Drop Bars vs Flat Bars: Which Handlebar is Best?

I spent so much time riding no handed I just removed them completely. Now my hands are never tired, my bike is even lighter & no one can argue with me about why their handlebar preference is the best for everyone. Win.

I live in tropical country. Riding my bike for days during wet season on mixed muddy, slippery stones, asphalt and dense sigletracks has become challenging as I grew old. I relied on my flatbar bike for years, but still want to ride my dropbar for more predictable routes.

I agree. Flat all the way. Don't get me wrong, I've been a roadie for 50 years, 30 of that Randonneuring and I did almost all of that with highly flared drop bars (which used to be called 'rando bars', BTW). When you ride all day, different positions is important and if you are riding into the wind, riding on the drops is good. But as you said 'riding downhill on chunky roads with drop bars' is not fun.. I always thought drop bars on gravel bikes was really a bad idea, engendered I guess by some sense of originating from cyclocross bikes. Anyway I find that a flat bar with bull horns gives me all the positions I need and all the leverage. Unlike probably everyone I put my stubby bullhorns INSIDE the brake levers and not at the bar ends. I don't need more leverage and that gives me a more aerodynamic position if needed for headwinds or tarmac. I can also transition to the brake levers much faster than with outboard bullhorns. Sometimes you have to slow down fast. Everyone should try that. On trails I am mainly an the bar, but on tarmac I'm usually on the bullhorns. But I do switch on long stretches.

I have yet to find anything that works for me as well as some kit from 1989. All the options are race solutions for very specific kinds of competition, wiggled around to where they can pretend to be practical. Even looking at the demo video, it's a downhill race with a loaded bike, something only superman, a YouTube content creator, or a fool would do in the middle of nowhere. No one discusses how a super wide bar really only makes sense for someone in the RedBull body position. Nor do they discuss how extra wide has the same effect on your back and chest as greater drop, and how drop bars extend the reach unless the stem compensates. It's foolish to use bar ends when brake levers aren't reachable, but no one discusses the obvious solution of L-shaped levers like were available 30 years ago, because it doesn't look pro. If the bend and upsweep of some of these bars works for you, great, but I don't know people whose wrists are in a strong position when cocked like that. I know it sounds like griping, but the bike industry is paying attention to the wrong things for most people's needs.

I never knew I loved drops like I do now, until I got a Fargo with the Woodchipper bar. I’m short (and somewhat timid on rough stuff); the woodchipper gives me confidence and is sooooo comfy. I use all the hand positions on those long days including the drops which are at quite an angle.

Thanks for the cool video. I recently picked up a "Poseidon Redwood" and the gear range on this drop bar gravel bike is really huge for a bike under $1000.

I was a drop-bar guy and still prefer them on road and gravel bikes but for bike packing, a mountain bike with flat-bars plus Ergon grips and aero clamp-ons works great. Tons of hand positions.

I really do like the thumbs-forward orientation of my hands for long duration riding, but I prefer knuckles-forward for control. I've ended up with flat bars with some 1990's Onza bar ends placed inboard of the levers as a best compromise.

I have been using an SQ Lab 30x bar, with 16 deg backsweep, 4 deg upsweep, and 4 deg rise. I have matched it with SQ Lab inner bare ends, which are perfect for giving an additional "cruising" hand position that is very similar to riding the hoods on a set of drop bars (and allow you to reach the brake levers, unlike true bar ends). I do a lot of canal riding in te UK, and have found cutting the bars down from 780mm to 760 mm gives just enough extra wiggle-room to get through gates, etc., which all seem to be designed to catch 780mm bars as you pass through!

I have the SQ Labs 30x 16 on my SS Mtn bike and love it. I tried a really wide Cowchipper on my gravel bike and found it too wide for my short arms. I have a Whiskey Parts gravel bar now that’s 460 width and a 80mm stem(previous was 90). I really think it’s about “fit” and of course some long miles of use. I go on at least 1 century ride a month and of course daily shorter rides. I choose my gravel (2x11 drive) with drop bars for my longer more groomed terrain mixed with pavement rides and my geared (1x11) or SS hardtail’s for more aggressive and shorter rides.

Currently using PNW Range flat bars with Ergon bar ends. I’ll swap grips to test different ones out. I’m so familiar with flats at this point it seems like drops would be too alien. Based on the survey though, it still looks like flats may be best if you only have one bar and one bike and want to ride comfortably on anything and everything that may come your way.

Loved seeing the survey results! Would you consider doing a video on drop bar positioning and fit for bikepacking? Should the drops be parallel to the ground or at an angle? My experience with road drops vs flared drops has revealed different types of comfort. Wonder what others think. Cheers!

55cm Walmer on my old XC hardtail(light 29er). Just finished and got a few rides in, love it as a playful monster gravel bike. Test rode some gravel bikes including the Cannondale lefty and this is 1000% more comfortable and allot more capable off-road. Fox float 80mm (w/full lockout), 100mm dropper, 29x2.1 front & 700x50 rear, 26/38 and 11x40 di2 GRX/XTR mix. Noticeably faster then I was with 1x and flat bars on this bike. Di2 is amazing, glad I went that route but sucks it costs so much. Trails are too wet so haven't tried it in the single track yet, but excited to try. I have my trail full squish but sick of driving it to the trails and have road buddies so needed something.

Really enjoyed this video and thought you did a great job with your analysis. And, as someone who's current all-road bike has a drop bar, but is working on my next all-road build as a flat bar, I also found it, along with the survey results, very confirming. Thanks for your work on this!

I used flat-bar for almost 5 months in my city daily commuting and long distances and short distances mountain climbing week-ends. Then in the long runs of usage I do not feel comfortable anymore because of limited positions, only upright and a little bending of my elbows to relax my back and my hips. Then one time we met my friend and did 2 hours lapping of almost 1.5 kms. Oval tracks with an average speeds of 35-45 kms/hours. He is using his Road bike with drop bar and I using my Gravel bike with flat bar. Then we switched bikes and suddenly I discover how comfortable the handling of drop-bar. My back feeling relax when I leaning on for Aerodynamic position. I can also do upright position putting my both hands on-top of the flat-bar on the part of drop bar handle. I can also lean a bit for aerodynamic position, that so relaxing and comfortable by holding the STI handles. Then I can easily accelerate pedaling the bikes with freely exhaling and inhaling the air. The balance and positioning of my body on the bike is so comfortable. So from that experienced I decided to change my flat-bar to drop-bar. ‘Till now I am enoying using my Gravel bike for daily commuting in the city and long distances plain and mountainous roads ang gravels.

Such controversy! It is an individuals choice of course, but I've used Ritchy Venturemax, Jones Loop Bars and the Salsa Moloko bars. The best I've used is the Moloko, by far. Good hand position options, great aero positions and it holds a handlebar bag and a Slap Bag at the same time.

I use a narrow riser bar with TT bars added.. Gripshift MXR and an Alivio 3X8 having sold my SRAM SX Eagle 12spd XC8 and keeping my '13 OPUS ZERMATT with 11-40 on 650b 47 mullet rear and 203/180 mech. I have an 17-117 gear inch range and a small enough frame to bail out like a BMX allows.. My previous XC8 was a 2020.. before that a '09 Paragon.. 3x9 X-9

just finished building a BMC La Cabra and I fully embraced the drop bar MTB aspect of the frame. Initial impressions from a handling standpoint? I'm not goin fast enough on rough stuff for the advantage of a flat bar to matter, and personally I move my hands around constantly, so the multiple hand positions are certainly welcome. I will say one of the most frustrating aspects of building up a more rowdy drop bar rig is the lack of support from the industry. It was a pain in the ass to source/modify the parts that flat bar bikes enjoy in access(larger brakes, multiple dropper brands/types, wide range 12 speed drivetrains) and the lack of support for Installing these sorts of things makes it even more frustrating. In the end I'm happy with it, but if I had to do it over again I would probably just stick to flat bars and experiment with comfort aids.

I always get hand numbness using drop bars but NEVER on MTB bars. When I decide on my next bike for bikepacking/all 'round it more likely than not will be full suspension because I love mountain biking. My current bars are Renthal Fat Bar carbon in 760mm, but I will be changing to more sweep and rise with a longer stem in the fall. Thanks!

Another great video! Keep up this great work!