I found your channel a few days ago and am eagerly watching the content. I was into fixed gear bikes in 2014 and forgot how fun they are. I even dug up my old frame and am setting it up to ride. You rock!
I’m a mountain bike and BMX guy so I love the simple look and feel of wide riser bars, but I might have to give in to drops or bullhorns for the added hand positions
I used to only ride with riser bars, but after doing a couple century rides my hands were begging for a different position. I started using bullhorns and never went back to risers again. Drop bars are nice to have too, especially if you are trying to maintain speed in a headwind.
@@devianb Yeah I just use bullhorn since it's good for climbing. When I need to go fast, I just hold my hands as close as possible together on the bar and tuck myself down as fast as I can.
Wide Low Straight Handle Bar like Pipe Mounted Directly. Zero Stem Length My Favourite 20T Long Wheel Base Aluminum Cycle This ll ve Handling of BMX & Comfort of MTB Wit Rear Brake Only. No Disc Brake Xternal Brake Cable Aluminum bcz Aluminum is a Soft Metal U dnt need Suspension
@12:00 You can also double wrap a bar with regular cork type tape if you have bigger hands to dial in the feel. It's all individual :) as you mentioned @12:45
An added benefit to bullhorns and bar ends for taller riders, is that they allow you to lower your body while keeping your back straight. This especially helps if you're riding a bike frame smaller than your height but more readily available.
Ha! I have a combination 13:50 and 13:55 setup. I cut up a pair of aero bars and mounted them sideways. Works perfectly. I need an upright position because of my back, but sometimes I can go on the drops for short periods. I did PBP this way. 750 miles in 90 hours.
It's also a good idea to consider whether changing your stem is likely to help, as well as or instead of changing your bars. A longer, shorter, steeper or flatter stem can make a huge difference to a bike, both in terms of comfort and the way the bike handles. Also remember that changing to a more upright or reclined position also affects your position on the saddle, so you may need to alter or replace that too.
Glad you quickly mentioned the "corners" position at 2:22 after it initially seemed like it might be left out as you gave your listing of the "major positions" on drop bars. It's a go-to for me, and I'd say it's distinct enough from the hoods position to be considered a 4th major position rather than a variation -- you are grabbing the actual bars (not the brakes) after all. Even brakeless, grabbing a forward section of the "ramps" that lead to the "hooks" of the drops (i.e., approximating the "hoods" position with no hoods), is quite different from being back on the corners, in terms of the contact points and wrist position. Of course you are correct that there are infinite variations between any "defined" positions.
Dude, my bike just showed today, and I'm a novice when it comes to riding, im a street car guy, but due to medical conditions when it comes to fitness I can't run so hence the bike. This video gave me ideal and key information about handlebars and it helped me understand the importance and differences, so thank you brotha for this 🙏. Much love man peace.
Yo I’m binging this channel, I’m in the same boat. Shattered my ankle skating so running won’t cut it. Been commuting to work and doing all my errands on my bike and not my truck. Saving money and getting a sick tan. Good luck my dude 👌
Bikes with an older style of geometry have the saddle-to-bar drop much less extreme than is common today, so that you can ride in the drops normally, with much less of a back angle, instead of or in addition to on the hoods. Something to keep in mind if converting an old road bike or buying a frame that follows "vintage" geo more.
Yes, I have a classic steel road bike with Eddy Merxx style deep drops. Turns out riding the hoods with elbows bent deeply is faster. Straight armed in deep drops offers some elbow relief though.
If I want to ride aero, I get on my recumbent trike. None of this bent double, chest down, neck strained up to see more than 10 feet ahead. Comfort, aero, great forward vision... and I don't look or feel like someone snapped my spine. 😁
I've heard people with back problems who want a more upright posture but don't want to mess with anything too much, like changing the bars for new ones, do that.
Tried drop bars, tried bullhorns, tried 44cm risers, i think that i will move to 56-60cm wide risers, the leverage give me more confidence and it's fun to ride as i see on my MTB (69cm)
Narrow bars are actually better for zig zagging. Les stability and more twitchiness, but once you master it, it is much more fun. The bike is more alive. I personally ride on 39cm drops. im a big guy with broad shoulders, but it feels amazing.
Horses for courses. What width you use depends on the type of riding you do, your body proportions and personal preferences. In the last 35 years, bars have generally become wider. For me, going back to narrow bars would be nostalgic, but not necessarily better.
I have two sets of handlebars and stem. One is a Nitto Fairweather drop bar (similar to the Nitto Noodle) with a medium quill stem, the other one is a 650mm Nitto For Shred risers, mounted on a shorter quill stem. I really love both of them. They completely change how my bike handles. I’ve been riding a lot with my risers lately but I like to switch from time to time, just to keep it fresh. The quill stem makes it super easy and quick to do.
I have my brakes on the tops so I'm not tempted to use them as much. First time riding fixed so not having my brakes readily available all the time forces me to slow down with the drive train and pay more attention to the road.
The cable pushing inline bartop CX style levers on drop & bullhorn bars give you the upright breaking option that reassures me on the steep downhills, while keeping the hooded or TT levers working independently.
When I was young the standard bike size was 23" - a 23" seat and top tubes. Prior to 1980 the only way a cyclist could get a 21" frame ( 21" seat and top tube) was to have it custom made. . Within 5 to 10 years 90% of bikes sold were 21". It was the custom for a racer to use a 23" frame for road racing and a custom made 21" frame for track racing. Then the Japanese realised the standard bike frame should be a 21". As the smaller frame is stiffer a road and track racer today uses the same (21") bike frame size. A std handle bars for a 23" bike had a 4" (100mm) drop. When 21" bikes were made the handle bar drop became 2" (50mm). So the cyclist maintained the same body position. In the past a standard road bike had a 420mm handbar width and a track bike handlebar width was 380mm. Today its common for road and track cyclists to use the narrow handlebar width. The rule about shoulder width comparison is only good for say touring bikes. Track sprinters are mostly concerned with acceleration so the HUNCHED OVER look is wrong. Track sprinters easily go into oxygen debt. So its important for then to keep their shoulders open to breathe better. This mean good posture - stand straight, shoulders back and head up (back). Same thing on the track bike. No shoulder blade winging. Pull the shoulder blades together. Hold a firm torso. Strong arms and back are needed.The aerodynamic look is wrong. One big mistake is to pull UP on the handle bars towards the face. The correct way is to PULL BACK on the handle bars towards the shoulders. The wrists should be held in a neutral position. The cyclists hands should straight with the forearm and not be twisted inwards or outwards. Ive tried different types of handlebars. For me the best is the old drop handle bars because Im used to them. If I had used touring handle bars a lot I would get better at using them than the drop bars. From experience cyclists get good at whatever they use the most. The very low aerodynamic cycling position is only good for very flexible cyclists who can hold this postion. Anyone who moves around a lot is better with a more conservative less aerodynamic position. Sitting up brings on a whole world of drag.
I run risers because I like their looks the most but real talk: bullhorns are really the best in terms of variety of comfortable hand positions. When going for drops, definitely make them compact unless you're actually riding on a track.
My Nature Boy has 700mm flat bars. They're ludicrous for city riding, but are great if you're using it for tracklocross or anything else that has some spiciness to it. It came with 38mm drop bars, which I still have if I want to change back.
Best video for bars on yt I was ready to change from risers to pursuit bullhorn on my single Today i rode a bullhorn that was installed downwards by 20 degrees, 40cm wide, and on the horns the ride was, non uncomfortable, but without control (brakes on flat also, which i like more aesthetically), on flat was better but the is no reason to change from risers and ride on the same position I thing that i will go for classic shape drop bars The old race look bars has better looks but i thing i will not able to ride on flats (which don't have actually)
Don't forget the 90-degree-swept riser bars you will find on almost *every* upright "Dutch style" town bicycle, which is very comfortable if you are doing a lot of city riding. They look a lot like track bars flipped upside down.
750mm aluminum flat bars on my Nature Boy - super stable steering, but with enough leverage to put the front end exactly where I want it. Most of my riding on that bike is off road (tracklocross and single-speed cyclocross when I run it with brakes), and having the extra leverage of a wide bar comes in handy.
probably worth mentioning for people new to drops that you can get inline brake levers (such as the tektro rl721) so you can have brakes on both the hoods and tops. Inexpensive and easy to install. Basically no downside.
@@LimitedWard no, its inline. The cable stars at the drop levers, runs through the aux levers to the brakes. It is worth noting that it makes adjusting your fit a bit more annoying because you have multiple sections of cable housing to consider, but I really think it's worth it to be able to ride hard in all three main positions esp. in dense urban areas.
Very thorough and to-the-point. Thank you for the video. I'm looking into getting a bullhorn handlebar, to modify and very straight and ordinary riser bar.
@@mathewdacruz1649 dont mind him. I think he's bored and just contradicting ppl in the comments section. I just saw him on another comment saying that drops suck and they should be switched out.
I like any bars but: drops haha. I messed up my back when I was 14 and I’m also 6’3 so those are my reasons. I don’t hate them every road bike I got from thrift stores in high school had drops but they started getting old. Like bull horns personally. They’re alright probably would enjoy them more if my back wasn’t screwy since you can put your hands In a lot of places which is good.
I have some 40 cm (I think) drops on my bike and they're kinda small. I feel like I don't have any good spot to put my hands when I'm climbing and I just feel generally sketch while trying to learn skids. I'm 6'3 as well and I think I may switch out to some flats. Some wide ass drop bars like people have on gravel bikes would probably be dope, but they're usually more than my bike is worth.
@BeboSaab Probably going to go for flats. I like the "street" look it gives bikes. I wouldn't mind some bars with minimal rise/sweep, but I'm just not a huge fan of most risers
He’s back in sac now. I live in Vallejo it’s been gnarly just getting the smoke coming down the last week also my sister and her boyfriend just moved to Sacramento last week. What timing. But they’re good and I’m good thanks for the well wishes 🙏 .
I live in san jose and I don't smell the smoke on my ride but everyone else does, typically I ride like 3 or 4 times a week. No one should be out while there are fires, the smoke affects everyone even if they don't feel it
BeboSaab the virus itself is very small, yes. The cloth masks help because the virus attaches to exhaled water droplets. Don’t me mistaken though, cloth masks don’t do much for airborne particles especially if the seal around the face isn’t good. Including if the virus attaches to particulate matter. I studied environmental engineering at UCD and I rode fixed gear all around, which is why I followed this channel haha We had the police and fire departments handing out N95 masks back in Fall 2018 when the Mendocino Complex Fire was burning. AQI over 300 for weeks Edit: wrong fire. Should’ve been the Camp Fire in Butte County
I have dropbars, but only use the drops a couple times out of the week to practice my flexibility. I feel like my stem is just a tad too long, but am too lazy to change it out. I was thinking of changing to wide risers, since i deliver food and would appreciate the better handling, but the versatility of dropbars are just too nice to give up
In-line brake levers or sometimes called cross levers, just make sure you get the right clamp diameter for your handlebars, tektro rl720 is a very common model, cane creek also makes them.
Ive tried almost every type of bar on my fixie and this is my list so far (My opinion) 1) Drop Bars 2) Flat Bars 3) Bullhorns 4) Riser Bars 5) Pursuit Bars
I have bullhorns I use long bar rubber grips ( dam that doesn't sound wight ??? ) but there comfortable and dont hurt after awhile like bar tape and last longer then bar tape
Never liked the look of drops before trying them. But give them a try, they are so comfortable, you can be in that position all day without wrist pain. Now I won't go back to flat or riser bars.
That's strange, because I stopped using drop bars because they weren't comfortable and caused wrist pain. I guess different people need different variations of drop bars and stems, but finding the right combo can be expensive and time consuming.
Honestly I just bought bullhorns because I thought they looked cool. I do use use the horns though and hate riding dropped so I guess it also fits me better.
Out on public roads, No brakes = No brains. Stupidity doesn't overcome the laws of physics, nor does it absolve people of any responsibilities or the legal obligations they have for others. You want the right to ride? Then you should accept the conditions that come with that right.
I use surly moloko bars on my single speed MTB it allows me to get extra hand positions and it allows me to sit a bit more upright compared to my riser bars. Along with them I have more space to mount my cupholder and my lights. I like them a lot. I was thinking about going to a townie bar for more comfort but probably not as the surly bars mostly hit a good sweet spot between speed and uprightness. But townie bars are so nice for shorter rides. I also considered some drops but IDK how that would work on an MTB frame
@@Aubreykun I always just used the thickest tape I could find until I went off and found out the other thing that gloves are for by losing a bunch of skin off my palms
I like the drop bars but i realized that in the city you don't have a lot of control, and with the brakes on hoods, uncomfortable I changed to narrow risers and control returned
The term we were taught as kids when riding flatbar touring was "you cant weave if your arse is wider than your elbows" that was how my education started lol
Back sweep on risers/flats has been huge for me. I don't think I'll ever run anything with less sweep than 15 degrees anymore, even looking at 20 degrees or more in the future.
@RollinRat rad yeah I'm about to get some custom bars built for my gf that have 24 degrees of sweep. My thing is less that my wrists are jacked up and more that I want to keep them from being jacked up. I keep doing this dumb thing called mountain biking on a rigid bike 🤣.
@RollinRat hell yeah I agree. I as of yet have never driven to a trail head to go riding. I can only afford one good geared bike (i have a parts bin single speed too tho) so I didn't build it with sus. I ride in the snow in winter so caring for 3 or 4 suspension stanchions does not sound good to me. The only compromise ive made is a dropper post which is 100% worth it for alpine riding.
@RollinRat a lot of custom frame builders do custom bars. My guy is at oddity cycles. I got a set of bullmoose bars from him for my bike after I bent some nitto ones last year. This time around I won a contest he ran so its no charge.
@RollinRat a tad expensive unfortunately steel bars from oddity go for 150 at the low end. However it isn't bad considering how much carbon bars made overseas costs. For the same price TI Cycles does flat bars in titanium if you care about weight, and don't want a riser bar or anything with more that 25 degrees sweep.
@RollinRatI feel the same way, I aim to have as many USA made parts on my bike as possible. Oddity and most custom builders only do steel and titanium though. Imo steel and Ti have great ride quality though including with handlebars.
hey guys could you theoretically have the drop bars both have the top mounted brake levers then the hood mounted brake levers? If you wanted a top mounted brake lever but still wants the hood grip? Just curious. And to that notion, could you have them both active? Just so you have brake options? like interconnect the wire or something? I have the stimulus to look for unique and creative solutions to things. Not even solutions, just whatifs.
You can have what’s called interrupter or cross brake levers which attach to the same brake line as the hoods so you have access to brakes in both hand positions
Back in the 80s, dual position brake levers were common on drop bar bikes. They were fairly primitive, but they worked. I daresay the same concept still exists today, using more modern designs and materials.
Can I covert an old Puegeot 10 speed racer bike with drop bars to Cruiser type handle bars that me you to sit up straight or Townie handlebars that still me you to situp straight as well? I'm a little to old to ride bent over on my bike trips as I am simply trying to ride or cruise but the bike happens to be the older racer style bike.
im now 53..but even when i was younger, i never liked drop bars...ive had a lot of road bikes given by friends or bought from thrift stores..i converted them all to straight bars :D
I had drop bars for many years on my touring bike and cheap "road bikes". I gradually went off them after using flat and riser bars on MTBs and hybrid bikes. I'm a similar age to you, and haven't ridden drops for nearly 15 years. I'm a big fan of 'North road' style bars, for comfort, not speed.
@@another3997 there is even more comfortable than flat bars.....try putting bmx handle bars...they are even way more comfortable than flat bars but of course you can not ride fast because of wind resistance...and you will look funny....lol....but you will be vary comfortable :D
I appreciate all the comprehensive s as de road tested info in your videos. It’s really helping me figure out the type of build I want for my first fixed gear project
Wide Low Straight Handle Bar like Pipe Mounted Directly. Zero Stem Length My Favourite 20T Long Wheel Base Aluminum Cycle This ll ve Handling of BMX & Comfort of MTB Wit Rear Brake Only. No Disc Brake Xternal Brake Cable Aluminum bcz Aluminum is a Soft Metal U dnt need Suspension
I'm looking for those top mount brake levers for the drop bars but keep finding secondary levers. Can you use those secondary levers as the primary top mount levers?
Its random. From what the internet says, they have no quality control, so some can fit 28s, others can only fit 25s. I have a kilo wt, and put 32s on it, and theres still plenty more room, so I'd suggest a wt over a tt
i'm currently considering either re-building my throne prism or buying a new bike. I feel like I'd spend more re building my bike, when I could buy a complete for about $700 ish from aventon or throne. Any suggestions?
Hey Zach, I want to change from riser bars to drop bars, but I want to keep my 22,2mm diameter brakelevers. My stem diameter is 31.8mm. What are my options?
You can get a shim for your 22.2 bars that goes between the bars and clamp to fill in difference in space. Not the prettiest but its not super conspicuous honestly. I have a 26 clamp and 25.4 flatbars so I put one shim around the bars to make them fit
Hey Nicholas, I'm aware of the shims. My problem is, that I can't find any drop bars with 22.2mm. Drop bars tend to have a larger diameter, hence I can't fit my 22.2mm brake levers.
![BIKE HANDLEBARS EXPLAINED [FIXED GEAR]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LesvN8EMhRw/mqdefault.jpg)
![BIKE HANDLEBARS EXPLAINED [FIXED GEAR]](/img/tr.png)
I found your channel a few days ago and am eagerly watching the content. I was into fixed gear bikes in 2014 and forgot how fun they are. I even dug up my old frame and am setting it up to ride. You rock!
This has to be the most comprehensive overview of handle bars I have seen. Well done.
Bubble level
I’m a mountain bike and BMX guy so I love the simple look and feel of wide riser bars, but I might have to give in to drops or bullhorns for the added hand positions
I used to only ride with riser bars, but after doing a couple century rides my hands were begging for a different position. I started using bullhorns and never went back to risers again. Drop bars are nice to have too, especially if you are trying to maintain speed in a headwind.
@@devianb Yeah I just use bullhorn since it's good for climbing. When I need to go fast, I just hold my hands as close as possible together on the bar and tuck myself down as fast as I can.
Wide Low Straight Handle Bar like Pipe
Mounted Directly. Zero Stem Length
My Favourite
20T Long Wheel Base Aluminum Cycle
This ll ve Handling of BMX & Comfort of MTB
Wit Rear Brake Only. No Disc Brake
Xternal Brake Cable
Aluminum bcz Aluminum is a Soft Metal
U dnt need Suspension
@12:00
You can also double wrap a bar with regular cork type tape if you have bigger hands to dial in the feel. It's all individual :) as you mentioned @12:45
An added benefit to bullhorns and bar ends for taller riders, is that they allow you to lower your body while keeping your back straight. This especially helps if you're riding a bike frame smaller than your height but more readily available.
Ha! I have a combination 13:50 and 13:55 setup. I cut up a pair of aero bars and mounted them sideways. Works perfectly. I need an upright position because of my back, but sometimes I can go on the drops for short periods. I did PBP this way. 750 miles in 90 hours.
One of the best bike videos ever made i think. The content is quite comprehesive and informative. Thank you.
It's also a good idea to consider whether changing your stem is likely to help, as well as or instead of changing your bars. A longer, shorter, steeper or flatter stem can make a huge difference to a bike, both in terms of comfort and the way the bike handles. Also remember that changing to a more upright or reclined position also affects your position on the saddle, so you may need to alter or replace that too.
Glad you quickly mentioned the "corners" position at 2:22 after it initially seemed like it might be left out as you gave your listing of the "major positions" on drop bars. It's a go-to for me, and I'd say it's distinct enough from the hoods position to be considered a 4th major position rather than a variation -- you are grabbing the actual bars (not the brakes) after all. Even brakeless, grabbing a forward section of the "ramps" that lead to the "hooks" of the drops (i.e., approximating the "hoods" position with no hoods), is quite different from being back on the corners, in terms of the contact points and wrist position. Of course you are correct that there are infinite variations between any "defined" positions.
Dude, my bike just showed today, and I'm a novice when it comes to riding, im a street car guy, but due to medical conditions when it comes to fitness I can't run so hence the bike. This video gave me ideal and key information about handlebars and it helped me understand the importance and differences, so thank you brotha for this 🙏. Much love man peace.
Yo I’m binging this channel, I’m in the same boat. Shattered my ankle skating so running won’t cut it. Been commuting to work and doing all my errands on my bike and not my truck.
Saving money and getting a sick tan.
Good luck my dude 👌
Bikes with an older style of geometry have the saddle-to-bar drop much less extreme than is common today, so that you can ride in the drops normally, with much less of a back angle, instead of or in addition to on the hoods. Something to keep in mind if converting an old road bike or buying a frame that follows "vintage" geo more.
Yes, I have a classic steel road bike with Eddy Merxx style deep drops. Turns out riding the hoods with elbows bent deeply is faster. Straight armed in deep drops offers some elbow relief though.
I’m all about Aerobars and aero base bars. I like to nestle in the aero position, zone out and mash for miles.
If I want to ride aero, I get on my recumbent trike. None of this bent double, chest down, neck strained up to see more than 10 feet ahead. Comfort, aero, great forward vision... and I don't look or feel like someone snapped my spine. 😁
If you rotate drops up they’re called DUI bars.
Looks like a handicapped road bike. No offense to any people but those bikes look like they need dome corrective procedures asap
these are really popular at the moment in Berlin. Looks so stupid and...wrong
I've heard people with back problems who want a more upright posture but don't want to mess with anything too much, like changing the bars for new ones, do that.
@@Aubreykun Yep. Its the Berlin Ghetto Version of a ergo daddy cruiser
It's very common in artistic cycling.
I'm about to replace my fixie's handlebar and I found the information here to be the most informative and useful. Thank you!
Tried drop bars, tried bullhorns, tried 44cm risers, i think that i will move to 56-60cm wide risers, the leverage give me more confidence and it's fun to ride as i see on my MTB (69cm)
Narrow bars are actually better for zig zagging. Les stability and more twitchiness, but once you master it, it is much more fun. The bike is more alive. I personally ride on 39cm drops. im a big guy with broad shoulders, but it feels amazing.
Horses for courses. What width you use depends on the type of riding you do, your body proportions and personal preferences. In the last 35 years, bars have generally become wider. For me, going back to narrow bars would be nostalgic, but not necessarily better.
@@another3997 For sure, totally agree. I should have stated that I rode in european traffic, hence the preference for the twitchiness of 39s
I’m over here with my 4 inch rise mix of BMX and fixed bars. Love em
I I tried that before too on a junker bike i was messing around with n thought it was kinda cool, been thinking of doin it again for awhile now.
I have two sets of handlebars and stem. One is a Nitto Fairweather drop bar (similar to the Nitto Noodle) with a medium quill stem, the other one is a 650mm Nitto For Shred risers, mounted on a shorter quill stem. I really love both of them. They completely change how my bike handles. I’ve been riding a lot with my risers lately but I like to switch from time to time, just to keep it fresh. The quill stem makes it super easy and quick to do.
I have my brakes on the tops so I'm not tempted to use them as much. First time riding fixed so not having my brakes readily available all the time forces me to slow down with the drive train and pay more attention to the road.
The cable pushing inline bartop CX style levers on drop & bullhorn bars give you the upright breaking option that reassures me on the steep downhills, while keeping the hooded or TT levers working independently.
I did it, after 3 years I’m finally getting my wabi special thank you so much Zach! :’) found out about Wabi thru your channel. You’re a legend!
I’ve been a fan of drop bars. Bullhorns are my go to when buy a bike.
Nevermind the bars, how about a run through of your stable of guitars! 🎸 Didn't know you played 👍
Looked like a tele and a jag? Where's the amp, we need answers!
A Telecaster and the new Fender Powercaster :)
Big Z?
When I was young the standard bike size was 23" - a 23" seat and top tubes. Prior to 1980 the only way a cyclist could get a 21" frame ( 21" seat and top tube) was to have it custom made.
. Within 5 to 10 years 90% of bikes sold were 21". It was the custom for a racer to use a 23" frame for road racing and a custom made 21" frame for track racing. Then the Japanese realised the standard bike frame should be a 21". As the smaller frame is stiffer a road and track racer today uses the same (21") bike frame size.
A std handle bars for a 23" bike had a 4" (100mm) drop. When 21" bikes were made the handle bar drop became 2" (50mm). So the cyclist maintained the same body position.
In the past a standard road bike had a 420mm handbar width and a track bike handlebar width was 380mm. Today its common for road and track cyclists to use the narrow handlebar width. The rule about shoulder width comparison is only good for say touring bikes.
Track sprinters are mostly concerned with acceleration so the HUNCHED OVER look is wrong. Track sprinters easily go into oxygen debt. So its important for then to keep their shoulders open to breathe better. This mean good posture - stand straight, shoulders back and head up (back). Same thing on the track bike. No shoulder blade winging. Pull the shoulder blades together. Hold a firm torso. Strong arms and back are needed.The aerodynamic look is wrong. One big mistake is to pull UP on the handle bars towards the face. The correct way is to PULL BACK on the handle bars towards the shoulders. The wrists should be held in a neutral position. The cyclists hands should straight with the forearm and not be twisted inwards or outwards.
Ive tried different types of handlebars. For me the best is the old drop handle bars because Im used to them. If I had used touring handle bars a lot I would get better at using them than the drop bars. From experience cyclists get good at whatever they use the most. The very low aerodynamic cycling position is only good for very flexible cyclists who can hold this postion. Anyone who moves around a lot is better with a more conservative less aerodynamic position. Sitting up brings on a whole world of drag.
90% of bikes are not 21''.
I run risers because I like their looks the most but real talk: bullhorns are really the best in terms of variety of comfortable hand positions. When going for drops, definitely make them compact unless you're actually riding on a track.
The best for variety of positions are 'Trekking' bars. They look ugly, but have lots of positions. I keep meaning to buy some.
I have the jones loop, absolutely love them.
My Nature Boy has 700mm flat bars. They're ludicrous for city riding, but are great if you're using it for tracklocross or anything else that has some spiciness to it. It came with 38mm drop bars, which I still have if I want to change back.
Best video for bars on yt
I was ready to change from risers to pursuit bullhorn on my single
Today i rode a bullhorn that was installed downwards by 20 degrees, 40cm wide, and on the horns the ride was, non uncomfortable, but without control (brakes on flat also, which i like more aesthetically), on flat was better but the is no reason to change from risers and ride on the same position
I thing that i will go for classic shape drop bars
The old race look bars has better looks but i thing i will not able to ride on flats (which don't have actually)
Very good comprehensive treatise on handlebars!
Maybe it’s not “proper,” but I am sold on a gel layer under my tape. On a 100k+ ride, road buzz is fatiguing.
Don't forget the 90-degree-swept riser bars you will find on almost *every* upright "Dutch style" town bicycle, which is very comfortable if you are doing a lot of city riding. They look a lot like track bars flipped upside down.
750mm aluminum flat bars on my Nature Boy - super stable steering, but with enough leverage to put the front end exactly where I want it. Most of my riding on that bike is off road (tracklocross and single-speed cyclocross when I run it with brakes), and having the extra leverage of a wide bar comes in handy.
probably worth mentioning for people new to drops that you can get inline brake levers (such as the tektro rl721) so you can have brakes on both the hoods and tops. Inexpensive and easy to install. Basically no downside.
How does that work? Do you have 4 brake cables then, or are two brakes hooked up in series somehow?
@@LimitedWard no, its inline. The cable stars at the drop levers, runs through the aux levers to the brakes.
It is worth noting that it makes adjusting your fit a bit more annoying because you have multiple sections of cable housing to consider, but I really think it's worth it to be able to ride hard in all three main positions esp. in dense urban areas.
What is the specific front rack and bag setup shown at around 14:50?
Very thorough and to-the-point. Thank you for the video. I'm looking into getting a bullhorn handlebar, to modify and very straight and ordinary riser bar.
i was having back pain with dropbars, so i switched to 760mm risers and i love them and no more back pain !
@BeboSaab oh wow yeah let me go do that
@BeboSaab no it’s not lol, dropbars just weren’t comfortable for me anymore I made a quick switch & bam no more back pain on long rides.
@@mathewdacruz1649 dont mind him. I think he's bored and just contradicting ppl in the comments section. I just saw him on another comment saying that drops suck and they should be switched out.
I really liked my butterfly bars on my touring bike with gears 🤣
Some people want a porsche others a Cadillac
I like any bars but: drops haha. I messed up my back when I was 14 and I’m also 6’3 so those are my reasons. I don’t hate them every road bike I got from thrift stores in high school had drops but they started getting old. Like bull horns personally. They’re alright probably would enjoy them more if my back wasn’t screwy since you can put your hands In a lot of places which is good.
I have some 40 cm (I think) drops on my bike and they're kinda small. I feel like I don't have any good spot to put my hands when I'm climbing and I just feel generally sketch while trying to learn skids. I'm 6'3 as well and I think I may switch out to some flats. Some wide ass drop bars like people have on gravel bikes would probably be dope, but they're usually more than my bike is worth.
@BeboSaab Probably going to go for flats. I like the "street" look it gives bikes. I wouldn't mind some bars with minimal rise/sweep, but I'm just not a huge fan of most risers
Compact drops and bullhorn bars are my favorite
Mine too!
Thanks for this in-depth tutorial on handlebar setups.
One question: What model are these break levers at 3:08? Really like the look of it.
I remember you being from Sacramento?? Did you ever ride out when air quality is bad? Hope every rider up north is safe rn 🙏
He’s back in sac now. I live in Vallejo it’s been gnarly just getting the smoke coming down the last week also my sister and her boyfriend just moved to Sacramento last week. What timing. But they’re good and I’m good thanks for the well wishes 🙏 .
I live in san jose and I don't smell the smoke on my ride but everyone else does, typically I ride like 3 or 4 times a week. No one should be out while there are fires, the smoke affects everyone even if they don't feel it
@BeboSaab my smell is gone, which is a bad thing... thats why i can ride during these times
BeboSaab nah it’s mostly PM2.5 which you would need a cloth mask with carbon filter. Or an N95 and no facial hair for a good seal around your face
BeboSaab the virus itself is very small, yes. The cloth masks help because the virus attaches to exhaled water droplets. Don’t me mistaken though, cloth masks don’t do much for airborne particles especially if the seal around the face isn’t good. Including if the virus attaches to particulate matter. I studied environmental engineering at UCD and I rode fixed gear all around, which is why I followed this channel haha
We had the police and fire departments handing out N95 masks back in Fall 2018 when the Mendocino Complex Fire was burning. AQI over 300 for weeks
Edit: wrong fire. Should’ve been the Camp Fire in Butte County
Worth mentioning is how your choice of handlebar will limit your basket choice (ie not gonna work with most drop setups)
Excellent video, sir. Thank you!
You would go in the drops even if there was no aero gain going with it. This position helps to get the force into the pedals.
crazy helpful man. thanks a lot.
13:53 straight bars supremacy!!!
Can you do a hands on (or not) review on moustache bars? Ive been looking to get some for about a year now but cant seem to decide. Thanks!
I have dropbars, but only use the drops a couple times out of the week to practice my flexibility. I feel like my stem is just a tad too long, but am too lazy to change it out. I was thinking of changing to wide risers, since i deliver food and would appreciate the better handling, but the versatility of dropbars are just too nice to give up
Great channel, I'm using flats on mine 720mm which is totally fun, but I'm now looking at some compact drops as I'm looking to speed things up.
Thank you for this upload. I appreciate what you do!
I got carbon 3T ergosums from china through DHGate and they're still going strong. Rode them on my fixed gear for years now they're on my chervelo S3
Excellent product very useful to traveling
What do you call those top mounted break levers?
In-line brake levers or sometimes called cross levers, just make sure you get the right clamp diameter for your handlebars, tektro rl720 is a very common model, cane creek also makes them.
Extremely informative! Thank you..
Ive tried almost every type of bar on my fixie and this is my list so far (My opinion)
1) Drop Bars
2) Flat Bars
3) Bullhorns
4) Riser Bars
5) Pursuit Bars
It depends mostly on the type riding you plan on doing. On the flats I'll take the shallow drops.
I have bullhorns I use long bar rubber grips ( dam that doesn't sound wight ??? ) but there comfortable and dont hurt after awhile like bar tape and last longer then bar tape
I love your videos zach keep it up
Dam the bikes in this video are so good 😍
Drop or Bull Horn is my drink of choice. Solid insight!
Never liked the look of drops before trying them. But give them a try, they are so comfortable, you can be in that position all day without wrist pain. Now I won't go back to flat or riser bars.
That's strange, because I stopped using drop bars because they weren't comfortable and caused wrist pain. I guess different people need different variations of drop bars and stems, but finding the right combo can be expensive and time consuming.
Very informative. Thank you.
It's worth mentioning that for bullhorn handlebars, not all bullhorns can accept TT/bar-end style brake levers. So check compatibility before buying.
Honestly I just bought bullhorns because I thought they looked cool. I do use use the horns though and hate riding dropped so I guess it also fits me better.
Great video, thank you!!
Been thinking of switching to flats or a light riser instead of my bullhorns. No brakes son haha. Skids for days!
Out on public roads, No brakes = No brains. Stupidity doesn't overcome the laws of physics, nor does it absolve people of any responsibilities or the legal obligations they have for others. You want the right to ride? Then you should accept the conditions that come with that right.
Whatever happened to the drop bar brakes with the extra extended lever so you can brake in upright or down positions?
I use surly moloko bars on my single speed MTB it allows me to get extra hand positions and it allows me to sit a bit more upright compared to my riser bars. Along with them I have more space to mount my cupholder and my lights. I like them a lot. I was thinking about going to a townie bar for more comfort but probably not as the surly bars mostly hit a good sweet spot between speed and uprightness. But townie bars are so nice for shorter rides. I also considered some drops but IDK how that would work on an MTB frame
DOUBLE WRAP WITH THE THICKEST TAPE YOU CAN FIND
Or just thick grips
@@haakonhunter7621 x2
Gloves are a nice option too.
@@Aubreykun x2? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
@@Aubreykun I always just used the thickest tape I could find until I went off and found out the other thing that gloves are for by losing a bunch of skin off my palms
I like the drop bars but i realized that in the city you don't have a lot of control, and with the brakes on hoods, uncomfortable
I changed to narrow risers and control returned
Does anyone have any recommendations on a wheelset in the 300$ range? Im looking at upgrading my fixed gear to make it ride smoother and faster.
H plus son archetype laced to suzue hubs, maybe. For 300 bucks you get many options.
Check out velocity wheels, or origin8
The term we were taught as kids when riding flatbar touring was "you cant weave if your arse is wider than your elbows" that was how my education started lol
Back sweep on risers/flats has been huge for me. I don't think I'll ever run anything with less sweep than 15 degrees anymore, even looking at 20 degrees or more in the future.
@RollinRat rad yeah I'm about to get some custom bars built for my gf that have 24 degrees of sweep. My thing is less that my wrists are jacked up and more that I want to keep them from being jacked up. I keep doing this dumb thing called mountain biking on a rigid bike 🤣.
@RollinRat hell yeah I agree. I as of yet have never driven to a trail head to go riding. I can only afford one good geared bike (i have a parts bin single speed too tho) so I didn't build it with sus. I ride in the snow in winter so caring for 3 or 4 suspension stanchions does not sound good to me. The only compromise ive made is a dropper post which is 100% worth it for alpine riding.
@RollinRat a lot of custom frame builders do custom bars. My guy is at oddity cycles. I got a set of bullmoose bars from him for my bike after I bent some nitto ones last year. This time around I won a contest he ran so its no charge.
@RollinRat a tad expensive unfortunately steel bars from oddity go for 150 at the low end. However it isn't bad considering how much carbon bars made overseas costs. For the same price TI Cycles does flat bars in titanium if you care about weight, and don't want a riser bar or anything with more that 25 degrees sweep.
@RollinRatI feel the same way, I aim to have as many USA made parts on my bike as possible. Oddity and most custom builders only do steel and titanium though. Imo steel and Ti have great ride quality though including with handlebars.
All this bikes ,handlebars and facts....but I just want a video with Zach playing those guitars men \m/
As usual a thumbs up. Thanks
Good job Zach.
hey guys could you theoretically have the drop bars both have the top mounted brake levers then the hood mounted brake levers? If you wanted a top mounted brake lever but still wants the hood grip? Just curious.
And to that notion, could you have them both active? Just so you have brake options? like interconnect the wire or something?
I have the stimulus to look for unique and creative solutions to things. Not even solutions, just whatifs.
You can have what’s called interrupter or cross brake levers which attach to the same brake line as the hoods so you have access to brakes in both hand positions
Back in the 80s, dual position brake levers were common on drop bar bikes. They were fairly primitive, but they worked. I daresay the same concept still exists today, using more modern designs and materials.
what apps is that 3:51 anyone know the app name ? thx
Can I covert an old Puegeot 10 speed racer bike with drop bars to Cruiser type handle bars that me you to sit up straight or Townie handlebars that still me you to situp straight as well? I'm a little to old to ride bent over on my bike trips as I am simply trying to ride or cruise but the bike happens to be the older racer style bike.
im now 53..but even when i was younger, i never liked drop bars...ive had a lot of road bikes given by friends or bought from thrift stores..i converted them all to straight bars :D
I had drop bars for many years on my touring bike and cheap "road bikes". I gradually went off them after using flat and riser bars on MTBs and hybrid bikes. I'm a similar age to you, and haven't ridden drops for nearly 15 years. I'm a big fan of 'North road' style bars, for comfort, not speed.
@@another3997 there is even more comfortable than flat bars.....try putting bmx handle bars...they are even way more comfortable than flat bars but of course you can not ride fast because of wind resistance...and you will look funny....lol....but you will be vary comfortable :D
I appreciate all the comprehensive s as de road tested info in your videos. It’s really helping me figure out the type of build I want for my first fixed gear project
Yo!!! The Special in Moss! I got that one! Discontinued color tho
u forgot the top and hooded brakes that are connected, u can find them on old Schwinn road bikes
They're outdated tech nowadays
Wide Low Straight Handle Bar like Pipe
Mounted Directly. Zero Stem Length
My Favourite
20T Long Wheel Base Aluminum Cycle
This ll ve Handling of BMX & Comfort of MTB
Wit Rear Brake Only. No Disc Brake
Xternal Brake Cable
Aluminum bcz Aluminum is a Soft Metal
U dnt need Suspension
Zach do you have a link to purchase the basket
Why is the anatomic dropbar not on the list ?
Because there are too many variations of each type to go in to that much detail. There's no mention of trekking bars or 'North road' bars either.
I'm looking for those top mount brake levers for the drop bars but keep finding secondary levers. Can you use those secondary levers as the primary top mount levers?
What was biggest size tires can you fit in a mercier kilo tt?
Its random. From what the internet says, they have no quality control, so some can fit 28s, others can only fit 25s.
I have a kilo wt, and put 32s on it, and theres still plenty more room, so I'd suggest a wt over a tt
Lennel Echols BeboSaab I currently have 25’s I was looking to possible go 28. I guess I have to try and test fit them to see if they fit
drop bars also have length angle, drop dimension too
Can you get RISER DROP BARS?
Also, do you have a video on BIKE GEOMETRY - especially fork RAKE and TRAIL?
Thats a nice telecaster back there. Or a tele copy.
awesome, thank you
Does anyone know what drops Zach uses on his wabi?
i'm currently considering either re-building my throne prism or buying a new bike. I feel like I'd spend more re building my bike, when I could buy a complete for about $700 ish from aventon or throne. Any suggestions?
I have 2" risers on my SS. Sometimes I wish I had cruiser bars. I don't ride for speed.
Try some bmx bars on there! Super comfortable, chill ride imo.
Hey Zach,
I want to change from riser bars to drop bars, but I want to keep my 22,2mm diameter brakelevers. My stem diameter is 31.8mm. What are my options?
You can get a shim for your 22.2 bars that goes between the bars and clamp to fill in difference in space. Not the prettiest but its not super conspicuous honestly. I have a 26 clamp and 25.4 flatbars so I put one shim around the bars to make them fit
Hey Nicholas, I'm aware of the shims. My problem is, that I can't find any drop bars with 22.2mm. Drop bars tend to have a larger diameter, hence I can't fit my 22.2mm brake levers.
@@ch3vr0n9 AH i see. I misread your comment. Ok you want to keep the levers but now they're too small. Dang idk, shims only work the other way lmao
Can you make a video about bartapes?
Drops just scream "old school cool" and the position it gets you in just feels fast and fast is fun.
Hey Zach - What do you know or think about the F5 Stream frame?
Where is the video where he talks about his wide drop bars, can't find it, does anybody know?
I came for the bikes, I stayed because of the guitars. More details about the guitars? :)