Drop bar vs flat bar gravel bike - Which is best?

[@鹿目まどか-d5s]

Flat will aways response more quickly in sudden situation, especially braking. I have to ride my bike in the city, flat means more safe and controllable

[@BooksBikesChai]

As a newbie, just getting into exploring overnight backpacking destinations, the drop bars just feel too uncomfortable. I feel hunched up like an old witch! Was looking for a reliable flat bar gravel bike and the Marin DSX FS seems to be it! Thanks for the great video. 👍🏼

[@AK-oz4ew]

The problem for drop bars bikes is the cost of hydraulic brake levers. When you can get MT200 MTB set for $50, you are facing $200 for drop bar setup

[@lebinh27]

This is so damnnnnn true. Biggest problem came from brake.

[@thedownunderverse]

The drop bar tax

[@kisong1960]

Dropbar brake levers function as shifters and some even as dropper post levers. The cost difference is negligible when you consider this

[@AK-oz4ew]

@@kisong1960 Nah, it is all money grabbing plot. There is nothing magical about combining $20 Deore 12 speed shifter with a $10 hydraulic brake lever. Yet you get the cheapest Shimano 105 ST-R7120 Hydraulic Brake/Shift Lever that is $220+ for a single right lever. It is freaking 1000% more expensive just because they can

[@alj.granda8252]

Thanks for the video. I think the Marin Four Corners 2 is a great alternative to your standard drop bar. It's a couple of inches higher and a bit wider. Love the FS also!

[@davidburgess6640]

Put Pro bar ends on your flat bar and you add a couple of hand positions, Ive got bikes with both types of bars and its horses for courses depending on the technical dfficulty.

[@offroadcc]

We absolutely agree!

[@drill_fiend1097]

Hmm... i am considering one of those ergon grips with built in bar ends.

[@BrianRPaterson]

That's precisely my set up. My Cannondale XS800 (with a Headshock) cyclocross bike originally had drop bars. These days it gas an old (and therefore narrow) flat Ti XC-MTB bar, with comfy Ergon grips to rest my palms. I've also got a set of Cannondale's classic, long-style bar ends. Wrap them in a bit of bar tape and they're also super comfy - especially if you are cranking out of the saddle on a climb. I think there are as many, if not more hand positions than a drop bar bike, without sacrificing control in the rough stuff.

[@danp-d2810]

this. i'm running a flat bar with inner bar ends on my groad bike and have a decent enough "in the hoods" position that way, and you can play with the angle to get a track sphinx aero position if you want. i now look like i'm on a #dadcore hybrid but am literally faster on all my local climbs, up and down. comfortable is fast.

[@BrianRPaterson]

@@danp-d2810 "Dadcore." Love it! That's me to a T these days. Cheers

[@scruf153]

I use both mostly flat bars because I have mix surface roads along with ruff paved roads usually use the grassy shoulder of a road

[@chacmool2581]

Aerodynamics are far less important at off-road speeds so the gains of drop bars there are negligible, but...but...drop bars are far less agile and maneuverable than flat bars in the rough stuff.

[@stevenr5149]

The width makes the biggest difference. If you road on drops as wide as your flat bars you might indeed be surprised. I prefer them in the rough stuff(and no more hand numbness:)

[@gcb2101]

It totally escapes me why anyone would put drop bars on a gravel bike. Or any bike, unless you're a pro racer and every second counts.

[@wandering_pete]

Must have missed the bit from 2:10 to 6:34.

[@toogoodtobetrue8484]

I mean every human being is unique

[@drill_fiend1097]

Have the DSX in this vid; it's nice to ride it as a both commuter and adventure bike for off-road park trails. But if I have room for two bikes I would consider a drop bar. It's just that hydraulic drop equipped bikes have way higher price than flat bar counterparts. Wasn't the case when I had rim brake drops on the past!

[@AK-oz4ew]

Right, it is $200-$300 extra just for the brakes and levers, crazy

[@fulltang1]

Any thoughts on the tarmac performance of the dsx fs?

[@drill_fiend1097]

​@@fulltang1it's okay. Stock tires are meh on pavement.

[@wandering_pete]

You can get mechanical disc brakes or TRP's HY/RD.

[@UnravelGravel]

Great review! Between the DSX FS and Four Corners 1 - which will be the better choice for a weekend bikepacking trip?

[@offroadcc]

The Four Corners 1 will likely be a better choice due to the fact it has more mounting points.

[@BooksBikesChai]

DSX FS vs Four Corners - which would you suggest for 3-5 days bikepacking trips?

[@offroadcc]

The Four Corners would likely be a better shout owing to the number of mounts it has.

[@BooksBikesChai]

@@offroadcc Thank You so much :)

[@raOdhiOnal]

Great! What size are you guys testing on?

[@offroadcc]

Both bikes are medium frames

[@TenFalconsMusic]

They look a bit like a girl's bike, with a sloped top tube angled to better get your leg over whilst wearing a dress.

[@dik3y]

@@TenFalconsMusic yeah like all new mountain bikes. They are designedfor girls only :D

[@GC64OTT]

I'm a great defender of the flat bar gravel bike, but that Marin FS definitely strays into a weird gray area between hybrid and MTB. I bet it's fun to ride though! My gravel has drops as I use it as my road bike with excursions off road. It also makes trails or fire roads which would be dull on a proper MTB much more exciting!

[@offroadcc]

The DSX definitely treads into MTB territory but that's exactly what it's all about! We'll have a full review of this bike coming to off.road.cc in a couple of months.

[@stephenwaters5134]

Been riding the dsx FS(front suspension) like in the video. More aggressive than most hybrids yet playful and "fun" as you say. It's a quiver killer meaning you don't need more bikes. Yes a little bit slower than my roadie buddies but not by much, certainly you can't get as rowdy on hills but for singletrack it is so happy and controllable. Got mild riserbars on it (so there goes my aero) but golly it's got get up and go! Puts a smile on my face every time I throw a leg over. Cheers!

[@johanneshennig9068]

A flat bar gravel bike with front suspension ... so a mountain bike? Not that I'm complaining, really liking that dsx.

[@offroadcc]

The DSX certainly draws inspiration from the capability of modern XC bikes but harks back to the old school with its skinny tyres and ability to go pretty quickly over tamer terrains. Then it's pretty good through more singletrack than the average gravel bike... It just needs a dropper post ;)

[@harimathur2191]

Potehto potahto. Its a drop bar MTB with expensive under performing front suspension. Get an XC bike, load up skinny tyres, and a corner bar.

[@chanakpugkaing]

Nicely done!!! (Btw is it’s “Mah-rin” (Marin county Native here))

[@stephencaton6419]

Cycling off road with drop handle bars looks ridiculous and is unsafe. Flat bars rule.

[@wandering_pete]

Unsafe? Lot of gravel racers get on with them fine from what I've seen.

[@alj.granda8252]

Maybe some wide open XC is fine with drops, but I wouldn't try them on anything technical beyond basic beginner.

I have Muirwoods on 2.25 tires very fun ride bike on fat tires max what I put on him 2.4 Vittoria Syerra in S size

[@marcelhallare3127]

You never mentioned the comfort of flat bars😂. I use both bars, I'll always pick my flat bar bike over my dropbar bike. Where's the fun in riding an uncomfortable bike?

[@offroadcc]

That's because comfort is very subjective and there are so many variables that play a role in a handlebar's comfort, especially with drop bars. I've ridden flat handlebars that are too stiff that have left my hands hurting within a few miles but then I've ridden drop bars that I've been happy with mile after mile.

[@TenFalconsMusic]

I had the option of purchasing 2 budget bikes (one with flat-bar, the other with drops) or one good bike for all riding conditions. Luckily, I have a mate who does fittings. He told me to measure my shoulders and get a flat-bar the same width. In my case, it was a 460mm. Best advice I've ever received as I have the control & comfort advantage of a flat-bar, with the "close enough to" aero position of drops. As the bike I chose came fitted with carbon drops, I was able to time trial both bar types. Only gained .8 watts advantage with the drops and surprisingly, my speed times were relatively the same for both. What's more, the flat-bar wins the comfort position & access to brakes/shifters categories hands down. The only downside was having to purchase (and fit) combination brake/shift levers to the flat-bar. My overall cycling experience on multiple terrains has improved exponentially.

it depends when you driving long distances flat bar causes numbness in hands wrist pain and elbow pain this is a forced grip not natural that's why I buy corner bar and loop bar

[@justwhenithought]

Should have used the same bikes with only the handlebars being different.

[@teabagNBG]

i think if u do alot of mtb stuff straight bars are better...

[@rule3036]

Most people with drop bars off road are on the hoods most of the time so seem pointless to me. On a fast flat road yes ideal but off road, superflous.

[@hobinlobo]

As the video emphasises, drop bars are more aerodynamic even when in the hoods. Even professional road racers are on the hoods a lot of the time, because it is still very aero.

[@jrwskydive]

Mountain bike gearing on a much lighter and simpler bike.

[@SugmaDLigmaNutz]

I feel like English people pronounce "Marin" incorrectly. I have always heard it "Mah-Rin" in North America. They frequently say "Marrin" in UK.

[@kettlebelleddie5272]

but you knew what he was saying

[@ntrpy]

That's probably just because the american accent leans more towards that sort of pronunciation than the average southern british accent

[@MacLaw3084]

It’s pronounced “mur-rin”. No emphasis on the u sound, and the “rin” portion should sound like the word “rinse”. They are a company based near Marin county, which is in the California Bay Area. Americans pronounce things differently than are uk brothers. Even Californians sound different than say people from Texas, but who cares? We say “zee” y’all say “zed”.

[@TenFalconsMusic]

I wonder who could be pronouncing English words better... The English or the Americans. 🤔

[@hobinlobo]

​@@TenFalconsMusicMarin is a county in California. So I,'d go with the Californian pronunciation.

[@justinmdean2082]

Why can't Brits pronounce Marin properly?

[@TenFalconsMusic]

...or perhaps if flat-bar enthusiasts didn't use bars the width of a pterodactyl's wing-span, they would achieve a better aero position and not look like a prehistoric bird dancing with their mum's broom handle.

[@thedownunderverse]

Yep. I never understood the aero BS in this conversation. Flat bars can be cut down to mm-perfect size for a given bike/rider. Dunno why ppl insist that gravelbike flat bars are MTB-esque. I run 55cm flat bars.

[@TenFalconsMusic]

@thedownunderverse Absolutely👍 and hello from Colorado. Your choice of 550mm bars speaks volumes to your cycling expertise. 550 flat-bar is the magic number for all conditions. I've got them on 3 of my 700c all-terrain builds. I often get negative comments from wide flat-bar & gravel bikers with drops, but when I see them tapped out later on, I keep my thoughts to myself, however tempting it is to ridicule them. My most recent build has a 440mm flat-bar with inner bar extensions, primarily for mountain road climbing & descent (Pikes Peak). 3 times up and back. Going again tomorrow.

[@thedownunderverse]

@@TenFalconsMusic Hello from Melbourne, Oz 👊🏻 am hoping to move to the US in the next few years, CO is on the shortlist! Thanks for the kind words, I’ve been tinkering with flat bar all-road gravel-ish, all-terrain bikes for a few years now and agree that 55cm bars are the sweet spot. I also find these bikes a ton more customisable in terms of ergonomics and control since the grip, brake lever and shifting mechanism are all on different attachments and pivot points - unlike drop bars, so the setups are really dialled in. Plus the endless choice of grip material, shape, size…. then as you say there’s add-ons like bar ends, inner bar ends, and have you ever tried flex togs? I find them to be excellent.

[@TenFalconsMusic]

@thedownunderverse A friend of mine has flex togs on his, but I didn't get on with them. Though I liked the idea of having the extra hand position. Didn't like aero-bars either. I opted for a set of ergonomic "sheep's horns" or "inner bar ends" as some call them. Cheap as a jam sandwich, but what a difference they make. There's a lot of great spots (remaining) here in the US, depending on your needs. Colorado reigns supreme for outdoor activities (cycling, hiking, camping, kayaking, rock climbing, skiing). Just don't move to Denver, Boulder or Pueblo and you'll be better than fine.

[@TenFalconsMusic]

@thedownunderverse P.S. Just had a similar discussion with my friend from New Zealand. He said the Kiwis refer to sheep's horns as "love handles." it took me a second to get the joke.

[@Bacciagalupe]

: )