Having ridden a fixed gear bike once, my notion of handlebar choice for them may be wrong. It seems that if the bike is based on a sporting road frame and ridden like one, it needs sporting drop bars.


I've seen so many pics of fixed gear bikes with straight bars, moustache bars, bull horn and riser bars, I thought there was some reason for different bars for fixed gear bikes. Now I'm thinking that the main reason for these types of bars is that they are suitable for town bikes, which fixed gear is also suited for.


It seems that if I ride my fixed bike on similar roads and in a similar way as my geared road bikes, I need similar bars. My bull horn or matador bars may coming of my fixed bike for drop bars.


Or is there some reason why fixed bikes are more suitable to an upright riding style?

you can use a fixed gear for more or less anything that you can use a geared bike for. handlebar choice is best suited for intended use and personal preference, like any bike really.

there is nothing inherent to fixed gear that lends itself towards on bar or another, in my opinion.

Suit yourself. straight or drop bar ..

Bum bars!

Not really. Fixed relates to the drive train, nothing else.

If you're doing a ton of skidding – good luck – bullhorns can make it a little easier. That's about it.

Drops for me.

Contemplating drop bars, I realize that since I often ride on the brake hoods, only one brake lever means a dummy lever like for a tandem stoker, or a hood with the lever removed.

You could just mount a standard lever without a cable. It may rattle a little, though. Or just mount a rear brake. I don't skid so prefer having two brakes even though I hardly ever use the rear one.

OP is talking about a bike based on a sporty road frame ridden as such need proper road equipment. Well, sporty road bikes have rear brakes.

There you go. Done.


-Tim-

Townie bars on everything.

Hell yea

My gifriend's racing frame needs no drop bars

I tried drops. Didn't like them.
I tried risers. Didn't like them as much as I thought I would.
I tried bullhorns. Liked them.
I tried a Zipp Vuka Alumina Base Bar. Fell in love.

I would post a picture but my bar tape right now is so JA that I can't bring myself to photograph it.

I grok your meaning.

Utilizing a fixed gear instead of a freewheel affords the opportunity to leave superfluous crap off. I'm taking that opportunity.

that's a misuse of the word "utilizing". you meant "using".

also, again, there's nothing inherent about a fixed drive train that lends itself to one bar type over another.

yes

It depends on whether we're talking about fixed gear bikes or fixies.

There's no such thing as fixed gear handlebars. However, there are certainly fixie handlebars.

ALL bikes should be ridden in an upright position.

Except recumbent bikes, but those are stupid.

That's how club cyclists have seen it for the last century or so, drop bars on road bikes ridden at pace for long distances regardless of the drivetrain flavor.

-Bandera

A couple rides ago I saw a guy on the most recumbent trike I have ever seen. The chassis was slung below axle level. He was so damn low and horizontal he needed a headrest thingy to keep his head vertical. Looked uncomfortable and dangerous as hell.

Was it a FG?

-Bandera

I don't think so.

He had a rack behind his head with a radio blaring and a "hydration tank" with a hose though.