Drop Bars vs Flat Bars: Which Handlebar is Best?

[@itsjustpizza]

I spent so much time riding no handed I just removed them completely. Now my hands are never tired, my bike is even lighter & no one can argue with me about why their handlebar preference is the best for everyone. Win.

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

Brilliant, I’ll give it a shot.

[@kaustubhs.mayekar6432]

Handy tip!

[@quarkonium3795]

Definitely trying this the next time I go down a twisty, steep descent

[@atimholt]

You joke, but my nephew and his friends are really getting into unicycling.

[@itsjustpizza]

@@atimholt who says I'm joking

[@BbenjaminSsmith]

I think a lot of people assume being a serious cyclist means you need drops bars. But do what’s comfy for you!

[@Chris-wj4ze]

People feel that drop bars are more professional or "advanced" or something.

[@ericpmoss]

I have yet to find anything that works for me as well as some kit from 1989. All the options are race solutions for very specific kinds of competition, wiggled around to where they can pretend to be practical. Even looking at the demo video, it's a downhill race with a loaded bike, something only superman, a KZbin content creator, or a fool would do in the middle of nowhere. No one discusses how a super wide bar really only makes sense for someone in the RedBull body position. Nor do they discuss how extra wide has the same effect on your back and chest as greater drop, and how drop bars extend the reach unless the stem compensates. It's foolish to use bar ends when brake levers aren't reachable, but no one discusses the obvious solution of L-shaped levers like were available 30 years ago, because it doesn't look pro. If the bend and upsweep of some of these bars works for you, great, but I don't know people whose wrists are in a strong position when cocked like that. I know it sounds like griping, but the bike industry is paying attention to the wrong things for most people's needs.

[@richlijacanacua]

I used flat-bar for almost 5 months in my city daily commuting and long distances and short distances mountain climbing week-ends. Then in the long runs of usage I do not feel comfortable anymore because of limited positions, only upright and a little bending of my elbows to relax my back and my hips. Then one time we met my friend and did 2 hours lapping of almost 1.5 kms. Oval tracks with an average speeds of 35-45 kms/hours. He is using his Road bike with drop bar and I using my Gravel bike with flat bar. Then we switched bikes and suddenly I discover how comfortable the handling of drop-bar. My back feeling relax when I leaning on for Aerodynamic position. I can also do upright position putting my both hands on-top of the flat-bar on the part of drop bar handle. I can also lean a bit for aerodynamic position, that so relaxing and comfortable by holding the STI handles. Then I can easily accelerate pedaling the bikes with freely exhaling and inhaling the air. The balance and positioning of my body on the bike is so comfortable. So from that experienced I decided to change my flat-bar to drop-bar. ‘Till now I am enoying using my Gravel bike for daily commuting in the city and long distances plain and mountainous roads ang gravels.

[@kimberlyhawks8774]

I never knew I loved drops like I do now, until I got a Fargo with the Woodchipper bar. I’m short (and somewhat timid on rough stuff); the woodchipper gives me confidence and is sooooo comfy. I use all the hand positions on those long days including the drops which are at quite an angle.

[@BikeCampChill]

Currently using PNW Range flat bars with Ergon bar ends. I’ll swap grips to test different ones out. I’m so familiar with flats at this point it seems like drops would be too alien. Based on the survey though, it still looks like flats may be best if you only have one bar and one bike and want to ride comfortably on anything and everything that may come your way.

[@tomg.542]

I was a drop-bar guy and still prefer them on road and gravel bikes but for bike packing, a mountain bike with flat-bars plus Ergon grips and aero clamp-ons works great. Tons of hand positions.

[@barrybogart5436]

I agree. Flat all the way. Don't get me wrong, I've been a roadie for 50 years, 30 of that Randonneuring and I did almost all of that with highly flared drop bars (which used to be called 'rando bars', BTW). When you ride all day, different positions is important and if you are riding into the wind, riding on the drops is good. But as you said 'riding downhill on chunky roads with drop bars' is not fun.. I always thought drop bars on gravel bikes was really a bad idea, engendered I guess by some sense of originating from cyclocross bikes. Anyway I find that a flat bar with bull horns gives me all the positions I need and all the leverage. Unlike probably everyone I put my stubby bullhorns INSIDE the brake levers and not at the bar ends. I don't need more leverage and that gives me a more aerodynamic position if needed for headwinds or tarmac. I can also transition to the brake levers much faster than with outboard bullhorns. Sometimes you have to slow down fast. Everyone should try that. On trails I am mainly an the bar, but on tarmac I'm usually on the bullhorns. But I do switch on long stretches.

[@elachichai]

What are your views on Koga Denham bars?

[@barrybogart5436]

I have no experience with them. I use 'butterfly' bars, not flat but with a rise at the front like the letter 'M'. @@elachichai

[@TribusMontibus]

Hello Barry, Thank you for that comment. I've been a roadie for approximately forty years and have expanded into gravel and light mountainbiking over the last few years, with no loss of love for the road though. My wife's road bike has a flat bar (because she's a bit uncomfortable about drop bars) and I did indeed put bar ends inside the brake levers. Now I have a mountainbike on order for myself, which I intend use for a demanding ride later this year. I was thinking to put bar ends, on the inside again, but I'm still wondering whether I should shorten the flat bar by 2 cm on either side, because I won't be riding 'acrobatic category' mountainbike trails and, as a roadie, think the standard mountainbike flat bar very wide. Do you have any thoughts on that? Kind regards, Garret

[@barrybogart5436]

I chop off the bar ends as well as putting the bullhorns inside. Most bars are far to wide. But I am not a mountain biker. Maybe sometimes more leverage is required. I have never needed it..@@TribusMontibus

[@c0nsci0usness]

Exactly what I run. Flat bars + inner bar ends.

[@sd3457]

I really do like the thumbs-forward orientation of my hands for long duration riding, but I prefer knuckles-forward for control. I've ended up with flat bars with some 1990's Onza bar ends placed inboard of the levers as a best compromise.

[@decentdiversions]

Loved seeing the survey results! Would you consider doing a video on drop bar positioning and fit for bikepacking? Should the drops be parallel to the ground or at an angle? My experience with road drops vs flared drops has revealed different types of comfort. Wonder what others think. Cheers!

[@itsmarcomong]

The best handlebar is the one I did not buy yet ✌🏽 Jokes apart, it’s too much personal and due to the rest bike setup like gear (quality can be too expensive to afford) and some more stuff. I keep following your videos hoping to get a good hint and they always come. I’m a proud owner of a surly’s moloko bar … best solution for me.

[@vegasvampire66648]

I'm curious how age or health factors into this. Lol... Cuz my 60yr.old back loves flat bars. 🤣

[@outbackwack368]

I always get hand numbness using drop bars but NEVER on MTB bars. When I decide on my next bike for bikepacking/all 'round it more likely than not will be full suspension because I love mountain biking. My current bars are Renthal Fat Bar carbon in 760mm, but I will be changing to more sweep and rise with a longer stem in the fall. Thanks!

[@marcalvarez4890]

ProTaper 20/20 bars.

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

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[@beltchenko]

Thanks for the support everyone!

[@h82fail]

55cm Walmer on my old XC hardtail(light 29er). Just finished and got a few rides in, love it as a playful monster gravel bike. Test rode some gravel bikes including the Cannondale lefty and this is 1000% more comfortable and allot more capable off-road. Fox float 80mm (w/full lockout), 100mm dropper, 29x2.1 front & 700x50 rear, 26/38 and 11x40 di2 GRX/XTR mix. Noticeably faster then I was with 1x and flat bars on this bike. Di2 is amazing, glad I went that route but sucks it costs so much. Trails are too wet so haven't tried it in the single track yet, but excited to try. I have my trail full squish but sick of driving it to the trails and have road buddies so needed something.

[@Uxoriousness]

Flat bars with bar ends mounted inside the brake levers. Works great for all types of biking, including road biking.

[@mgpBLARG]

I like my Wren PERSEVERANCE bars, flat bar for hill climbs and technical terrain, but with a triathlon style aero bar welded on to mount gear and to get low when riding fast or when ride into the wind

[@darkm4g1c]

just finished building a BMC La Cabra and I fully embraced the drop bar MTB aspect of the frame. Initial impressions from a handling standpoint? I'm not goin fast enough on rough stuff for the advantage of a flat bar to matter, and personally I move my hands around constantly, so the multiple hand positions are certainly welcome. I will say one of the most frustrating aspects of building up a more rowdy drop bar rig is the lack of support from the industry. It was a pain in the ass to source/modify the parts that flat bar bikes enjoy in access(larger brakes, multiple dropper brands/types, wide range 12 speed drivetrains) and the lack of support for Installing these sorts of things makes it even more frustrating. In the end I'm happy with it, but if I had to do it over again I would probably just stick to flat bars and experiment with comfort aids.

[@comandreja]

I've tried many handlebars including the Richie venturemax, whiskey Milhouse, salsa cowchipper, protaper 20/20, Jones loop. The most comfortable I found is the Tumbleweed bars using sq lab's innerbarends

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

That's valuable feedback, thanks for sharing. I think I need to jump on the Tumbleweed train. -Neil

[@comandreja]

@@BIKEPACKINGcom don't get me wrong, I actually love the Millhouse bars

[@cjohnson3836]

@@BIKEPACKINGcom Didn't like the sweep on my Moloko bar so swapped out for a T-weed Persuader. Thought I'd miss the hand positions but with the right fit and bar, 1 is all you need. I won't say it's for everyone and I think the sweep is still more than I'd prefer in a perfect bar. But I've been using it with Ergon GA3s and it's the best I've felt. Comfortable and tons of real estate to festoon all your worldly possessions.

[@kcreative2]

I'm currently using a Tumbleweed bar and love it

[@marcalvarez4890]

Thanks for sharing your handlebar history. What was your experience with the 20/20 bars?! They look really interesting to me, and at 182 grams, they are crazy lightweight.

[@sventice]

I think for most people it just comes down to what you're used to. When I first started bicycling, I was into mountain biking and rode flat bars. Then I switched to road biking and necessarily went to drop bars, which I initially didn't like, but eventually I adjusted. Now I'm doing a lot of commuting, touring and bikepacking, and after some experimenting I'm totally sticking to drop bars, because I think they're way easier on my aging wrists and shoulders. But again, that's probably just because that's what I've been riding. It's kind of like flat pedals vs. clip-in pedals. There's no "right answer," just what feels more comfortable for you and the kind of riding you do.

[@toejoe4911]

Also worth mentioning is that you can fit much larger handle bar bags to a flat bar simply because drop bars are less wide. if you plan to stay a couple of weeks / months on the road that's sth to consider. Be sure the drop bar isnt bent like crasy this helps with mounting a battery light, smartphone etc. straight forward in riding direction.

[@Ross.Bagatski]

Flat bar with long bar ends. My favourite. Three positions for hands. Plus 2 transient positions. Bar ends covered with 2 layers of bar tape.

[@Name-vu1kn]

When you talk about flat vs drop performance is important but hand and wrist positioning is important too. Flat bars promote tilting the hands backward to push the bars, putting a huge kink in your wrist. Riding drops with your hands on the hoods (where most people ride most of the time) is a much more natural position. To prove it let a hanging arm raise to your shoulder. Your hand will look like your going to shake somebody’s hand, fingers slightly curled, thumb inward. Much in the same way your hands rest on the hoods. People get carpal tunnel from typing in the position that is promoted by flats.

[@KentuckyCycling]

Really enjoyed this video and thought you did a great job with your analysis. And, as someone who's current all-road bike has a drop bar, but is working on my next all-road build as a flat bar, I also found it, along with the survey results, very confirming. Thanks for your work on this!

[@GeorgeFrideric71]

Hiya. I'm someone trying to decide between the 2. I've little experience with drop bars. Can I ask why you're moving to flat bars?

[@KentuckyCycling]

@@GeorgeFrideric71 I’ve found that I don’t spend that much time in the drops. And my primary has never been speed so I’m not worried about that. I’ve also had shoulder and back issues and a flat bar is more upright so I’m thinking it will be a little better for those issues. And wider flat bars offer more control on descents. I will say that I’m concerned about not having as many hand positions on long rides, but plan to install some inner bar ends to offer a position that mimics riding on the hoods of a drop bar, which is where I’ve spent most of my time. Hope that helps.

[@sojourner7310]

I have been using surly truck stop drop bars with a 30mm rise they sit you up a bit and still have multiple hand positions. I have them on my Marin Gestalt 10 that I tour with.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Drop bar people: if you want the best of both worlds, check out the 60cm Walmer Bar... 75cm at the drops! I got into one of these earlier this year and now routinely ride rocky/techy singletrack on my drop bar bike. It gets you similar leverage to flat bars and able to use the full volume of a handlebar roll bag without it hitting the shifters. To my knowledge these are the widest drop bars on the market.

[@squibbledobble]

A really good breakdown. For me its practicality and cost - I've traditionally gone drop bars because that's what I know, but would happily go flat. The only thing that holds me back is cost, as it would require a whole new set up. I've just gotten my dream bike with all the components I want (Curve Kevin of Steel), so to go to a flat bar setup would require different geometry and therefore a whole new setup! Bikepacking is expensive.

[@gregknipe8772]

my two bikes: one drop and a flat. (jones)

[@jimbo4203]

I have a few bikes with drop bars and flatbars, i like both

[@yumyumhungry]

Best of both worlds? A wide dropbar attached to a bike with a long top tube and a short stem so you mitigate some of the control issues but keep the ergonomics and body position.

[@Alex-sr7op]

Whats a example of this?

[@robertsmme]

I would love to know what things to consider when swapping between flat bars or drops on the same bike. How do make sure the reach works and that your bike does not become twitchy.

[@2musiclover534]

Same here. When my hand goes forward beyond the stem, does it make the steering more or less twitch? Thanks.

[@matthewshultz8762]

The only thing that sucks on drops is braking control offroad. Even with great hydraulic brakes, you just can't do one-finger braking from the hoods, so you're forced to sacrifice control and use both middle and pointer fingers. I always get sore hands after riding drop bars offroad, not optimal. On pavement or gravel where you're descending in the drops you can absolutely use 1 finger braking and it's usually better for cornering stability on smoother surfaces. Even on sketchy fire road descents using the hoods isn't as bad since you're only seeking to bleed off some speed, not the same demands as singletrack. Having multiple hand positions on drops is a good benefit, but I will admit that my Jones H-bars are the most likely candidate for bikepacking. Much more comfortable for longer rides, but they don't work as well as true flat bars on chunky descents.

[@marcusmartin5758]

Do experiment Use drop bars on downhill Use flat bars on road The you'll get the answer.

[@JeffRevell]

I run a PNW Range 780mm aluminum handlebar. It has a 10° back sweep and 5° upsweep with a 30mm rise and feels really nice for me and my 6'5" body length. I also shortened my stem to 35mm, which puts me a bit more upright.

[@thomasjousse2427]

Drop bars all the way, for the road, single tracks, with or without flare. I just find them way more ergonomic and, weirdly enough, somewhat easier to control in almost all terrains. More subjectively, I also find them cooler to look at. :p

[@stewheart]

I think stem height is the real question. I always rise mine up using an extender. Low bars are too aggressive for long distance. Ride far and eat often 😎

[@RephaelInbar]

Question to all: What handlebars would you use for a long trip (3500 miles), light packing, on mostly fire roads or gravel and occasionally asphalt? i.e. not very technical, no single track etc. (my current thinking is drop bars raised for flat bars like riding position). Thanks in advance!

[@vermonthillsumc]

Great video. I have settled on the Jones H 2.5 for my touring bike and Surly Truckstop for drop bar mountain bike. I have wide shoulders so I go the biggest width they have.

[@johnsshed995]

Started rideing when i was 4 years old with flat bars .I didnt try drops till i was about 13 .even at that age they hurt my back wrists and palms ,so a week later I went back to flats again. Im 65 in 3 weeks time and still rideing with flats so i dont think Ill change again now.

[@mrljgibson]

I'd go with flat bars, there have been some designs for concealed braking to hide hoses/cables away.

[@mychaelpierce8049]

Great review. This really helps!

[@adriantait3525]

Another great video! Keep up this great work!

[@user-oh6ic9pz1t]

Great video. Thanks for all the info.

[@91722854]

what about drop bar attached to suspension fork, essentially a gravel-cross

[@karlr6810]

Soma Dream Riser flat bars for me, all three bikes. - 6061 T6 aluminum - 780mm width - 50mm rise - 31.8mm center - 25° backsweep - 5° upsweep - 420 grams I find them the most comfortable flatbars for my style of riding. Thanks for creating the poll and providing the final results.

[@momo.ru-kun]

Drops, I had nerve damage and lost my sense of touch for about 2 months using a flat bar. After I transitioned to drops, never had the same problem.

[@JitinMisra]

how much do you ride, per session, and how often ?

[@jacobbockover1628]

I have thought of just wrapping some bar tape in the inner part of my flatbars since i live in a high wind area. I have had bull horns i liked a lot

[@warrenzausa3145]

i would like to see a steering wheel of a car put on to a mtb

[@aussierules3436]

And would you ride/drive at 10 and 3 lol

[@warrenzausa3145]

@@aussierules3436 yep!

[@FrankLadd]

@@warrenzausa3145 I've seen it and it is hilarious, but I think it is best on the tall bikes.

[@apollovizsla]

In the late 60's, our paperboy had a bike with a banana seat and a steering wheel and at the time, I thought is was the best bike ever!

[@mcraydeveraescoto852]

Here in the Philippines, we have passenger bikes and leisure bikes that utilize that idea.. sure is funny!

[@AlienTrees]

Fave Flat: Soma Osprey / Fave Drop: Ritchey Venturemax XL

[@jamesthomas3298]

Thanks!

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

Thanks James, let me know if you have any other questions! I appreciate the support.

[@tomfontanella6585]

Great video

[@coolwipp10]

I know I'm 2 years late to the conversation, but BUTTERFLY BARS ARE LIFE

[@patrykstaniszewski1668]

I'm considering switched from flat bars to drops on my bike, and I'm not even sure if this is possible (or at least worthwhile). If anyone has any experience with converting their handlebars from flats to drops, I'd really appreciate some feedback.

[@deabreu.tattoo]

.... what does the bar have to do with gear range? there's a million chainring / cassete combinations you can put on any STI-syle groupset

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

I guess, one thing I should have mentioned in the video is most of those options do not offer a great climbing-friendly bailout gear, which is pretty important with steep climbs, a loaded rig and tired legs. Thanks for watching, Lucas.

[@mikeschiller6728]

Adding a double crankset opens a wider gear range. Easy to do with either SRAM or shimaNo. I actually run a Campy shifter/shimaNo rear derailleur I'm two of my dirtdrop bikes

[@Bacciagalupe]

Awesome conversation!

[@ricardoramirezjr.9068]

Can you change a marline 6 Gen 3 handle bar to a drop bar? I would like to see if I can change my handle bars.

[@lavagnolli]

great video. Thank you!

[@pedroclaro7822]

The answer is neither. The best choices are in the flatbar style, but are nowhere near flat. Jones H and Butterfly bars are the general consensus from the world touring community. Bullhorns and aero bars on any wide swept back handlebars are also quite popular and for good reasons. Drop bars are good for road and gravel, maybe some aero bikepacking if you're going for speed, mileage and bragging rights instead of comfort and good experience. It's a choice between looking back proud that you endured it, or with nostalgic joy for the experience. Yeah I'm biased 🤣 if you're going to be a weekend warrior then go ahead and make sacrifices to be able to do X or Y, but I and most people I've met in pilgrimages and long term tours eventually make it their lifestyle to go slow and easy, appreciate the ride, the view, the food etc.

[@Fetherko]

On long rides, my back tires and I set more weight on my hands. Hence my wrist hurts. What is the solution? Wrist orientation?

[@jamesroysullivan]

what bars are shows at 8:46?? i like the shape a lot.

[@jabobpow]

That's a cool mug btw

[@andresmontero4364]

Actualmente monto una Specialized Chisel con barra Salsa Bend Bar de 23 y puños PNW.La mejor opcion que voy a ejecutar es con puños Ergon y innebarends SQL.La barra Salsa tiene la posibilidad de girarla hacia abajo y quedas en posicion mas aero,menos erguido y es increible la comodidad en las distancias en grava o asfalto.Pienso probar las aero Farr de aluminio Bolt -on que ademas de poder ponerles cintas ,hay opciones de luces y otros artilugios de navegacion.Fui siempre de barras de caida(ciclista de ruta)debido al trafico abandone y me pasé a MTB,siempre con la idea de barra de caida,pero llegue a la conclusión que nunca estaba en las gotas con mis 59 años y en las capuchas siempre !!,asi que prefiero la barra plana y accesorios de SQL y Ergon.La disfruto muchisimo en caminos y campo a traves.

[@kevindean9613]

Great viseo , thanks ...What's your view on gears like the Rohloff ?

[@SingleTrackMined]

I like having the hand position from which I can reach the brakes and shifters. That's not drop bars. On a road bike, sure, but not off-road, tyvm.

[@barrybogart5436]

Try a flat bar, inboard bullhorns.

[@davidrowe8747]

I have been using an SQ Lab 30x bar, with 16 deg backsweep, 4 deg upsweep, and 4 deg rise. I have matched it with SQ Lab inner bare ends, which are perfect for giving an additional "cruising" hand position that is very similar to riding the hoods on a set of drop bars (and allow you to reach the brake levers, unlike true bar ends). I do a lot of canal riding in te UK, and have found cutting the bars down from 780mm to 760 mm gives just enough extra wiggle-room to get through gates, etc., which all seem to be designed to catch 780mm bars as you pass through!

[@adam1885282]

What purple bar tape is that?

[@123moof]

4 bikes, only one with drop bars. The drop bar bike is my loaner, and my least favorite bike. Strangely my go-to favorite is a cargo bike. Slow, stable, fun, and ready to haul groceries at the drop of a text from the wife. Jones H-bars for life. At least for me drop bar have 3 positions, but I dislike all them. Also stupid is that drop bars on a bike almost always results in less tire clearance, and I like my plush plus and semi-plus sized tires.

[@balazsdusek]

I know this is debated but I didn't expect the survey results to be ~50-50. I guess I'll have to go make my own decisions 😄

[@_carsonjones]

No mention of Redshift Kitchen Sink bars and grips combined with the Shockstop stem? Shame because it's an amazing combo for this type of riding.

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

Sorry, so many options these days. I did mentioned them in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4bZkoaQhMyiaJo Thanks for watching!

[@_carsonjones]

@@BIKEPACKINGcom I'd love to see a video of yours that takes an in-depth look at the Redshift bar/stem system, including the grips. I run it on my endurance / gravel bike and the system is unlike anything I think the other manufacturers are doing. Great channel btw!

[@innocentiuslacrim2290]

It looks fine, but it is a very expensive combo.

[@7x7.275]

The best handlebar is the one that you are most comfortable with especially when you have distance to do .

[@aelyr2710]

Surly Corner Bar 👌🏻💯

[@omdhande2480]

Hi, Thanks for very informative video. Does drop bar give trouble with your back after sometime as rider is in more aggressive bending position during ride. Please suggest

[@RephaelInbar]

How about raising the handle bars with a riser?

[@simseven4967]

Rised bars with schock absorption are kinda best in my opinion, dropbars are hell for people with backpain

[@rasmusredfire2667]

Never tried drop bar but perhaps next time a bike Is build.....two questions... What's the name of the bag on the handlebar/stem with a flap the logo is orange/black.... And what's the spoke brand? That wheel on the salsa bike is amazing..... Happy trails

[@tome1389]

Andrew The Maker Top Tube Bag

[@gurkpojken]

Flatbar for me, ive tested the jones and bars with swep and they just gave me hurt in my wrists. So a ordinary flatbar is what i can go for.

[@deimosoverkill]

Flatbar + innerBarEnds for me, They can be angled precisely to my needs, and they dont block my bags; it would be nice to have a brake on my right inner barend tho...

[@phililpb]

The biggest problem with drop bars is assessing the brakes. It tends to force you into the drops when you don’t want to be there

[@mattving61]

Drops for sure, I imagine most people aren’t riding very aggressive on tech terrain. And if they are the biggest concern is rack failure etc

[@davidjulseth8667]

awesome!

[@adamnorton748]

@9:18 hahaha nice

[@bubacatbanfill2651]

I like the 10 1/2 high rise bars for all my riding ,once you get used of them they work pretty good, xcept in the woods where the trees are close to the trail

[@geoleo2597]

Definitely flat bars for all the reasons you mentioned. BUT ALAS the hard part is if you want 2x12 for flat bars. You have to front the exorbitant costs of electronic shifting if you want wide range road gearing. There’s no mechanical 2x12. Or go lower grade 2x11 mechanical shifting. Sheesh. The bike conglomerates have made it difficult to be economical as usual

[@nateums]

flat is simply better control on tech... i think its a must if you're mostly riding where there will be tech

[@MASViper]

What about a flat bar with a drop handlebar ends?

[@tongotongo3143]

So, what handlebar is better? Answer - ask your shop assistant at bicycle shop.

[@kitKat-by6kk]

and of course drop bar shifters are far more expsensive & restrictive in mix match brake/shifter brands...

[@carlrichards9333]

Never say Never but would Never go from Drops to Flats, so much more variation, comfort and control as far as I'm concerned with Drops, especially when there a good wide drop with good ergonomic design.... But again it's all a matter of preference I suppose ??

[@gvnrchmnd]

Drop bars will never beat flat bars on techy terrain. Even if you enjoy or prefer under biking that still doesn’t win the argument for which bar performs better. However… riding flat bars on long gravel rides and paved surfaces is like pulling teeth.

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

The decision is easy for me since I hate drop bars and all my components are compatible with flat bars. I did just get some innerbarends which are amazing as an extra place to change hand position and you can still shift and brake while using them (though not quite as effectively).

[@jasonpark5906]

I would like a Hershey bar

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

😋

[@margaretsmith617]

Flat bars rock for control and braking!!

[@federicotheironlyportrait]

I love my Hook ADV with Ritchey VentureMax dropbar... but if I have to choose only one handlebar, it will definitely be a "flat" bar :(

[@ДенисГриценко-з1я]

Очень интересно!

[@darkphotographer]

drop bars look cooler , more comfortable , more st able at speed over 60kmh , and make you more aero so faster , down side shifter are more expensive , one more thing you can filter easyer between car in traffic

[@larrywhite8590]

There’s no choice for me. Drops.

[@jeffpittman8725]

Probably flats with bar ends for me. Trends and marketing muddy the water. Just depends on your experience and skill.

[@JimKJeffries]

About to spend a summer with the surley Moloko.

[@NaeMuckle]

45 degree sweep for everything.

[@goldfever4570]

Survey responses very interesting, considering vast majority of people's shoulders are 400mm or less!

[@marcalvarez4890]

Shoulder width is not bar width. Try riding off road with 400 mm bars. I'll wait. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqXSp5yFgNyCrJI

[@goldfever4570]

@@marcalvarez4890 easy tiger

[@marcalvarez4890]

@@goldfever4570 Contributing is better than mocking.

[@goldfever4570]

@@marcalvarez4890 Who was mocking? I just expressed my surprise that so many riders go so wide for long distance riding. No need to be so abrasive - I think you have our roles as contributer and taunter confused.

[@marcalvarez4890]

@@goldfever4570 "easy tiger"

[@DannysMyNanny]

Not a mountain biker but I feel like if I was doing any serious MTN biking, I would never want drop bars. For road stuff drop bars are way more comfortable for me in the long term

[@elachichai]

Dropbars have a pro appeal for irrational reasons and a neatly tucked away cable on recent bikes. Bikes are less expensive as well for same drive train components. Bull horns and bar ends ?