple hand positions arent that important to me.

j0e_bik3

I tried several shape bars but settled on risers.

I can't explain why, but I feel like I have more control with the risers (probably from too much motocross as a kid)

ianjk

I hate to admit it, but my most comfortable bar is off a trashed 60's Schwinn lil'tyke's bike that I flipped and shortened by 3". Basically the same shape as my "nice" bullhorns, but free from the dump and made of steel. Wrapped up in used red celo tape off of an old electro-forged Schwinn.

Negative bling.

johnnyedge

i ride nitto track drops right now. they were really uncomfortable when i had them unwrapped but since i have wrapped them w/ cork they feel awesome. i also have risers. i change it up every couple months just for the heck of it.

jdms mvp

risers honestly

peugotpigeon

drops

blickblocks

Some bullhorns and risers sweep back. I think this is the key to the ergonomicalness of them.

nocash

i ride a bontrager race OS bar and its not because i chose it, but they were given to me. they are a wider bar(maybe 440 mm) and i like the feel of them. if i decide to ride brakeless im gonna chop em up and flip em.

dustnoize

drops for winter, risers for summer riding

Thasiet

Moustaches. Decent aero position and awesome climbing one. Comfortable for up to forty miles, prolly even more if I didn't have them below the saddle. However, only fat people like me ride them (but not on my touring bike!), so maybe you should just play it safe and go with a teepee roll width of unadorned copper tubing or whatever the hell is about to go out of fashion.

dayvan cowboy

right now I'm riding some chop and flops but i'm thinking about getting a pair of track drops or a straight bar.

Sammyboy

It's just a bike - what's useful on any other bike is also useful on an FG bike. You might want to stick with the drops for a little while - if you can get used to them, you'll find advantages. Otherwise, a straight bar with do just fine.

zooyorkcity

Can anyone recommend a decent flat bar at a good price on a site online right now?

ZiP0082

i like these sites for super cheap flat bars:
www.pricepoint.com
www.nycbikes.com
www.ebay.com
www.nashbar.com

jhaber

These make me happy :

My experience has been with big mountain bike riser bars, nashbar bullhorns, and drops without hoods.

blankgen

Drops with hoods

elTwitcho

Same. Most hand positions of any common bar setup