I've had mixed reviews on this subject by friends and other riders. Some say it's perfectly fine, comfortable, and easy to brake even though the leverage isn't very good and the center is obviously small (some of them ride brakeless). Others say it's super hard to ride with them, too much of a drop, hard to brake because of the center and drop being so large, etc.

Opinions?

Example of track drops like Nittos basically, B123s, 125s, etc.

The worst street handlebar set up you can ever have.
/thread

Go for NJS fool's gold and run B123's w/ a jaguar and your back will totally thank you with a herniated disc(s).

Track drops are designed to offer one hand position, i.e. in the drops.

Road drops are designed to offer 3-4 different hand positions.

Do you want to spend all the time you're riding in one position?

BTW, they're called "drop bars" or "drops" for short, but at least to me "drop downs" sounds weird (makes me think of a genetic disease caused by riding with too much saddle to bar drop).

hahahahahaha at the last part.
True, very true.

So give me some good options for road drops then?
So far these are the two brands people on this site have sent me but I need a few more to compare

https://www.retro-gression.com/produc...drop-handlebar
https://store.somafab.com/hwyonebar.html

3T ergonova's are the best in my book.

There are many many different bars and just like with saddles it is difficult to just point one out for you. The ones sold by Retrogression are all fine bars. I have been riding with a Nitto Noodle everyday for some months and has been great. That Hood Rat is a good inexpensive bar to start with

I don't have enough experience of different bars to recommend anything specific. I'd say choose an inexpensive compact drop with small to moderate reach & drop (should probaly be able to get one for around $20 or so) and ride it for couple of hundred miles. After this you'll have a better idea of what you want.

Road drop makes much more sense when you add 2 brake levers so you'll have the proper 'on the hoods' riding position available. I spend easily 80% of my riding time in that position.

I got these last month and I'm really like them a lot.
https://www.aawyeah.com/xlc-road-bike-drop-handlebar-44cm-31-8mm-black/

Those look pretty damn sweet actually.

Yeah the hood rat is super cheap and on sale and I mean most of the road bars on Retrogression aren't too bad. The Nitto Noodle reminds me of the Dream. It's like inbetween track and road, well more track looking. I know this sounds ridiculous but I really want black bars because my bike is all black with a seafoam front wheel. I know you can tape up the bars but I'd rather not.

Those are pretty sweet, I can't tell the difference between a lot of bars when they have brakes hahaha

Or do I sound like an idiot when I say I don't want to tape them up? ahha

Running bars on the road without tape is kind of silly. It's not like bar tape can't look good, and the increase in comfort is notable.

It seems like you're basing a lot of your bike-related decisions primarily on aesthetics and not as much on functionality. It's definitely nice to make a bike look the way you want it to, but a pretty bike that is not functional is useless. There are plenty of ways to obtain functionality and pleasing aesthetics.

Just wait till you get sweaty hands. You don't see untaped bars on anything other than hipster trophies for a reason.

If you buy any those bars from my shop, I'm going to make sure we don't ship them until you buy bar tape too.

AHAHAH, ok thats pretty good.

Yes
Awesome

This. /thread


So much win. /doffshat

Anything that has a wing style middle is comfy, if the 3t ergonovas are too epensive for you.

Speaking of which, they can be had pretty cheaply second hand on ebay. Especially if they have the older decaling or a narrower width (XX<42cm).
I recently managed to get a lightly used 40cm LTD pair for the sqrlroadie on the cheap with a bid that was left standing for a 2 days.

I think Everyone needs to try Track Drops just so they understand what they force your body to do...I spent a summer in Major Taylors which convinced me that Risers were much nicer on my Back....

I went through this also. Stock steamroller road drops (CX lever) -> sexy nitto track drops -> (far) less sexy bullhorns -> properly fitting road drops with hoods and dummy lever. Finally I am comfortable.

my bianchi still has the stock pista drops...
they look great, but can become quite uncomfortable over time for street riding.
i would like to keep them, but this thread is starting to convince me otherwise..
thanks for the advice/info folks.

slick bike too.

i got this on two of my bikes:

https://www.jensonusa.com/Handlebars/...Handlebar-Ergo

cheap and pretty comfy with the flattish top. i got a wider width though, and would think about a wider bar if your a bigger person (wide shoulders).

well you could certainly wear gloves.