Drop Bar Curious? Watch this FIRST!

The drop bar (aka the Curly Bar) has had a bad rap as only appropriate for "racing". Common misconceptions and why we personally love drops for all kinds of riding.
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[@Merlmabase]

I've eliminated handlebars on my builds altogether - I ride exclusively no-hands with a coaster brake, and use a camera embedded in my helmet that shifts my Di2 in response to specific blinking patterns

[@basstrom88]

That's like riding a unicycle with more steps.

[@sadhu6740]

Niiyyyce! Still grinning

[@rollinrat4850]

Heads up display and sensors in the helmet? Cool stuff!

[@JohnLumapaskeith]

Please make a video about that bike! 😂

[@pantsedjuniorhayseed4816]

do you have any idea how dangerous that is?? you're giving cyclists a bad name!!! 😡🤬😡

[@rolandmatters1619]

"The Road Bike Industrial Complex" - HA!!

[@davidcummings5826]

I think that was an Eisenhower quote: “Beware the Road Bike Industrial Complex.”

[@peterronzoni9264]

This is a great channel. It’s disappointing that people criticize what you ride and/or your preferences. Everyone should keep it simple: Ride what you like and let others ride what they like.

[@rkgr2]

When I switched from MTB to road, I got a flat bar for familiarity and comfort. This year I got a curly bar bike and wow, I was surprised how much more comfortable it is.

[@rollinrat4850]

For long rides and or rough terrain, all those hand positions and the wider bars make a difference. Set up your fit and position right, then riding in the hooks is the best way to ride in lots of ways. Dirt drops are designed to be primarily ridden in the hooks. Not everybody gets that because they're obsessed with a road type fit which simply doesn't work well on rough terrain.I believe it's not optimal for a majority of average cycling enthusiasts, yet so many are convinced they need to 'look like the pros'.

[@vegasvampire66648]

Lol. I love flat bars. But videos like this get me drop bar curious af 🤣

[@Lynxswild]

Still can’t get over when mtb flat bars with bar ends became unfashionable.

[@Daxtorim]

I still have bar ends on my bike and spend almost 90% of the time on them. The only reason to take my hands off the bar end is to shift or brake. They are just so much more comfortable than the flat bar.

[@acderath]

They did? I think it is largely preference. I've used both and I just find the drop bar more comfortable on long rides

[@BP-nj6fi]

Hands on bar ends and thumbs on the brake levers. Plenty of hand positions to be had if properly set up. Rumor has it flat bars can be customized to any width😉

[@acderath]

@@BP-nj6fi Great, And sometimes I like to ride in the drops. Stretches out my back. Last time I checked personal preference doesn't mean one is better than the other.

[@seanpie5481]

Tried bar ends again and every tree seemed to want to catch me a throw me into the forest. 😬

[@morganrowe]

Nice to see some different options, never knew these were even available! Thanks 🤙

[@nachoabboud5748]

nice and interesting video.. i used a flat bar for almost a year and my riding style made me change for a drop bar. mostly because you can variate your position during the ride. but i liked the point that's there's no rules when it comes to YOUR bike

[@billinhouston3291]

Great explanation. Thank you.

[@billoneill6114]

❤️ my curly bar. Soo comfortable in all positions when you switch your hands around. I have mine set up so my drops are comfortable.. also mad braking power with my spyre-c. It is comfortably and still totally rips.

[@sir_lander]

I have 3 types: drops on my gravel cause is more fun/danger, flat on my daily commuter cause is easy to turn on holes or jumps and some type of Jones loop on my touring/winter bike with front suspension fork. I love all three

[@weeringjohnny]

A very informative video, pretty much bearing out all my experience of bike riding over the last 50 years. I have found, though, that raising the handlebars on a curly-barred bike doesn't necessarily make you more comfortable, probably because a raised bar puts more weight on the saddle and and may give you a sore back/ass. You need to find a compromise. You can learn to use the drops more by staying there a couple of more minutes each time you ride, at least that's how I learned, and now I really like the position. People say you need great flexibility in the lumbar region for that but I've never found that personally to be the case.

[@davekoehnlein4575]

Awesome video Russ. I bought the ritchey venturemax bars because you have raved about them on here and I adore them. Best drop bars I’ve ever ridden with!

[@michaelrector9176]

Great discussion, Russ! Drop bars are great, especially the new "gravel/adventure-style" for us non-racy types. Which is what I use on my all-road bike. But, I feel flat bars have a place, as well, such as commuting and bikepacking. I use Surly Moloko bars on my Pine Mtn. which have 34 degrees of sweep and they are (for me) extremely comfortable for hours of riding on the logging roads of the Oregon Coast Range.

[@robbykills]

I have pretty much all drop bars and Albatross/North Road and a set of Jones bars these days. They all provide a hand position that is similar to the hoods. I like the drops on my go fast road bike and the Daija farbars on my fixed gear gravel ride, ducking into the wind is very helpful on a fixed.

[@basstrom88]

I've really been enjoying the shallow drop of my 46cm Ritchey Venturemax bars. I use them on every technical descent now and the control and braking confidence I get is great. It also means that I can set up the stem height with less of a compromise between making the hoods too high or feel like i'm folding in half to get to the drops.

[@lydiaboyd9139]

I’m with ya! I ride drop bars and I’m mostly on the hoods and love how I can switch up when I need to stretch out or change positions.

[@WintermelonChan]

This is exactly what I was looking for!!

[@markhaskins9479]

Banger video!

[@decleafs4]

"The road bike industrial complex". Perfect.

[@shaun89759]

I like flat or riser bars with little to no backsweep. I have the nitto for shred bar 3 degrees back sweep. Love it

[@3wbasie]

I love drop bars because they give me a ton of different riding positions and with an inline braking set up I never have to feel like i'm too far away from the brakes.

[@hlee6488]

Excellent. I choose them by duration of rides and terrain. I got two bikes - one with flat bar and the other with the 'curly bar'. Flat bar for commuting, shopping, riding trails, pot-hole ridden tarmac and briddleways/towpaths. Curly bar for longer rides. If I have a third one, I'll go for gravel bike with flared drop bar, which I tested.

[@markjthomson]

Love my drops, so many more options for position!

[@neillawson4252]

Cracking video ,have recently been given a old 24 speed mountain bike which needs some work but hoping to change the bars to curly ones lol if I can get all the right bits ,cheers again for the video really helpful 👀

[@anapham4724]

LOVED YOUR VIDEOS 👍

[@tommilano5431]

The Curly Bar. I love the term! I used to explain them as the "Curly Q" bars. Great video!!

[@MelvinHughesatp]

There are so many choices now that finding a great “curly” bar is not too difficult! After years of riding primarily Nitto Noodles, mixing in Albatross, Bull Moose, and others, I just recently was directed to Spank Flare 25 degree bars. What a huge improvement for all the reasons you outlined! Combined with a 30mm Discord stem, they are wonderful!

[@MTBMichigan]

Good video. Good channel. I appreciate the information on these bars as, though I've been riding for 48 years, most of them have been on flat bars from bmx or mountain biking. I just recently got a gravel bike and find I enjoy it, but am learning how i can be more comfortable on the bike. A question that you started to touch on, that I'd like more information about is why are the droppers you seem to be riding bent outward as well as downward?

[@JonDeFelice]

This video is just what I needed. I’m very interested in trying dropbars but I have a flatbar hybrid I got during lockdown from a big box store, very low end. It doesn’t seem cost effective to switch from a flatbar to a drop as I believe I would need new brakes (short pull) and potentially a new derailleur and that total would cost more than my bikes worth.

[@richardyamin226]

I ride with Salsa Woodchipper 2 and profile design extensions. It all about having different positions to rotate through, and when your end up riding into a double digit head wind the lower the better.

[@frakafrocka]

Love the vid and content. Thank you. Love and respect russ’s opinions. He is a sage. I have spent years on drops. Now I’m into aLternative bars and don’t use drops at all. Zero. I like - cheap and durable drive trains with low gearing, and cheap reliable hydraulic brakes. These are flat bar components. Hands in natural position on jones and many other bars too. Plus keeping cables under bar tape is pain in arse. I think drops popular because traditional and look beautiful.

[@saintless]

"wider than I can fit on camera" lmfao... that was pure gold!

[@surlycyclingrag3347]

Just did my first week tour on drop bars in Trinity National Forest with a Masi Giramondo added a delta bar riser. With a longer bolt and Teflon spacer so the multi tool will fit. I was riding with vélo orange crazy bars for three year's. With the Masi I felt more comfortable with more hand positions. The drop bar was very useful in head winds and loosing 40 pounds from my other bicycle touring set up this was one of our best trips. Comparing the vélo orange over the drops would have say they are very close except I did favor the flare drops better having more back comfort and quicker braking controls from different positions.

[@serhiirudenko6183]

Few months ago I got a gravel bike, my 1st bike with a drop bar. I'm starting to really like it, especially after I set it up properly and now can brake and change gears from the lower position.

[@DWMtukwila]

The most aero position is NOT on the drops but on the hoods with your body down as low as you would be on the drops. This decreases frontal area as it puts your forearm behind your hand. The forearm is parallel to the ground. I no longer use the drops even in sprints. I have become used to the hoods. I get full power in sprints and go faster on flat ground

[@joelmellema]

Just ride with what works best for you! I ride with curly and flat bars BUT for ergonomics I need the SQlab innerbarends of Spirgrips on the flat bars. They give you a better handposition for long rides and still give you access to the brakes

[@donnyo65]

I have both alt bars (I think they are called that - I'm trying to keep up with the fads) called Koga Denham bars. I also have a set of adventure bars on my gravel bike. I rode MTB for years so the flats are natural for me but for long distances I need different positions. The drop bars actually surprised me as to how comfortable they could be but I will probably raise them a bit due to back and shoulder problems. I can see why people are passionate about both types and I love both types for different reasons - another good thought provoking video.

[@stephenturkLA]

Drop bars for me. Lots of positions, and aligned with my arms/hands. Compact road bars (FSA) on the road bikes, Salsa Cowbells on the gravel and touring bikes.

[@ChipClark]

I like how Laura keeps a respectable distance behind you in bear country!

[@Cubasenet33]

Some time ago I put a flat bar in one of my road bikes, but i repented very soon, because I find very uncomfortable not to be able to change the position of my hands. Happy with my drops, and the three or four possible positions.

[@Hintonbro.]

Good news - Le Tour isn’t virtual, just delayed. It starts August 29th.

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

For now. That seems optimistic.

[@innocentiuslacrim2290]

@@PathLessPedaledTV France is actually in a pretty good position regarding COVID-19. There are still a lot of active cases left, but the daily deaths has dropped from over 1000 days to fluctuating at around 10 per day. There is still a lot of time to go though and if the race will be held, there will definitely be a lot of special arrangements. I have not heard of any quarantines for the competitors and staff though and if such were arranged, then it would need to start pretty soon. Even 1-2 cases among the competitors/support staff may halt the whole thing mid race.

[@Slappywag69]

“Road bike Industrial Complex” 😂 love it

[@BangTheRocksTogether]

I, after a career twisting large electrical connectors, have a sore wrist. The move to drop bars (a new Sutra) allows me so many positions, given that you don't have to grab the bar in the same place with each hand that it isn't an issue anymore.

[@thecheshirecat5564]

Perfect explanation, thanks! These misconceptions kept me away from drop “curly” bars for a long time and, as a result, I never even considered possible to ride a bike for more than a couple of hours without shedding a hand, since it’d gone in gangrene... with drop bars I am much, much comfortable and yes, I feel like I do have way more contro on gravel and technical descents -yeah then I admit I also like to ride reasonably fast and the aero side of the drops and a “slammed” stem isn’t wasted on me, but that’s a second order argument. Oh and I also use single piston cable actuated brakes, so... cheers 🍻😬 P.S.: on the bar ends: even beyond the crazy placement on modern flat bars, you don’t have access to the brakes there: I installed them on my MTB and they are not a solution for this reason, also -and yes, I’m covering that as well to a drop bar setup. Ritchey Comp Butano, in case you’re wondering.

[@kymcopyriot9776]

Just laid down money in my first proper bike and after months of riding bikes with all sorts of bars...I’ve gone with flat bars. I can simply never get happy with brake modulation when on the hoods of drop bars, it always seems compromised to me.

[@rollinrat4850]

Braking will always be best in the hooks on drop bars. The hoods position is for resting or climbing. Many people ride on hoods the most because their position is wrong on the bike or they simply bought the wrong bike. Drop bars are nice for all the different hand positions. That is the reason for them! You have most leverage over brake levers in the hooks. You also have the most control and leverage over the bike there. Your center of gravity is lowest there and your weight is more equal over the wheels so the bike handles best especially descending and cornering hard. I ride very rough trails primarily in the hooks, but I couldn't do it for long without a tall stem. My neck wouldn't allow it. It sounds like you'd need a taller stem with drop bars. As I've grown older and have a few injuries, a higher h'bar position has really helped even with my flat bars. I like really long rides. So comfort is king. I couldn't care less about how 'I look' on the bike. I just want to ride! You never need to follow some model or trend and fit 'rules' only work if you're comfortable spending your time on the bike. I'll do anything that helps me spend more time riding. I don't care what it looks like. Personally, I like the newer 'dirt drop' style bars for all the different hand positions on my long rides. I use some pretty weird and tall stems so the tops of my bars are about level with my saddle. I like cyclocross, touring and gravel bikes for long mixed terrain rides, offroad as much as possible. I simply don't feel safe around motorists, many who are unaware they operate a 2 ton killing machine. I use flat bars on a couple of my mountain bikes. On longer rides exceeding 5 hours, my arms, wrists and shoulders get sore or tired. That's probably normal since it's a long ride in mountains on rough terrain. But for the rough rocky terrain, flat bars provide the leverage I need. I started using Ergon's paddle style grips and those are great with flat bars. Check them out. Everyone I've recommended them to loves them.

[@BartAnderson_writer]

I've ridden for 45 years with drop bars (commuting, recreation, errands). I've always felt comfortable with them but couldn't explain why. Now after watching the video I understand why!

[@scottydoo330]

Great video

[@devianb]

I like bullhorns the best, but I tried out an aero drop bar and really like it. I don't use the drops often, but its nice to have an extra hand position and a more aero position when needed.

[@galootlovestools]

Over the last few years I’ve converted all but one bike, a mountain bike, to short reach, short drop drop handlebars. I’ve also added cross levers to most of the bikes including my Trek 660 vintage steel road bike so I can brake from the flats or the hoods. I rarely go into the drops. I use bar end shifters on all of the drop bar bikes, including my 1970s Paramount. My carpal tunnel issues have all but disappeared.

[@shannonstrobel6727]

added benefit...the drop bar gives you four positions to ride on in the drops; on the hoods; hands around the "horns" of the levers; and the tops/flats of the bar five, if you are willing to grip the drops at the end near the bar end plugs drop bars also give you the option of wrapping the tape thin, with some padding or thicc thicc plush padding

[@code3xiv]

No those are not just for racing. Those helps riders looks cool ok. It boost their self confident.. like look at me mom! Drop bars! And it helps with the insta likes!

[@davidbierbaum4881]

Let me be the cheerleader for non-flat, non-drop alternative bars. They will have to pry my butterfly bars from my cold dead fingers! 👻😎

[@mikesecrest2887]

I agree with you very much about butterfly bars. Except for the Jones bars on my bikepacking bike. And I don't disagree with Russ, because some people like the drops, but my butterfly bars have lots of hand positions.

[@ceroego]

@@mikesecrest2887 Yess, indeed, does he even mention them?

[@allenbishop9154]

I have found butterfly bars WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more comfortable than drops. My hands no longer go numb, more space for today's cockpit needs, more hand and riding positions, I see no reason to go back to drops.

[@mikesecrest2887]

@@ceroego I'm not that deep into watching the videos from Russ and Laura, but I haven't seen or heard them mention butterfly bars. However, the main trend separating gravel bikes from rigid mountain bikes is specifically the drop bars with road shifters/brake levers. Converting my bike to butterfly bars meant getting mountain bike shifters and levers.

[@DIYBicycleAdventure]

Butterfly bars more hand positions and budget friendly. Love them.

[@randomthoughts8346]

Thankyou

[@LukeNixsound]

I found that when I had drop bars, they hurt my elbows, I barely ever used the drops and from the most common position of the hoods, I could only use the weakest fingers of my hand to pull the brake. I've since changed to a cruiser swept back style of 50 degrees and that is very comfortable and I can use powerful mtb brakes.

[@krussek]

If you want something in-between you should check SQ-Lab innerbarends . I bought a pair a few weeks ago and they are great. You have multiple hand positions with easy access to the breaks when rinding on barends.

[@buyung94]

I really love drop bar, it just give me so many option where i can rest my hand. I can go on the hood, on the top, or on the drop, just giving me so many option so im not stuck with just 1 place like on straight handlebar for the entire ride.

[@oaklander2991]

Hi thanks for the video. I’m a subscriber now. Do you have suggestions of a curly bar for someone with extremely small hands? Thanks.

[@stephentheobdurate]

I've been riding a bike for about fifty years, for a few years as my only transportation. I prefer drop handle bars to straight bars for commuting AND touring, particularly in hills. I prefer a wider bar, but I'm also bigger than average. The ability to change positions on the bar reduces fatigue. You can ride on the top, on the brakes or on the bottom.

[@manojpaudel5277]

Wish I had come across this video before my first bike purchase few months ago.

[@madcapper6]

The reason I never liked drop bars is because of the hand position relative to the brake levers. The only way to get optimal access to the brake levers, you have to be in the drops. Your fingers can't reach the brake levers when on the top bar and only your pinky and ring finger have any meaningful reach access when on the hoods. Your index and 2nd finger can reach the brake levers too but only the very top of them and you can't press the brake levers from there. I can see the benefits of drop bars and understand why many people prefer them. The hoods especially is very beneficial when riding long distances and is optimal for climbing. But I just can't get that natural, instinctive feel I can get with flat bars. I hardly ever even think about brake levers when riding flat bars. They are just there when I need them.

[@alexball5907]

I think it really depends on the shape of your brake levers. I've used quite a lot of different brake levers and there is a big difference in control and your ability to reach and modulate the brakes.

[@HOllyBOni]

I think you had the wrong lever shape/size for your hands. It's true that you have the most leverage on the brake lever when you're in the drops. But from the hoods personally I can easily reach the center and lower-ish part of the brake levers with my index and middle finger. I descend in this position all the time off road on terrain where my gravel bike is overwhelmed to say the least, and I have no problem of stopping or slowing down. All that said, you are right that on a flat bar the brake levers are "just there".

[@madcapper6]

@@HOllyBOni Out of curiosity what's the make/model of your gravel bike? The last time I rode drop bars was on a Trek road bike from the '90s. The bars didn't even have hoods on them. I do seem to remember while doing a lot of riding on an old Nishiki road bike when I was a kid developing fairly quick and natural access to the brakes after a while. It might be time to revisit drop bars again. It might be just a matter of getting used to them after riding flats for so long. Been thinking about getting a gravel bike for a little while now.

[@HOllyBOni]

​@@madcapper6 Oh god, now I understand. I absolutely hate old drop bars and brake levers. I worked in a bike shop for a short while where we specialized in vintage bikes, and I felt bad for the customers who bought a vintage road bike from us, mainly because of the handlebars and levers. Those things were truly horrible. Modern levers and compact bars are completely different. I built my bike from a frameset. Charge Plug 5 frame, Specialized "shallow bend handlebars" and SRAM Rival 1 levers. Also, modern brakes, especially hydro discs require a "bit" less lever pressure. 🙃 But again, you might still not like drop bars, and that's fine. We are all different, and neither drops or flats are better than the other, they're different and both have positives and negatives. But I would recommend taking a bike for a spin with modern bars and levers, and with a cockpit setup/geo where the saddle to bar drop is not massive.

[@madcapper6]

@@HOllyBOni Wasn't familiar with the Charge Plug 5 so I did a Google search on it. Titanium huh? Very nice. Speaking of Rival 1, the bike I've been considering getting is an online direct Polygon Bend CT5 with a full Rival 1 group set. At $1400 it seems like a pretty good deal and Polygon from what I hear is legit and has a rep for offering a lot of bike for the $$. Outside of that, I haven't seen an Apex 1 build for any less than $1500. They also offer the Bend FX4 flat bar bike with full Tiagra for $800 I was also looking at, which has the exact same frame and wheel set as the CT5. Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated.

[@dusanmal]

At the end you mention the issue that is the key for me: many hand positions. As soon as you drive over hour or two ability to have many useful hand positions and interchange them becomes crucial. I personally see 5 positions on drop bars: on the inner horizontal bar (10%), on the curve to forward sections (40%), on the brake hoods (40%), on the curves below brakes (5%), on the bar ends (5%). Yes, some of positions are less used but both very functional for the purpose and most importantly - providing a change as to prolonged body/hands position. For handlebar makers: for my touring bike I'd love to see what I'd describe as "Buffalo Bar" (hint: Buffalo horns). Drop bar that follows traditional sizing (shoulder width) and shape up to and at brake hoods, than strongly flaring outside and slightly backwards and a lot wider (as buffalo horns), much more than any current design (ex bars you have had in the video, twist those drops way outward after the brakes). Bull-horns have their application but I am surprised that no manufacturer have yet produced this "Buffalo bar" design which to me seem so right for the (touring) purpose. (Buffalo in this context is American Buffalo/Bison).

[@kenstephenson2773]

I switched out my wood chipper’s for crazy bars...no regrets.

[@James.Gornell]

Crazy bars rule!

[@Jacob-cb7pj]

love em both on the trail

[@ClaytonBridges]

this was great. lost it at the road bike industrial complex 🤣

[@phillipcowan1444]

I haven't had a flat bar bike since the early 90's. I'm trying to imagine what possible use I would have for one. If you like them that's cool though.

[@josephfarrugia2350]

Drop bars: multiple hand positions vs flat bars. That lone is already a huge landslide win. That's not even mentioning many other positives (advantages) of dropbars. My tip to those curious about dropbars: do some research then try them, they don't necessarily have to be "race-shape" & in super-slammed down position. You'll be pleasantly surprised, as I was :-)

[@lafamillecarrington]

I've changed from drops to flat bars with tribars. Getting the saddle angle right for both is really difficult. I like the tribar aerodynamics because it can be very windy where I live.

[@myfavouritechair]

Hey Russ. Are the WCS venture max the bars you’re running. They look really nice.

[@OhadELM]

Well I’ve been running drop bars on my touring bike for some time now , just don’t happy with the brakes modulation , And the angle which I’m sitting in because of the more aggressive position, I did try to put on a shorter stem with pretty big angle to make my position more upright, but it just doesn’t works for me - I found myself writing my MTB more because I just don’t get along with the riding position . I’ve tried out Jones bar, And I’ve decided to convert my trek 520 to a jones loop bar, The more upright position lets me look around and enjoy the scenery while not having any discomfort, Plus I love multiple hand positions . There’s just something more relaxing to me when I ride in a more comfortable position I’m going in “ party pace “ When on drops i feel i have to push more ..

[@timmanion2197]

“.....just work better with my body, and with how I like to ride......”. Sorry, but where’s the Big Name driven gear fetish here? And how about the requisite subtle but snide dismissal of nonentities who....well....DON’T like to ride like me? I’m definitely missing the insights of the weight weenie, the galactic material insistence, and the wide-eyed praises heaped on the Newest Gotta Have It. Where, my friend, is the real meat of the cycling industry, the carefully framed shot of the Money Bar? I mean, you’re leaving all those poor folks depending on you to tell them which is the Best Bar with the frightening need to get out there and try to ride enough different bars to figure out for themselves which fits their own body most comfortably, and best serves how they like to ride, no matter what The Handlebar Shootout in Bike-tastic, vol 4, the Spring Issue, concluded.... It’s almost like you’re implying that it ain’t about the gear, it’s about the joy of the experience; not about The Ride, but about your ride, and mine, and hers, and his, and hers.... How quaint. And what a relief!

[@rollinrat4850]

Amazing isn't it? The key is to get comfortable so you can spend as much time on your bike as you'd like to. Think for yourself. Ignore marketing BS, trends, 'roadie fit rules' or what the pros are using. Be open minded. Who gives a rip what 'it looks like'? Do you look at yourself while you're riding?? Take the time to experiment with different options. Spend a little extra money to GET COMFORTABLE! Its well worth it. Its your bike. You're supposed to enjoy your time on it.

[@ryangriffiths2290]

Do you have a video on the big dummy? We’re are a family of almost six and need a good review of how to pack them for a week long trip. Thank you

[@rumenripe]

of course not! we hang it for drying laundry, we are using our bontraggers and canyon to hang plants in the bathroom. and occasionaly, with sti levers for laundry, incase stronger winds occur..

[@SkrufTheSkruf]

I ended up going with the redshift kitchen sink bars with the extra loop - I always thought drop bars were uncomfortable until I tried wider gravel bars and it changed how confident I was. of course my main experience is with old 80's road bikes with narrow handlebars ( I'm not that old but those were always the bikes in my price range) , but I feel like I have as much, and in a lot of cases way more authority over my front wheel then I ever did with the skinny track style bars that these bikes came with. because I feel so much more confident on the bike I am spending a lot more time riding and getting fit. choosing to ride 15 -30 minutes instead of driving 5 minutes often, too.

[@kevinvanhoy8259]

Been on a bike all my life.. however I’m brand new to the “cycling” world.. I was attracted to the drop bar gravel bike before realizing that it was the new thing. Regardless of all that I was drawn to it as a total outsider and ultimately i like the look of drops and the concept of all terrain road bike.. so for those reasons I’m gonna give the drops a whirl …. Yeeee !

[@McFaddenWasRight]

I've always prefered the curly bars but use the flat section only. 1) I feel most comfortable with them due to weight distribution and and poature. 2) Hands are protected if you're about to smash into something because the bars would take the hit instead in the off chance you end up doing to.

[@willek1335]

Hi from Norway. I also ride dropbars. My favourite thing is the nimbleness of a narrower bar. A busy road full of cars? Between trees and Road blocks? An urban environment with people and obstacles? I can easily slip past with up to 30% narrower bar. I feel fully confident. This is also why I never have (big) bags hanging on the sides. Question. I just bought aerobars. Love them, mostly for the comfort on longer rides. Do you think there're any downside to trimming down the ends of my drop bars? I don't see the utility when I have the aerobars, but let me know if you can think of any. Thank you.

[@lenkomsa1399]

“Road Bike Industrial Complex” 😂 😂😂

[@puregsr]

As I get older into my 40's and I keep trying to get away from drop bar, but somehow I keep coming back.

[@sventice]

I totally agree with Russ on this one. A couple of years ago, after many years of road biking and touring, I swapped out my drop bars for flat bars, figuring I'd have more control, remembering my youthful hardcore MTB days in the 1990s. I was horrified by the result, immediately went back to drop bars, and have never looked back. Even on pretty rustic gravel/mtb routes, drop bars are far more comfortable, especially the newer compact ones, and they give you more control over the the bike than any other kind of bars.

[@rollinrat4850]

There are so many new uniquely shaped bars out there these days. Everybody can find something that suits! I'm hooked on dirt drops. I'm slowly switching all my bikes, even MTBs to these. The Ritcheys he shows here are one of my favorite bars besides Nitto's. If you set dirt drops up high enough, about top level with the saddle, riding in the hooks gives you a much more powerful and secure position along with more leverage and the best braking. You won't need to strain your neck to see which is huge for me dealing with some old injuries. I ride pretty technical rocky terrain on 'cross bikes and singlespeeds. I just ride on tops and hoods to move my hands around and stretch a little on long rides. I feel more confident going fast, cornering hard and pushing my limits in the hooks. I also feel like my entire body is able to leverage the entire bike and I can put down more power in the hooks. This has a lot to do with my fit on the bike. Dirt drops are actually designed to be ridden primarily in the hooks if you talk to some old gravel experts. Ive tried quite a few different bars and many different set ups and positions. I keep experimenting until I find what suits me. I don't give a rip about trends or anything else. Many of the extremely splayed out drop bars have uncomfortable, (to me) very narrow hoods positions and top positions which pretty much suck in rough terrain or hammering up power climbs. Something you do constantly on singlespeeds. These Venturemax bars nailed it for me. Its a really nice shape. Their back sweep is what I like most. Nitto Noodles also have backsweep . I just want wider Ritcheys. 46cm is the narrowest bars for any bike I'd consider. Ive got others almost as wide as mtb riser bars!

[@orci77]

For me the drop bar handlebars are also more comfortable than flat handlebars. My first road bike had 4cm spacers and 25mm times and a lot of people said you cannot do it on a road bike. Didn’t care because it was comfortable for me.

[@laurynasjagelo5075]

as a mountainbiker and an occasional bikepacker, I found that I like both. However, living in the mountains and riding offroad, the flat bars do offer superior control with 770mm bars; On the road however, when you're sitting in a fixed position for hours and don't need the control, a wide-ish (440-480mm) drops are quite comfy. Another thing is choice of brakes. (I prefer hydraulic brakes and the feel of mtb brake levers) Last but not least, IMO strapping stuff on a flat bar is easier. For proper touring / Bpacking and moving long distance, IMO Jone's-ish shaped bars are the best of both worlds, offering best mounting options, most control and still a comfortable and natural wrist position. AND allows to use MTB style hydros :)

[@SMenkveld]

Couple of points... 1) If you're riding 90%+ on the hoods, ramps, and tops... Your bars are too low. Raise them up until you can ride in the hooks and drops for at least 10 minutes. 2) Make sure that your hands fits comfortably in the hooks. Shallow, (or worse, squished,) drop bars and large hands is not a win.

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

Riding in the hoods is actually faster than the drops.

[@SMenkveld]

@@PathLessPedaledTV not talkin' 'bout speed, more about comfort and versatility. On that measure, having your hoods where the hooks used to be is not a win. I still like the old rules of thumb... Touring:. Bars at saddle height Recreational: 1"-2" drop Fast: 3"-4" drop Of course, that's probably cuz I'm old...

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

@@SMenkveld I'm plenty comfortable in the hoods. That's why I use them 90% of the time :)

[@bill_case]

Great video! I ride drop bars on my bike. I like the variety of positions they give me. Any tips on bar width?

[@rollinrat4850]

I often ride technical mtb trails on dirt drop barred bikes. I like my bars as wide as I can find them. I dig the leverage and control similar to my flat bar MTBs. Just know that the wider you go, the shorter stem youll want. Experimentation is often required to get exactly what you need. You may have to buy a few extra bars and stems. I'm 6' tall and my arms and legs are pretty average I'd guess.I'm using 46-56cm wide dirt drops on my several bikes. Specifically 52cm Nitto Dirt Drops RM 013 46cm Ritchey Venturemax 56cm VO Far Bars. The Ritchey and Nitto are my favorite shapes.

[@rolandmatters1619]

I'm about to fit drop bars to my twenty year old hardtail MTB. Just have to work out how to convert the levers to operate my Deore XT 4 pot calipers.

[@frazierriver]

Glycene watch? I notice you wear a Seiko SKX007 too. I love my SKX's. Guitars, vintage Fender amps, Bikes and watches are my passions.... I enjoy your channel Russ. bought me a Jones LWB by the way and I love it. also got an all city Gorilla, put Teravail rampart 47ml's on it And went from six bikes to two. these two bikes cover it all for me. I mention this because your bike reviews were a big help in deciding on these two. peace to you and Laura.

[@Spearmanmark]

Hey slightly off topic, I like the watches and nato straps you wear - Is that a Glycine Airman?

[@wescheslak9408]

What are the curly bars on the bike in this video? They look pretty shallow. I’m curious about them , I like them.

[@christocr]

I prefer drop bars for all the reasons mentioned in the video (especially the cowchipper drops I just put on my gravel bike--awesome), but I do have an XC MTB as well that has flat bars. Yeah, it offers a bit more control for really technical stuff, but far less comfortable for long rides. I'm definitely considering shortening the bars and putting bar ends on it. Back in the day, I was on the bar ends of my MTB about 90% of the time. It's just a more comfortable position... thus the reason I like drop bars way more. Or I could just buy a Salsa Fargo for my MTB--one of the few drop bar mountain bikes.

[@faustozapata8217]

inner bar ends are are a good option if you like flat bars.

[@richardradcliffe6047]

1) In a standing position, completely relax your arms. 2) Gently swing your arms back and forth, hinging mostly at the elbow. 3) Stop swinging when your forearm hits 90 deg. maintaining a lit,e tension in your wrist. 4) Find handlebars that match that position. For me, it’s definitely not flats even though that’s what I use on my MTB because it seems to provide superior control. Compromises...

[@nickporter3531]

I have used both. Only flat bars that I was able to use with no pain were the Jones Loop Bars. All of my bikes have drops now. Why? More comfortable with more hand positions. I use Rene Herse Rando bars on two of them, maes parallels on one and a pair of Ritchey gravel ones on my gravel bike. Still not sure about the wide flairs bars though...

[@10cocopops]

any chance of orange partypace patches Russ?

[@The4Crawler]

I love my drop bars for the reasons mentioned. The best thing I added to them was the cross brake levers. Gives you all the hand positions plus you get full braking effort from the tops and the drops: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jonUiIVvj9xlq9U Now my old Schwinn Sports Tourer had some aux. brake levers but those were not very good and didn't give full braking. Actually they were a bit dangerous as you could brake hard enough on a steep descent to move a lot of weight to your hands. Enough so that you couldn't reposition to the drops, but there wasn't enough braking effort there to come to a full stop.

[@Korina42]

The situation isn't that binary; for the first hundred years of bicycles, swept/north road style bars were traditional and curly bars were "alt". I hate flat bars with a burning passion; they're horribly uncomfortable and only good for motocross, where they came from. I admit my curly bar experience was as a lass in the '70s on a much too large 10-speed, so not good. My Velo-Orange Porteur bar puts my hands in the same position as your hoods and is great for 80% of my riding.

[@JonathanRBarnard]

Exactly. It's weird he didn't mention alt bars: Crazy, Jones, North Road, traditional touring butterfly, etc. Not to mention that in the 90s most mtb with bar ends had narrow bars...

[@shannonstrobel6727]

@@JonathanRBarnard then there is the ever present tri/time trial cockpit...

[@JonathanRBarnard]

@@cjohnson3836 He can do whatever he wants, but he constructed the video as: why I use drops instead of flats. That does seem oddly binary as the first person in thread noted, especially since most of his objections to flats wouldn't apply to alts.

[@arminhess1512]

Agree 100%

[@kylehoover114]

Depends on the geometry/ sizing of the bike

[@quijadriss7650]

As a large rider, I find the drops as one of my more comfortable positions to sit. When I say big, I mean big. Like, only steel frames and I have broken several sets of cranks in the last 2 years. I ride in a lot of traffic and the drops significantly reduces my vision. So in heavy traffic I'm on the hoods. But if I'm on a trail with few others, drops all day. The only thing that gets in my way is my knees hitting my gut (Did I say I was big?). I will say that my hands are choked all the way back. I have end shifters and my hands rest just in front of them. This gives me the best distribution of weight between hands, butt and feet.

[@rcireland]

My commuter is flat bars with Ergon GS3's...super comfortable to me.

[@RadioactiveLegos]

Glycine Airman? Nice!

[@zero2dad644]

Have you tried butterfly bars? I'm tempted to try them myself!