Category: Handlebars

  • Mastering the Drops: When and Why to Ride in the Lower Hand Position

    Mastering the Drops: When and Why to Ride in the Lower Hand Position

    You Bought a Road Bike. Now Bend Over and Suffer. So you got yourself a road bike. You spent a stupid amount of money on carbon, gears, and shoes that make you walk like a confused duck. You’re out there, riding, thinking you look like a Tour de France legend. But here’s the thing—you’re gripping…

  • Handlebar Tape and Sweat: How Salt Buildup Affects Grip and Longevity

    Handlebar Tape and Sweat: How Salt Buildup Affects Grip and Longevity

    You ride. You sweat. You grip those bars like they owe you money. And all the while, your salty, electrolyte-laced human juice is soaking into the tape, creeping under it, and slowly turning your beloved handlebars into a crusty, corroded relic. It starts with those little white salt crystals. Harmless, right? Just wipe ‘em down.…

  • From the 70s and 80s to Today: Why Road Bike Handlebars Are Getting Narrower

    From the 70s and 80s to Today: Why Road Bike Handlebars Are Getting Narrower

    Handlebars. Once wide and comfortable, now narrow and optimized for performance. After decades of favoring wide grips, we are now opting for 38cm bars. Why? In short, we traded comfort for aero gains. In long….keep reading. 1. The Wide Bar Era: Deep Breaths + Leverage Back in the 70s and 80s, handlebars were way longer.…

  • Fixed-gear Essential Knowledge: Pista Drops

    Fixed-gear Essential Knowledge: Pista Drops

    from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends In this short piece, I will discuss the so-called pista drop handlebars. Many rookies might mistake them for standard road drops. I know because I was one of those rookies once upon a time. The Differences Pista drop bars (PDBs) are built specifically for track bicycles ridden on a velodrome. They are…

  • On Cyclocross Traditions (handlebar talk)

    On Cyclocross Traditions (handlebar talk)

    from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends Today, I am introducing a new segment to this site – cyclocross/gravel talk. (I think that’s my fist post on the topic.) In this post, I will discuss a cyclocross tradition than many rookies may not be aware of, namely the adoption of drop bars (a handlebar type normally reserved…

  • How I Made My Own Bullhorn Handlebars For Super Cheap (photos inside)

    How I Made My Own Bullhorn Handlebars For Super Cheap (photos inside)

    from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends A while back I realized that I barely use the drops on my road bike except for one short descent on the way home. Most of the time, I ride with my hands on the flat or curved part of the bars. Truth be told, this wasn’t always the case.…

  • Bike Theory For Dummies: Aggressive Handlebars Battle (part 1)

    Bike Theory For Dummies: Aggressive Handlebars Battle (part 1)

    from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends What’s up? In this episode of Bike Theory For Dummies (BTFD), I will compare the two most common handlebars from the “agressive category”, namely bullhorns (BHs) and drop bars (DBs). Upfront, I’ll tell you that I prefer BHs for “aggressive commuters” and DBs for racing. Let’s go. Hand Positions Standard…

  • Carbon Bars’ “Comfort Effect” Is Overrated (sorry)

    Carbon Bars’ “Comfort Effect” Is Overrated (sorry)

    from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends What’s up? I decided to write an evening post inspired by another customer from the bike shop where I work part-time. A man came looking for carbon handlebars to “soften the ride”. Honestly, I wasn’t exactly surprised, but I also have to be honest – I am not a fan…

  • 2 > 4? (BMX Bar Talk)

    2 > 4? (BMX Bar Talk)

    from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends I hope your afternoon is going just fine. Mine is ok apart from a few family issues. Anyway, it’s time for some BMX Bike Theory (BBT). Today, the lesson is about the two most common types of BMX handlebars – 2-piece and 4-piece. The 2-piece models consist of two distinct…

  • The Most Commonly Confused Fixie Handlebars…

    The Most Commonly Confused Fixie Handlebars…

    from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends The untrained eye can’t tell the difference between road bikes and fixies. This is how disconnected non-cyclists are from the sport. But sometimes there are details that even a dedicated cyclist cannot always pinpoint. One example would be – bullhorn handlebars and pursuit bars. If you don’t know what to…