Better dropbars
 

One of my bikes ended up with a Richey dropbar somehow and it feels significantly more ergonomic than other drop bars that I have on bicycles. Who makes the best ergonomic drop bars?

Maybe you have already found the best - for you. Just like saddles, my favorite bar may feel un-natural for you.

Richey are the best

Never been a fan of Ritchey stuff, but that is me, I have a FSA bar on my one of my bikes that fit my hands perfectly, but as Venuri95 said, it is a very personal thing.

I never had actual Ritchey ergo bars, but some look-alikes. I liked them just fine, but I prefer a rounded and smooth curve. Like a woman's body (can I say that?).

Bars are personal, and one manufacturer can make a bunch of different variations. Find out the specifications of the bar you like so much: reach, drop, flare (if applicable), and the shape of the bend.

The ones that fit you the best are of course the best. What those bars are for you nobody here knows.

For me personally I do like my Zipp Service Corse SL-70 Ergo bars for drop bars. I think they are worth trying but you might find you want something different.

"More ergonomic" is not a thing. "Ergonomic" means designed to fit the user .... so if those bars have a width, drop, and reach which suit you, write down those numbers. Same bars might be terrible for anyone else, but they fit you, so you win.

Like others have said, it's totally personal. I don't like ergo bars. My hands love the old "V" shaped TTT bars (Superleggero is one) and never really liked any of the old Cinellis. I got lucky in that several Japanese manufactures copied the TTTs nearly exactly and made billions for production bikes.

That's my favorite too. I chose them because they were similar in drop and reach to the Ritchey Comp Curve I liked, but lighter. I wonder which model the OP has.

IME: Ax-Lightness 4200 ergo just feel right & proper in my hands. Transverse fibers that resist clamping forces nicely. Short, 65mm reach & shallow drop with no flare & a few degrees of sweep on the flattened tops for a nice natural (elbows down) arm position.

FSA/Vision K-Force on the other hand are flexy noodles with tops that are just wrong to my palm & an 80mm reach with a curvature from the tops to the hoods that just ain't right. Not impressed.

Soma Highway Ones are reasonably nice for aluminum. Sort of basic but get the job done on a budget.

Get what feels nice.

Bont & FSA labeled stuff seems to work for me when it comes to bars & seats.
like mentioned, you've probably found your "go-to" bar with your one bicycle.

I like flat-top, short-reach and shallow-drop usually. I have being using Zipp Aero, Ritchey Street, and even the now-discontinued Specialized flat-top riser drop bars. II liked them all but my new favorite is the FSA K-Wing. The flat spot in front of the hoods is brilliant for me. The top is flat and slightly angled- very comfy. Plus, the 46 cm is 45cm which is perfect since my usual 44s feel just a touch too narrow.

100% personal, me I like Nitto Noodles

I like Redshift Kitchen Sink if using modern components, I like Noodles with old components

I have the same Zipp bars mentioned above, and I like them. But I LOVE the Soma Highway Ones I have on several other bikes. And the thing is, they're very similar! Similar reach and drop, but the curve of the drops is just a little different.

wait…Bont make bars and/or saddles??

I suspect that is Bontrager

Ah.

Bont do make my favorite shoes, so I was wondering how I missed bars and saddles, but Bontrager having been meant would explain it.

The "best" handlebars are the one that you think are "best". Period.

I have one bike that still has a traditional, compact handlebar. I have 2 bikes that have been switched to the Ritchey Beacon bar. I like this handlebar right away, but was not sure I liked the 36 deg. flare. Now, with time and miles, I have become a bit surprised at how much I like them. The short reach, 65mm, and the very shallow drop, 80, really work for me, along with the overall shape of the bar. I stuck with the comp version, 300gr, with the WCS version being 30 grs. lighter at almost twice the cost.

North Roads for me. Remember your old English three speed? Natural wrist positioning, and a number of companies make them in alloy at a modest cost. I haven’t walked away from drop bars altogether, but I have very little use for the lot of them.

Totally personal, but coincidentally my favorite bars are Ritchey WCS. They’re aero on top and the drops are traditional round shape. Best of both worlds.

So I figured it out. The dropbars that I am referring to as improved simply have a shorter distance at the section that goes towards the dropbar shifters. I think that is the reach? Or some other term. This is important because when I go into the drops, this keeps my wrists from hitting the top part of the handlebar. With the longer "reach" part of the bar part of my arm is hitting the handlebar when I go into the bottom position.

Other bike of course is also shorter overall and so it's easier to reach the shifters. I ordered a shorter stem but likely will switch out the drop bar too.,

Yes, it does sound like you prefer a shorter reach. However, your explanation makes me a little concerned. Are you keeping your elbows bent slightly? Locking your elbows will cause a handful of comfort problems, plus it’s not as aero. Fixing that might clear the bar better. Also, your arms touching the bar shouldn’t necessarily be the determining factor for your final reach (such as the shorter stem). You already ordered it, so it won’t hurt to give it a try, but pay attention to your comfort to determine if it makes things better or worse.