What are the pros/cons of each handlebars? I'm not really feeling the drop handlebars so I was considering straight or risers or even bullhorns.

Any take on personal preference?

For me and my purposes(commuting/cruising), a riser bar is superior in both comfort and control.

What don't you like about your drops? And what kind of riding do you do?

Straight: Plain and simple, is simply more convenient reach-wise for some [one position]
Riser: Variations with sweep back and rise, more comfy riding position [one position]
Bullhorn/Aero: Awesome for climbing, nice to stretch out on, flats or horns are good (my old flop/chops are still my favorite) + you win at skidding
Track Drop: Assuming brakeless, wins the aesthetic contest for me, aero for racing, get down low - badass (not very practical for road riding)
Mustache/North Road: These and other touring variations have different bends, mustache has a bunch of hand positions - fun to try, not for everyone
Road Drops w/ Hoods: Hybrid of straights, bullhorns, and track drops with ergo advantage, there's a reason why they are the staple road bike cockpit.

Go nuts!

My bike came with track drops. I didn't like them for street riding either, mostly because there was nothing to comfortably grab onto while mashing/accelerating, but part of it might've been that my drops have an oversize stem which limits my brake lever placement. I switched to bullhorns and will probably stick with them for as long as I own my fixed bike. I like them compared to risers or flat bars because you have more hand positions. The only thing I really miss about the drops is when it's a windy day and I want to get low. I can 'kinda' do that with the horns by stretching out on the ends, but not as much as drops.

</thread>

+1

Bend your elbows.

Bull horns do look really nice. Its for road bike and to commute short areas like two miles or less. Risers or bull horns?

Man, there's gonna come a point where you are going to have to go into a store or grab a friend's bike and touch multiple bars yourself.

This is like picking the best baseball glove for you based on an internet thread.

Asking on the internet then ordering mailorder then waiting days then installing the bars is probably the most inefficient way to go about it.

How about walking into a bike shop and asking questions there? The guy will likely pull some bars off the wall and/or pull a bike for you to try. Then you should order from him and he'll install them for you. It's a pretty cool system.

I use bullhorns and risers. I prefer risers for comfort when riding around town. Bullhorns are nice for longer rides and hills. I agree with Carleton; go to a bike shop and try some different styles. When I first started riding fixed I used bullhorns. I found myself holding right next to the stem more often than not, so I got some cheap mtb risers for $15 brand new just to try them out. Now I use risers almost exclusively, but I am definitely glad to have had my bullhorns for the 20 mile TUC this year. I hate going uphill with risers

F-ing retail stores, how do they work?!

You go in, and you buy.

you're starting to sound like my wife........

I have a bike set up with risers and a bike set up with Soma Sparrows. I also have a flat bar and a set of Nitto Noodles with hoods laying around that get placed on either of the bikes at times. I likeswitching it up depending on how I feel like riding that particular day. Ninety percent of the time though I ride risers and the sparrows due to torn rotator cuffs.