Originally Posted by halfspeed
Lots of different bars will mix and match things like shallow drops, flares, ergo bends, shallow or deep ramps. I don't think your categories are very illuminating. For example, Ritchey Biomax have probably more in common with Nitto Randonneurs than they do with another "ergo" bar like the Ritchey Pro.
Bars are hard to buy because bike shop stock is often limited and they don't commonly have enough specs listed. What I'd really like to know before choosing bars is not only the width, drop, clamp and "ergoness", but also flare, rise, ramp and reach.
Quite so. However, I did say that those were my four categories to "keep it simple". You can quite obviously start breaking down all the details, which in the end will only lead to describing each manufacturer, model, and their specifics.
When friends of mine seek help outfitting their bikes, that's usually how I explain it to them. In the end, it's almost a non-issue with a stock bike, as almost all of them come with "ergo bars." (And, before that is contested, I did say "ALMOST all").
That's just how I conceptualize it, and it is a rather simple model.