Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Commuting
Reload this Page >

Which handlebars are you using for your commute?

Search
Notices
Commuting Bicycle commuting is easier than you think, before you know it, you'll be hooked. Learn the tips, hints, equipment, safety requirements for safely riding your bike to work.
View Poll Results: What handlebars are you using?
Drops
44.04%
Bullhorn
4.59%
Trekking
9.17%
Flat
22.02%
Mustache
4.59%
Dirt/Rando Drops
2.75%
Other
11.01%
I ride with no hands like a boss
1.83%
Voters: 109. You may not vote on this poll

Which handlebars are you using for your commute?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 11-14-13, 02:05 PM
  #26  
Disco Infiltrator
 
Darth Lefty's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,446

Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,105 Times in 1,369 Posts
Originally Posted by noglider
I generally prefer upright bars to drop bars for city riding, but there's something I can't explain about my Bianchi Volpe. It fits so well that I wouldn't change the drop handlebars, and I ride it in the city a lot.
I test-rode a Volpe and it had the most stack of any drop-bar bike I've tried. How high are the bars compared to the seat? Also the Tiagra shifters are huge.
Darth Lefty is offline  
Old 11-14-13, 02:29 PM
  #27  
Ghost Ryding 24/7
 
Ghost Ryder's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Canada/604
Posts: 2,185

Bikes: Giant Defy with Dura Ace group, & Ksyrium SL's,Specialized Allez Shimano mixed/mashed,2011 Opus Sentiero,2008 Kona Jake the Snake,Custom built track/fixed,Stumpy Hartail,Kuwahara/ET bike.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by mstraus
I use drops. I thought about getting a bike with flat bar or something else for commuting, but ultimately I decided I like the flexibility the drop bars give me on hand positions.

I admin I spend almost all my time on the hoods, but I can move my hands back and forth a bit. I only use the drops occasionally for a fast decent or big headwind.

While on a MUP I might hold the bar a bit for a different position. I have debated getting a set of interrupters (cross brakes) on my new commuter when I get it so that I can ride and still brake in this more upright position - mostly would use when weaving through tourists in the summer. Curious if anyone has experience with these and if they impact overall brake performance or feel.
I have used interrupters, & still have a pair on one of my bike.(1st drop bar bike)
Honestly I never use them, I find being on the hoods is hood enough for me on MUP's, & even in traffic. I'll most likely remove them to shave weight.
Ghost Ryder is offline  
Old 11-14-13, 02:41 PM
  #28  
Senior Member
 
mconlonx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,558
Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7148 Post(s)
Liked 134 Times in 92 Posts
Risers with 15-25 deg of pullback.
mconlonx is offline  
Old 11-14-13, 03:00 PM
  #29  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 5,996
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2497 Post(s)
Liked 741 Times in 523 Posts
Originally Posted by mstraus
I have debated getting a set of interrupters (cross brakes) on my new commuter when I get it so that I can ride and still brake in this more upright position - mostly would use when weaving through tourists in the summer. Curious if anyone has experience with these and if they impact overall brake performance or feel.
I have these three bikes. On our tandem I have Tektro long-pull drop levers but no one, except Paul ($$$) makes a long pull cross-lever, so I run Travel Agents. Big hassle using TA's with discs, the inline TA's introduce a ton of drag, so much so that I had to jury rig a booster for the return spring in the Avid BB7's. Fine, but no LBS mechanic will touch it now. If you get from that that I swear by cross levers you would be right. I use them as much as the 'main' brake levers. On my tandem and road racer (yes, cross levers on a roadie, they rock that in the PNW quite a bit) I think I get a better bite from the cross-levers, but on my main commuter that seems not to be the case. I haven't quite figured out why this is.

H
Leisesturm is offline  
Old 11-14-13, 03:37 PM
  #30  
One Man Fast Brick
 
hubcap's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 1,121

Bikes: Specialized Langster, Bianchi San Jose, early 90s GT Karakoram, Yuba Mundo, Mercier Nano (mini velo), Nashbar Steel Commuter, KHS Tandemania Sport

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Various bars on various bikes. Most miles are on drop bars. Next most are on VO Postino bars (45deg sweep, zero rise). Next most are on brahma bars. Next are risers.
hubcap is offline  
Old 11-14-13, 04:10 PM
  #31  
Senior Member
 
enigmaT120's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Falls City, OR
Posts: 1,965

Bikes: 2012 Salsa Fargo 2, Rocky Mountain Fusion, circa '93

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts
Salsa Woodchipper, on the Fargo. I had Nashbar's trekking bars on my Rocky Mountain when I commuted on it, but now it is more dedicated to logging road and trail riding so I found a Specialized knock off of Bullmoose bars, which I love.
enigmaT120 is offline  
Old 11-14-13, 04:35 PM
  #32  
Senior Member
 
downtube42's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 3,843

Bikes: Trek Domane SL6 Gen 3, Soma Fog Cutter, Focus Mares AL, Detroit Bikes Sparrow FG, Volae Team, Nimbus MUni

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 896 Post(s)
Liked 2,065 Times in 1,081 Posts
I really wanted to like rando bars on my vintage Motobecane because I like the look, but I didn't like the narrower flats.

I do go bar-less on occasion, when I commute on my uni.
downtube42 is offline  
Old 11-14-13, 05:52 PM
  #33  
High Plains Luddite
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Colorado
Posts: 681

Bikes: 3x8 & 3x9

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 215 Post(s)
Liked 92 Times in 54 Posts
Flat (well, riser) bar on a rigid MTB with Origin 8 Drop Bar Ends. The bar ends are taped make my longer Saturday rides more confortable due to multiple hand positions. I tried regular MTB bar ends that stick up but couldn't find much to like about those, other than a good place to hang my helmet when the bike spends the night in the garage on its kickstand.
Squeeze is offline  
Old 11-15-13, 06:09 AM
  #34  
Senior Member
 
bmontgomery87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Roanoke, Va
Posts: 997

Bikes: 2013 leader 721. 2015 leader 725. 2012 fuji feather

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Right now I have risers, but I have a new set of bullhorns I'm putting back on as soon as I get a lever that will fit.
bmontgomery87 is offline  
Old 11-15-13, 06:20 AM
  #35  
Banned
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: England / CPH
Posts: 8,543

Bikes: 2010 Cube Acid / 2013 Mango FGSS

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1053 Post(s)
Liked 41 Times in 36 Posts
bad azz dropz:

Attached Images
acidfast7 is offline  
Old 11-15-13, 06:32 AM
  #36  
Senior Member
 
G1nko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Glastonbury, CT
Posts: 171
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
V-O Montmartre bars.

Attached Images
File Type: jpg
montmartre_22.2.jpg (15.0 KB, 18 views)
G1nko is offline  
Old 11-15-13, 06:33 AM
  #37  
Senior Member
 
badger1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Southwestern Ontario
Posts: 5,127
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1581 Post(s)
Liked 1,192 Times in 606 Posts
Voted 'other'; the poll fails to include "flat bars w/bar ends", which to my mind are quite distinct from "flat" as a category.
I use a pretty standard flat bar (600mm/8 degree sweep) with bar-ends and Ergon grips. Have done for years.
Reason 1: I prefer shifting and covering the brakes from "the tops" while in traffic and
Reason 2: I find this set-up more than comfortable/aero enough for me on windy/long/century rides etc.
Reason 3: I don't engage in Cat 6 racing, and I'm too chicken s**t to descend at 70kms/hr, so don't care about 'the drops' for sprinting and descending.
Caveat: I have only one bike. If I do add a second, purposed only for longer distances out of the city, it would have drops/brifters. Just because.
badger1 is offline  
Old 11-15-13, 06:57 AM
  #38  
rhm
multimodal commuter
 
rhm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,808

Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...

Mentioned: 584 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1908 Post(s)
Liked 574 Times in 339 Posts
For the last year I've been commuting mostly on this old beast, which has a Sturmey Archer hub and the Soma "Lauterwasser" bar. Its shape is somewhere between a mustache bar and a real Lauterwasser bar, which is somewhere between a mustache bar and a track bar.

rhm is offline  
Old 11-15-13, 07:06 AM
  #39  
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,267

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 129 Times in 96 Posts
I am usually riding drop bars... when I am not riding no handed.

Last edited by Sixty Fiver; 11-15-13 at 07:37 AM.
Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 11-15-13, 07:18 AM
  #40  
Banned
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: England / CPH
Posts: 8,543

Bikes: 2010 Cube Acid / 2013 Mango FGSS

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1053 Post(s)
Liked 41 Times in 36 Posts
Originally Posted by Sixty Fiver
I am usually ride drop bars... when I am not riding no handed.
I actually saw a student commuting by unicycle on what looked like 20" wheel.
acidfast7 is offline  
Old 11-15-13, 07:34 AM
  #41  
Senior Member
 
kookaburra1701's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Posts: 1,345

Bikes: 2014 Specialized Dolce Triple, 1987 Schwinn Tempo, 2012 Windsor Kensington 8

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
"Other" - north roads all the way.
kookaburra1701 is offline  
Old 11-15-13, 08:16 AM
  #42  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
QNelson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 182
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by rhm
For the last year I've been commuting mostly on this old beast, which has a Sturmey Archer hub and the Soma "Lauterwasser" bar. Its shape is somewhere between a mustache bar and a real Lauterwasser bar, which is somewhere between a mustache bar and a track bar.

Wow those look amazing on that bike. Does it put you in a semi-upright position?
QNelson is offline  
Old 11-15-13, 08:39 AM
  #43  
rhm
multimodal commuter
 
rhm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,808

Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...

Mentioned: 584 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1908 Post(s)
Liked 574 Times in 339 Posts
Originally Posted by QNelson
Wow those look amazing on that bike. Does it put you in a semi-upright position?
Thanks! No, I wouldn't call it that. I like my hands a few inches below the saddle, so it's more or less a compromise of all the drop bar positions. A little lower than the top, not quite as far forward as the hoods, not as deep as drops. It's basically a one-position bar with a few good short term variations-- I can get a more upright position by putting my hands at the top (pretty narrow), or for a more dropped position, I can bend my elbows and put my hands all the way forward. It's a good option if you're running an IGH, since it measures 7/8" like an upright bar (you can't put most IGH shifters on most drop bars).
rhm is offline  
Old 11-15-13, 09:13 AM
  #44  
Banned.
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,535
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by mstraus
I use drops. I thought about getting a bike with flat bar or something else for commuting, but ultimately I decided I like the flexibility the drop bars give me on hand positions.

I admin I spend almost all my time on the hoods, but I can move my hands back and forth a bit. I only use the drops occasionally for a fast decent or big headwind.

While on a MUP I might hold the bar a bit for a different position. I have debated getting a set of interrupters (cross brakes) on my new commuter when I get it so that I can ride and still brake in this more upright position - mostly would use when weaving through tourists in the summer. Curious if anyone has experience with these and if they impact overall brake performance or feel.
+1

I have flatbars on my Surly Ogre for commuting. However, I do prefer inline (interrupter) brakes on my Raleigh Record Ace for the longer distances. I'm like 80% on the hoods anyways.
WestPablo is offline  
Old 11-15-13, 09:18 AM
  #45  
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,267

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 129 Times in 96 Posts
I like the combination of drop bars with interruptor levers... I use these on my XC mountain bike and on the Pugsley.

Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 11-15-13, 10:29 AM
  #46  
www.ocrebels.com
 
Rick@OCRR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Los Angeles area
Posts: 6,186

Bikes: Several bikes, Road, Mountain, Commute, etc.

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 83 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 2 Posts
I use Profile drop bars but honestly, in traffic (which is most of the time), I ride the hoods. Very comfortable, no issues.

Rick / OCRR
Attached Images
File Type: jpg
GT 853 Parked by my desk.jpg (106.1 KB, 26 views)
Rick@OCRR is offline  
Old 11-16-13, 02:31 AM
  #47  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: southeastern PA - a mile west of Philadelphia
Posts: 430
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I don’t find any of the hand positions on drop bars comfortable in the least of ways. The hoods hurt my hands and wrist, the tops are too narrow, and the drops are only doable for very short durations. However, I like the appearance of drop bars.

Conversely, all the flat bars on my mountain bikes are perfectly adequate even for my longest 200-mile rides and I much prefer trigger shifters over “brifters”.
Gnosis is offline  
Old 11-16-13, 03:08 AM
  #48  
Ghost Ryding 24/7
 
Ghost Ryder's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Canada/604
Posts: 2,185

Bikes: Giant Defy with Dura Ace group, & Ksyrium SL's,Specialized Allez Shimano mixed/mashed,2011 Opus Sentiero,2008 Kona Jake the Snake,Custom built track/fixed,Stumpy Hartail,Kuwahara/ET bike.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by acidfast7
bad azz dropz:

Those look more like track drops.
Ghost Ryder is offline  
Old 11-16-13, 03:29 AM
  #49  
Senior Member
 
leicanthrope's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 808

Bikes: Yes.

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 32 Post(s)
Liked 14 Times in 6 Posts
I have a set of Gerry Burgess randonneur bars on my main commuter, which I adore. Flipped north roads on my back up bike, but that project is new enough that I don't really have much of an opinion of them.
leicanthrope is offline  
Old 11-16-13, 04:46 AM
  #50  
Senior Member
 
devianb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 869

Bikes: 2008 Dawes Haymaker 20XX Leader LD515 TotoCycling Road Bike

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 27 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 32 Times in 19 Posts
Riser bar with a sweep.
devianb is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.