What to Look for in Your Bicycle's Handlebars

In terms of mountain bike gear, are two basic types of handlebars commonly found for off-road riding: flat bars and riser bars.

Flat bars are not perfectly straight; they have a slight bend ranging from three to 11 degrees on each side of the clamping area for the stem. They are favored by cross-country racers for their balance of light weight and rigidity.

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While it's arguable that a stronger, lighter handlebar can be made (and the same position achieved) with a flat bar and a slightly taller stem, the more popular of the two handlebar types among off-road riders is by far the riser bar. Riser bars have a slight upward sweep, ranging from one to two and a half inches, and angle back toward the rider from six to 15 degrees on each side.

Road handlebars once came in few specific styles that bore easily recognizable differences between them. Nowadays there are seemingly limitless, subtly different styles of road handlebars. Ranging from ultra-lightweight, one-piece molded bar-and-stem combinations made from carbon fiber to ergonomically shaped road-comfort and touring models, there is a handlebar made by someone, somewhere to suit nearly every rider's needs.

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Handlebars designed for a road race, for sport, or for touring all share a few common characteristics. The flat top part of the bar allows an "upright" position with the hands placed not quite shoulder-width apart: far enough to allow relaxed breathing while powering the flats or working up steady, moderate climbs.

A more prone position of the upper body results when the hands are placed on the brake hoods or the upper curved portion of the bars. This position is good for a faster effort, because the body generates less wind resistance. It also leaves the chest cavity open for easy breathing. This position puts the hands at quite a different angle than the bartop position. Switching between the two thus varies the pressure on the hands.

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As the hands move to the "drops" or bottom of the bar, the upper torso is forced down into a prone or nearly prone position, depending on how the bike is set up. This position exposes the least amount of body area to headwind and also maximizes the use of the back muscles for all-out effort, such as in a sprint. The drawback in riding for too long in this position is that most of the upper-body weight is supported by the palms. This puts pressure on the ulnar nerves and can lead to numb hands, which in some cases may take hours to regain their sensitivity.

Regardless of what type of road handlebar you end up with, it's important that it fits. Most drop handlebars come in different widths and drops. The width (usually measured center to center across the bottom portion of the bar) should come close to matching the width of your shoulders. An easy way to check is to have a friend hold the handlebar against your back and see if the bar lines up with the centers of your shoulders. If so, it'll allow you to breathe more normally than would a narrow bar. A wide bar is also good for those who are climbing frequently because it adds more leverage. (On the other hand, narrower bars are more comfortable for smaller riders.) The drop of the handlebar is how deep the hook sections are. Riders with larger hands usually prefer a deeper drop, and vice versa.

The "tourist bar" is often used by riders who desire a permanent upright position. This bar is almost flat or slightly rising, with ends that turn back toward the rider—very similar to the handlebars used on the three-speed English bikes of years past. This bar essentially offers only one hand position: on the grips at the ends of the bar. Also, this bar must be equipped with straight brake levers similar to those used on mountain bikes.

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The size of the handlebar, like the stem, should be based on the physical characteristics of the rider. The road cyclist and casual rider will want a handlebar about as wide as the distance between his or her shoulders to provide a position on the levers that permits unrestricted breathing. Mountain bikers will want a bar width suited to the terrain and type of riding that they do. Generally speaking, cross-country riders will want a handlebar one to three inches wider than their shoulders, and those who ride technically demanding trails often prefer their handlebars to be 27 or more inches wide for stability.

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In any case, it's important that the reach and height of the bar allow you to grasp the brake levers without stretching, and the hooks on a drop bar should offer a position that maximizes the pulling power of your arms and back.

This article originally appeared in the Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair.