Types and selection of drop handlebars for road bikes

How to Choose the Material

If you are choosing road bike handlebars, the first thing to consider is the material. Depending on the material, the shape and price of the handlebars will vary.

Aluminum

Most entry- to middle-grade road bikes use aluminum handlebars, so many people have used aluminum handlebars at least once. Since it is aluminum, it has excellent durability and rigidity, but its disadvantage is that it has low vibration absorption and its weight is heavier than that of carbon.

Carbon

Carbon is used in today’s high-grade road bikes. It is lightweight, has excellent vibration absorption, and can be used to create complex shapes such as aero handlebars, but has the disadvantage of being expensive because of the time and labor required to manufacture it.

Although its rigidity and durability are said to be lower than those of aluminum, which is a metal, high-end models that have been properly designed and manufactured are not that much more likely to break or be fragile than aluminum.

How to Select the Shape of the Curved (Drop) Section

After deciding on the material, the next step is to select the shape of the curved (drop) portion of the drop handle. There are many different shapes of drop handlebars, even for the curved part alone.

Compact handle (anatomic shallow)

The current mainstream handle shape is compact. Most new cars in the last few years will be compact handles.

Compact handlebars are also called anatomic shallow because they are a good combination of anatomic and shallow as described below.

What makes it different from other shapes is the “lower handle dollar” position with the curved part. While the ease of holding in the lower handled position is the same as the anatomic, the advantage is that, like the shallow, it has a moderate curve so that it is not tiring to continue holding.

Shallow handle

This is the shape of the so-called “round handles,” which used to be the mainstream drop handle. At a quick glance, the shape is the same as that of a compact, but the radius of the curve is larger than that of a compact, resulting in a larger “downhill width from the clamp area,” which is called “drop.

Therefore, the latest STI levers are designed for compacts, so with the latest STI levers, the bracket position will not be flat, so you will lose comfort in the bracket position.

Also, the large drop makes it difficult to grip the lower handlebar until you get used to it, making it hard to exert effort and tiring.

Anatomical Handle

This shape is said to have been favored by Lance Armstrong. Many were manufactured before the compact, but have now mostly transitioned to the compact.

Since the drop portion is angled instead of circular, the hand can be locked by placing it on the angled portion, and it is said to be more stable on the lower handle. On the other hand, it has the disadvantage of being difficult to match with the handlebars because the hand and body must be adjusted to the size and angle of the handlebars.

Because it is dropped rather than compact, some STI levers result in a bracket position that is lower rather than flatter.

How to choose the shape of the flat part

Round Shape

This is the most basic shape, and is available as the basis for any handlebar shape, whether it is made of aluminum or carbon.

However, even if the flat part is round, there are unique shapes such as a thicker clamp part or a non-parallel drop part.

Aero Shape

The aero shape became popular with the advent of carbon. The flat bar portion is flat instead of round, and it is said to have the advantage of making the most of aerodynamics. However, it is also pointed out that if the frame and fork are not also aero shaped, it may not be very effective.

The special shape makes it difficult to manufacture with metals such as aluminum, so most are made of carbon.

Since most of the current professional road riders have an aero shape, they are also chosen because “they look professional and cool”.

How to Select Handle Width

Surprisingly weighty is the width of the handlebars.

The following four patterns are the most common drop handlebars for road bikes.

1. 380mm
2. 400mm
3. 420mm
4. 440mm

For complete bikes, the general trend is to use 380mm or 400mm for road bikes in the 160cm height range, and 400mm or 420mm for road bikes in the 170cm height range. However, it is not necessarily true that these standard handlebar widths are correct.

Basically, it is said that “handlebar width = shoulder width,” but in the first place, height and shoulder width are not the same for each person. A complete bike is only adopted because “this handlebar width is average for this height,” so depending on the person, the stock handlebars of a complete bike may feel too narrow or too wide.

The width of the handlebar also affects the position of the rider. The wider it is, the more comfortable it is to ride, and the narrower it is, the tighter the system is, the less aerodynamic it is. Some people even dare to choose narrow handlebars to get an aero position like professional road race riders.

We have looked at the types of road bike drop handlebars and how to select one.

The materials and shapes alone are different, but each manufacturer has its own characteristics, so it takes time to find the handlebars you like, which is also known as the “handlebar swamp. Please try to find the one you like.