They really are more comfortable, essential for taking pressure off of your behind!

Drop bars are also a godsend on a windy day when you're riding into a headwind or cross wind.

I like them but don't consider them to be at all essential having completed many commutes without them.

I disagree. I don't think they are essential.

I've done drop bars and flat bars, but my personal preference is the Nashbar Trekking handlebars... you can install them at an angle and provide a number of comfortable hand positions.

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...1_10000_200388

I love drop bars but they are in no way essential. I rode many a commute on flat bars.

If you have upright bars get yourself a cushy wide brooks saddle with springs. Then the rear won't mind so much.

I'm with the OP...I love drops. I have one bike without them, and I use it short distance utility because of this.

I had back problems a few years ago and finally realized it was because I was commuting on a flat bar cannondale MTB. When I switched to drops, the back cleared up.

drop bars are not essential, but on those november mornings when there's a 35mph headwind screaming right at me off of lake michigan, it's really, REALLY, REALLY freaking nice to be able to tuck down. drop bars don't necessarily make battling a headwind like that fun or enjoyable, but they certainly do help make it more bearable.

I'm with Philski on the trekking bars. Had a set for close to three months now, and I'm quite pleased. I wouldn't call them or any other particular kind of handlebars essential. though. The only essential part is having handlebars... any kind. I think it would be a bit difficult to steer your bike by grabbing the stem with one hand a holding the brake lever in the other...

+2

I've been commuting on a drop bar bike for the past two months. Starting to put some serious thought into converting it to a trekking bar. Drops are worthless in traffic when you have to keep your hands on the brakes,and I find the 'drops' on trekking bars to be much more stable than the ones on drop bars.

I too prefer drop bars, but it's just silly to say they are essential (sorry!). In fact I have to commute --which is most of my riding-- on a folding bike with flat bars. Drop bars are simply not an option; they won't let the bike fold up small enough to fit in the luggage rack on the train.

Ummm... this is the commuting forum

Hmmm?

Depends on what type of commute. Rural? Certainly, but if one has a 10 mile or less urban they're a little unstable. One needs to be more upright in general to keep an eye on traffic. And the cagers need to be able to see you. too!

With the proper combination of bar/stem, one should be able to get just as much pressure off the butt with a flat bar as with drops.

I don't find drops essential for my 20 minute each way commute. If it were twice as long, they would be nearly essential for me. Nonetheless I greatly prefer my road bike even for 20 minutes as long as conditions aren't snowy or icy.

He doesn't think they are essential. That's pretty much sums it up for me

I speculate that the vast majority of commuters are on hybrid bicycles that do not have drop bars, so I wouldn't call them essential especially for typical commuter distances (under 20 miles). I think 'nice' would be a more appropriate term to use.

They're also good for preventing noob friends from asking to borrow your bike.

The are not even essential for 100mile+ rides or for some types of racing.

I haven't experienced any difficulties in watching traffic with drops...you can ride the flats or the hoods. I also don't think bars are making any difference in your visibility to cars. I PREFER urban commuting with drops.

uh, no.

uh, no.

^^ winner of the thread

I'm on 22,000 miles without them. Odd definition of "essential." And I don't have any problems with pressure on my behind - I have a good saddle that fits me.