Handlebars are the part of the bike where the rider holds onto for grip and steering of the bike.
28
votes
3answers
16k views
How to use drop handlebars properly?
This might seem like a really basic question, but there's no harm in asking. I've never had a bicycle with drop handlebars. I've always had sort of standard horizontal bars with only one hand ...
17
votes
5answers
2k views
Pros/Cons of Bar-Ends?
I've always heard "never use barends" and they're banned equipment for some of the local clubs/group rides. A number of people on-line swear by them though. What's up with that!? :-) Why would I ...
16
votes
2answers
7k views
What height should drop handlebars be - relative to my saddle?
I've done most of my cycling with flat handle bars on a mountain bike. I'd like to start commuting to work though and am considering getting a road bike with drop handle bars.
The thing is though, I ...
15
votes
13answers
13k views
Different kinds of Handlebars
What different kinds of bike handle bars are there? All kinds welcome, the common and the nameless.
If possible include the pros and cons of the bar
One bar per post
11
votes
4answers
738 views
Deterrents against partial (component) theft
Big question: Is there any way to increase the security of bolted on portions of a bicycle?
Specifics: I cycle as my primary mode of transport (in East London) on a early 90s steel road bike with ...
9
votes
3answers
9k views
Upgrading straight handlebars to drop handlebars
I have a two-and-a-half year old Giant FCR 3 (with a road-bike-like frame and thin tires; it's somewhere in the loosely-defined "hybrid" range) that I use to commute to work, twenty-five miles ...
8
votes
5answers
288 views
Is having your hands “on the hoods” of drop handlebars safe for braking?
I've never had a bike with drop handlebars, but may get one for commuting in busy London (likely a single-speed with mechanical disc brakes).
This would mean riding with my hands mostly on the hoods, ...
8
votes
7answers
1k views
Can replacing my handlebar tape help reduce finger numbness?
Despite changing hand positions often and switching to more "cushiony" gel gloves, I'm still experiencing intermittent numbness when I ride (sometimes I get tingling and sometimes not).
Are certain ...
8
votes
2answers
694 views
Is it worth it to reverse the wrap direction of handlebar tape at the brake levers?
The Park Tool Handlebar Tape Installation guide suggests that the direction of wrapping can be either self tightening or prone to loosening. Its basic instructions make the tape self-tightening on the ...
8
votes
1answer
413 views
How do I wrap a road bike handlebar?
What is the best way to wrap a handlebar?
Specifically:
Should I start near the stem or at the bar ends?
wrap clockwise or counter-clockwise?
How to wrap (e.g. how many times) around where the ...
7
votes
5answers
745 views
Are drop bars suitable for winter commuting?
I've been told by somewhat knowledgable people that drop bars aren't suitable for winter cycling in snow and ice. Is there any validity to this? If so, why, and which style of handle bar would be ...
7
votes
1answer
1k views
My brake lever is coming loose from my handle bars; how can I tighten it?
I have a road bike with drop bars, and the left brake lever is slightly loose - it can rotate a few degrees around the handle bar from side to side. How can I tighten it? Is it possible to do so ...
6
votes
7answers
3k views
How do I put grips on mountain bike handlebars?
I just spent the last 10 minutes trying to put a new set of grips on to my mountain bike handlebars..
The old ones came off fairly agreeably and I've got the new ones 80-90% of the way on, however, ...
6
votes
3answers
394 views
After an accident, what next?
Cycling home in the dark a car pulled across me to enter a super market car park. Apparently the car that let him cross didn't remove their full beam so he didn't see me in the cycle lane and I hit ...
6
votes
2answers
2k views
What are the positions on drop bars called?
I've heard the different places to put your hands on drop bars given different names, like "hoods" which I think is the flat part on top or maybe the brake levers, or "drops", referring to the lowest ...
6
votes
3answers
168 views
How to cut carbon handlebars
Last year, I installed carbon bars on one of my mountain bikes and I'm finding them too wide. I've been told that taping over the points you're going to cut at will prevent fraying/roughness, but what ...
6
votes
4answers
2k views
Drop handlebars with drops that don't fit. Replace or adjust?
I bought a Surly Long Haul Trucker a couple years ago, and it has the stock handlebars. My hands don't really fit in the drops, and I sometimes would like a lower handlebar position where I can still ...
5
votes
2answers
907 views
How long should I expect handlebar tape to last?
I assume that if handlebar tape is grimy, torn, or peeling, it should be replaced. How long should I expect handlebar tape to last before it needs to be replaced? How often do most cyclists replace ...
5
votes
3answers
532 views
Recommended handlebar style for short daily commute?
I am looking to buy a bicycle for a San Francisco city commute totalling 4.1 miles (about 6.6km) in each direction.
My question is, what handlebar position (and riding position) would be recommended ...
5
votes
2answers
513 views
V-Brake levers for drop handlebars?
I would like to try the drop handlebar on my touring bicycle that has V-Brakes, and Shimano 9x3 speeds. Are there drop handlebar levers (integrated shifters would be great), that have correct pull ...
5
votes
2answers
240 views
Drop-Downs on Fixie
Does anyone know if using drop-downs on a fixie every becomes problematic.
I just bought a rather heavy drop down bar set; I go back in forth between single speed and fixed. I love riding with them ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
Can I put drop handlebars on my commuter bike?
I want to put drop handlebars on my commuter bike which has a straight bar. The guy at the bike store said that drop handlebars are too thick to fit my standard brake/shift system.
I don't want to ...
5
votes
1answer
671 views
Android/EVO bike mount recommendations
Does anyone have experience mounting an EVO phone on the handlebars of a road bike?
5
votes
3answers
16k views
How do I correctly set the angle of my drop bars
Are there any tricks to setting the correct angle for the drop bars on my road bike, when adjusting my handlebars in the stem?
Is it just a matter of personal preference or is there a general ...
5
votes
1answer
2k views
Brake lever placement on a road bike
I am just going to re-wrap my road bike's handlebar tape tomorrow. Before I do that I was wondering what the proper place is to put the brake levers. I know they should be pointed vertically, ...
4
votes
6answers
336 views
Shock absorbing handlebar tape - recommendations?
Any recommendations for shock absorbing handlebar tape?
I have a very harsh bike with drop bars (cheap alum frame and HD wheels, frame limits tires to 28mm) so I'm doing what I can to minimize the ...
4
votes
3answers
1k views
How do I make a road brake lever work alongside a mtb brake lever
If I manage to get a dropbar on my mtb and want to use both the MTB brake lever AND the road dropbar brake lever (like the Tiagra STI, but no gear shifting)... Is it possible? Can they use the same ...
4
votes
3answers
169 views
Clicking handlebar
Over the last couple of months I've noticed a clicking (well, kinda a clicking, kinda a clicking metallic twang) coming from my handlebars when I pull from side to side - usually when I take off from ...
4
votes
2answers
371 views
Looking for an alternative to the Speedlifter Twist / quickly rotate handlebars solution
I'm looking for an alternative to the Speedlifter Twist: http://www.speedlifter.com/twist.php?L=en
The only function I'm interested in is the parking feature where I can turn my handlebar 90˚. I have ...
4
votes
1answer
82 views
Does handlebar tape go inside the bar, under the bar-end shifter, when using bar-end shifters?
I'm installing bar-end shifters for the first time (Shimano 9-speeds, for what it's worth) and was wondering if I should be running the tape over the bottom of the handlebar with surplus to insert ...
3
votes
5answers
415 views
A bike for city commute - disc brakes, bar-end shifters, tires
I'm planning on buying a bike for city commute.
My commute to work is approximately 12km (7.5 miles) one way. I live in Vancouver which means:
I'll be riding in rainy weather frequently.
I'll be ...
3
votes
2answers
167 views
What brand is this handlebar stem?
I just purchased a used bike recently and I am curious to the make of my handlebar stem.
Would anyone be able to identify the brand logo?
3
votes
6answers
2k views
Securing sliding bar grips without hair spray?
I have some Bell anatomic handlebar grips that tend to slide (rotate) on the bar. I've read that using hair spray is useful, but tends to be rather permanent. I'd like to make the grip tackier but not ...
3
votes
2answers
456 views
Do bar-ends with brake levers exist?
I'd like to have those upward bar-ends, but with brake levers attached.
It's pretty hard to explain without a picture, but I hope someone understands what I'm looking for.
Does anything like this ...
3
votes
1answer
155 views
Glued grip has rotated, won't rotate back
The leather-like grips on my cruiser have rotated a bit over the last year and a half; the faux "stitching" on one of them is now at a location that feels weird when I'm holding it. I can't rotate the ...
3
votes
3answers
961 views
How do I use retro drop down handlebars with no hoods?
The preface this, I am just going to say that I am awful on a bicycle.
I have recently gotten a bike that I love, it's beautiful, and I love riding it, however the drop handlebars have no hoods so ...
3
votes
3answers
526 views
Drop Handlebars on an Old Bike
I'm shopping around for a vintage bike (maybe an old Raleigh or Schwinn), but I'm looking for two things:
Fenders and a Chain Guard
Drop Handlebars
I'm starting to think that drop handlebars are ...
3
votes
1answer
315 views
Will a road brake lever work with a v-brake?
I'm planning on changing my commuter handlebar to a drop handlebar. As the diameters are different, I need to know if the new brake lever will work with the existing v-brakes.
(My intention is to ...
3
votes
4answers
816 views
How do I make a MTB shifter fit on a Road dropbar?
I'm about to buy a MTB, since we don't have cyclocrosses here in my country. I'd like to have a road dropbar, but can't spend money on a road shifter like tiagra sti. I know the mtb handlebars are ...
3
votes
3answers
551 views
Which type of handle bars are best for off-road & road use?
There are quite a lot of types of bars. Some best bit for aerodynamics, some best fit for control, some offer significant amount of positions.
I am looking to change my handlebars to the best fit ...
3
votes
2answers
287 views
What are early signs of failure in forks/stem/handlebars?
I ride an SE Lager. In the past year, the following components have worn out or broken
Front chainring
Rear cog
Rear freewheel
Chain
Seat (one of the bars snapped off)
Many, many spokes
Wheels
...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
How have you setup your tri-bars?
I'm getting some tri-bars for Christmas and I've been told by the bike shop how to set them up on the bike, but I'd like to get some tips from lots of different people. Up-close photos would be great. ...
3
votes
1answer
56 views
upsweep and backsweep for mtb handlebars
Characteristics of the following bars for MTB are:
• 780mm wide
• 30mm rise
• 5˚ up-sweep
• 7˚ back-sweep
I know what effects do the width and rise have on the feel and riding. But what about ...
2
votes
3answers
897 views
How to stop handlebar from creaking
Ever since I bought my hybrid bike the handlebars creak. It is worse when torquing them such as climbing a hill, but just shifting my weight on the bars will make them creak.
The problem gets much ...
2
votes
4answers
387 views
handlebar setup/selection to mitigate wrist pain on multiday rides
On my first multi-day bike tour the only physical trouble I had after a several long days on my bike was pain in the wrists.
My current touring bike setup has drop bars with a long fork. I chose the ...
2
votes
3answers
807 views
Aerobars on a hybrid
I got a set of aerobars for free and decided to install them on my hybrid.
1) I just tried them and feel a bit unstable. After checking it out online, I see this is normal, but I wonder if there is ...
2
votes
5answers
2k views
How is bicycle fit affected by switching from a riser bar to a flat bar?
I have a 2009 Kona Dew that comes with handlebars that have a rise in them.
I've noticed that I feel pretty upright while biking so I'm looking to get into a more aerodynamic position. Looking at ...
2
votes
2answers
245 views
Are flat handlebars stable at high speed?
I live in a mountainous area, and so there are lots of opportunities for descending at high speed. I currently have a bike with drop bars, and when in the drops, I feel very stable doing this.
I am ...
2
votes
2answers
182 views
Extend drop bars with additional positions
I have my touring bike set up with drop bars, very similar to this:
However, after riding all day for a few days, I tend to miss additional position(s) to avoid minor annoyances such as "numb ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Measuring stem clamp / handlebar diameter
I have a new-ish Bianchi Cortina hybrid that I'm trying to find suitable drop bars for, but I can't figure out the proper size to get. It seems like the bars mostly come in 25.4mm, 26mm and 31.8mm. ...
