Flat or drop bars for Commuting
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Re: Flat or drop bars for Commuting
Postby ianganderton » Thu Mar 31, 2016 2:43 pm
Drop bars offer more hand positions and this leads to better comfort. The also have the aero position which is awesome when sprinting or into a significant headwind
Compared to a flat bar though there tends to be less control. Hands can be a long way from the brakes or in a weak position (on the hoods)
I find I have much more control with flat bars (there is a good reason most mountain bikes are flat bared!). Disc brakes are readily available (and cheap), hands are can be on the brake levers in a powerful position all the time and lastly the hand position allows more power for fast control
For a long commute without much influence from traffic a drop bar bike will be significantly faster and more comfortable.
If traffic is significant then a flat bar bike will be more controllable and safer.
Horses for courses
My urban bike has flat bars and mtb style geometry. No where near as fast as my road bike but copes with the everyday rigours of the city much better
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Re: Flat or drop bars for Commuting
Postby koshari » Thu Mar 31, 2016 2:44 pm
you call 9kg heavy? strewth my carbon road bike with ksyriums is 9.4 riding weight! my cro-mo roadey is about 12kg and my gravel grinder 13.5.caneye wrote: - the bike is heavy though, low 9kgs. it's got heavy wheels. i might get a 2nd set for weekend rides, but it's not a priority at the moment.
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Re: Flat or drop bars for Commuting
Postby Calvin27 » Thu Mar 31, 2016 3:26 pm
Agree, 9kg is ok. No lightweight but certainly not heavy, in my sense. Not everyone rides a carbon racer to work!koshari wrote:you call 9kg heavy? strewth my carbon road bike with ksyriums is 9.4 riding weight! my cro-mo roadey is about 12kg and my gravel grinder 13.5.caneye wrote: - the bike is heavy though, low 9kgs. it's got heavy wheels. i might get a 2nd set for weekend rides, but it's not a priority at the moment.
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Re: Flat or drop bars for Commuting
Postby Chris249 » Fri Apr 01, 2016 7:55 am
Personally I find the hoods to be as secure as flat bars, but my favourite option is CX bars where you have the option of sitting up higher and still having brakes within reach. For some commutes, aero bars can also be very comfortable and efficient; for a while I had a cheap flatbar with home-made clipons and even dragging panniers it felt faster than a road bike, while also offering the advantages (to some people) of flat bars. Not the usual setup, though!
PS - sorry about using all the "Is", I was just using my own example to underline is that it's very much a choice related to an individual's own situation and tastes.
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Re: Flat or drop bars for Commuting
Postby koshari » Fri Apr 01, 2016 1:25 pm
these grips are the closest to the natural pistol grip of your hands, bar ends and drops are prolly the next closest.Chris249 wrote: Personally I find the hoods to be as secure as flat bars,
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Re: Flat or drop bars for Commuting
Postby dontazame » Sat Apr 02, 2016 4:22 pm
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Re: Flat or drop bars for Commuting
Postby Calvin27 » Mon Apr 04, 2016 9:11 am
I tried riding a drop bar mtb on downhill sections. Flat bar definately gives you more secure hold. On the road, you might not notice it.koshari wrote:these grips are the closest to the natural pistol grip of your hands, bar ends and drops are prolly the next closest.Chris249 wrote: Personally I find the hoods to be as secure as flat bars,
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Re: Flat or drop bars for Commuting
Postby outnabike » Mon Apr 04, 2016 1:26 pm
So when I started cycling again a few years ago I thought the randonneur bars on the VWR would be great. And they were, but a bit wide for traffic at around 500 mm wide.
I never thought I would like them but the drops turn out to be the preferred system.
And just to be contrary , I don't wrap them completely, as i like the coolness of the exposed metal on the days that my hands feel hot. My bars are aluminum and seem to shed the heat.
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Re: Flat or drop bars for Commuting
Postby Thoglette » Mon Apr 04, 2016 2:59 pm
from the glossarySheldon Brown wrote:The main advantage of drop handlebars is that they offer several different hand positions. For longer rides, the ability to change positions is very desirable. Riding for a long time in any one position tends to be uncomfortable.
People who think they don't like drop handlebars are often actually objecting to the position of the bars on the drop-bar bikes they have tried.
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Re: Flat or drop bars for Commuting
Postby Boognoss » Thu Apr 07, 2016 11:30 am
I have 2 commuters now, a CX frame and retro roadie with drops, rack/panniers and mudguards. Minimum 50km per day round commute 5 days a week.
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Re: Flat or drop bars for Commuting
Postby human909 » Sun Apr 10, 2016 4:07 pm
Agreed. The comments are heavily reflective of the crowd here. Ask the same question in Copenhagen or Amstedam....DavidS wrote:To be honest I'd have to say it is a matter of preference.
Most people here will say get drop bars, but that does reflect the crowd here, a higher proportion of sporting cyclists than you would normally find.
Personally I prefer flat bars and more upright for short commuting. (Though my version of upright is far less upright than a typical upright bicycle.
However 20km is not a short commute....
I think that is reasonable. Have a looking at touring bikes. They often have dropped bars but with even more relaxed geometry than a "endurance" road bike. They are also robust and have all the necessary attachments useful for commuting.Th0m0 wrote:The consensus so far seems to be drops. I haven't ridden the route. It will be along the coast roads from Miami to Main Beach and then I'll have to head west through Southport. So yes, I'll be riding into a headwind on the way home 95% of the time. Looking at the big brand web sites drop bar models, I'm thinking the models they generally classify as "endurance" rather than "race" will be a good compromise. Still having drop bars but with a more relaxed geometry. Is that a sound line line of thought?
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Re: Flat or drop bars for Commuting
Postby stretts » Thu May 05, 2016 9:35 pm
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Re: Flat or drop bars for Commuting
Postby hazarama » Tue Aug 16, 2016 9:39 pm
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Re: Flat or drop bars for Commuting
Postby Mububban » Tue Sep 13, 2016 10:50 am
We'll see how my neck goes, wearing glasses means I can't just move my eyeballs up, I need to look through my lenses or I'm blind as a bat, so hopefully increasing the angle on my neck doesn't cause me any major problems.
I do have and use disposable contacts sometimes, but I don't like them, although they are an option if required.
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