Tips on How to Choose Handlebars
One of the easiest components on your bicycle to overlook is the handlebar. It is not necessary to stick with the bar that comes with your bike. Switching to a different handlebar can often have a measurable effect on your bike's handling and your comfort.
Consider the following drop bar and flat bar options for your bike:
Consider the following drop bar and flat bar options for your bike:
- Mountain bikes and hybrid bikes typically have flat bars and riser bars that put you more upright in the cockpit. Mountain bikes can handle better with wider bars, but you don't want them to be too wide. Ideally, your handlebars should be the same width as your shoulders. In the meantime, switching to a flat bar with a rise will put you more upright in the cockpit, giving you a more relaxed, less aggressive riding position.
- Road bikes typically have a drop bar, which lets you position your hands in multiple positions, thereby raising or lowering the angle of your torso. Over the years, drop bars have undergone some technological advancements in both material (hello carbon fiber, which is 40% lighter than aluminum) and shape, with flat sections in the center of the bar designed to provide a great resting position for your hands. Drop bars can also be found with a dramatic flare at the ends of the bar, which gives you a wider, more stable handling position.
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