HoraceLai

Hello,

I've finally finished my first fixie project and it is definately much more fun to ride than a freewheeler. However, I've seen some other photos of other fixies as well as ones on the streets with the old school looking type handlebars. They're drop down in style but the radius of curvature is much higher. Anyone know where you order those?

Thanks

Horace

onetwentyeight 

they are made by soma, they are called Major Taylor bars.

https://store.somafab.com/majortaylorbar.html

3Lph

Yup, right pretty bars. They're what I'll be using when I get enough cash to build my frame up.

https://store.somafab.com/majortaylorbar.html
https://www.thebikebiz.com/product_p/trk-bar-soma04.htm

BostonFixed

I think the op means track bars.

3Lph

Are the Major Taylors not track bars? Other track bars fit the description as well, but I think Major Taylors are the curviest and classicy-ist looking. Not to mention the cheapest.

Heres some more track bars, Horace:
https://www.thebikebiz.com/Handlebars_s/121.htm

alk

soma is also going to be introducing some more styles:
https://www.somafab.com/somanews.html
the one in the top right looks like the real old school bars you see on early 20th century path racers.

megatron

if you ride track drops on a conversion everyone will laugh at you.

666pack

true story.

HoraceLai

Sorry, I'm quite new to the bicycle world.

What are track drops? The real professional looking modern drop down bars?

Also, has anyone attempted to make their own handlebars with a bender and some aluminum or steel tubes?

mander

HoraceLai, road drops have a flat area on the top next to the stem that you can hold on to, and farther out the flat is supposed to go into a pair of brake hoods. This is good and very practical because it creates a lot of hand positions. But when sprinting very hard in the drops the bar tops can bump your forearms, especially if you have em set way down low like a track racer. Track drops are designed for maximal forearm clearance when sprinting and there are no flat areas to hold on to up top. It's generally agreed that they look hot on the street (unless teyre on a conversion) but are not anywhere near as sensible as road drops with hoods. You only have one real hand position and it's fairly ridiculous for day to day street riding.

gargiulo.mike

major taylor's are acceptable

roadgator

track drops are bars (like the major taylors) that don't have a portion perpendicular to the ground for attaching a road style brake lever.

if you like em, ride em. dont give the style nazi's any thought.

joshuastar

i totally agree.

HoraceLai

So the track drops are like these:

https://snipurl.com/1jup4

I just picked that from the photo thread, nice bicycle

sleepykid1

those are actually bullhorns..the major taylors are track drops...like stated before..if u like them ride them n dont worry about others..ive rode on my friends nitto b-123 track bars and i find the top part of the bar where the curve is at is very comfy to ride...

SkyeC

those are bullhorns, which i personally love on the street but a lot of people aren't into them.

these are track drops:

Jonny Pockets

I used track bars on two of my conversions. No one laughed. At least not to my face. Go with what's comfortable, functional, and what you think makes your bike look nice. It's your bike, no one else's.

Landgolier

F that, they wouldn't be laughing any less if you showed up for a serious track event with major taylors.

doofo

i love this thread

these are track drops:




these are ergo road drops:




these are nonergo road drops, classic style:



these are risers:




these are bullhorns:



these are flats:

humancongereel

what the hell is up with you doofo? that's the most useful, informative post i've ever seen you put up. back to sarcasm!

Landgolier

On the off chance the OP is thinking of randonneurs, those look like this right nyah:



And by the way you should run them, they're the only thing nobody else is running so it's guaranteed cool points.

yellowjeep

rando bars make me want to puke, personal opinion i know but the they are just gross

yellowjeep

This bike on the other hand makes me want to do dirty things

HoraceLai

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the responses. The ones I've been thinking of were the Major Taylor's. Not as rare as the Rando's shown above but i just love the old school look of it.

Thanks for the pic above with the old school guy riding the track bike. Does anyone know what kind of handlebar stem that is? I've never seen one that bends down like that. What is that style called and where can I get it?

The bike that I converted is a Schwinn Traveler with the 4130 steel. I've cut off the holders/clamps that was supposed to hold the brake cables and gear cables for the deraileurs to make it look more simple and kinda like that bike in the pic above. I think the Major Taylors will look old school on it even tho it might be stupid in the eyes of people who know bikes.

BTW, why do some people leave their bars untaped? Looks? Or some actual advantage over the feel? Less weight?

jodypolk

weird...