Mary style road drop bars
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 659
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 195 Post(s)
Liked 207 Times
in
126 Posts
Mary style road drop bars
I've seen Mary style "flat" bars but what are Mary style drop bars used for? They look like track bars to me. Riding on the drops look like the only comfortable option. Riding the hoods looks very uncomfortable and riding the tops looks difficult at best. I bought a nice vintage touring bike that has a high quality flat bar and stem and rather than change out the stem, bar, brake levers and shifters I'm wondering if adding a bar-end extension would be a more cost effective alternative since I almost never use the drops anyway.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,096 Times
in
742 Posts
I did a Google search for "Mary style handlebars" and got a long list of hits that include discussions of their merits. You should find your answers there. Apparently "Mary" is a trade name used by one maker, not a generic type.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 2,266
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 714 Post(s)
Liked 800 Times
in
475 Posts
Maybe post a picture of the bars you are talking about. My searches show Mary bars are a type of flat bar. I can only find one person selling a drop bar referred to as a Mary style drop bar and that looks like it has an outward flare to the bend with an inward bend to the drop.
Likes For dsaul:
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 659
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 195 Post(s)
Liked 207 Times
in
126 Posts
Maybe post a picture of the bars you are talking about. My searches show Mary bars are a type of flat bar. I can only find one person selling a drop bar referred to as a Mary style drop bar and that looks like it has an outward flare to the bend with an inward bend to the drop.
#7
Expired Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: TN
Posts: 11,535
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3670 Post(s)
Liked 5,422 Times
in
2,756 Posts
Bar ends will obviously give you one additional hand position on flat bars. You might also look at trekking/ butterfly bars. To make your post/question more comprehensible you might delete the irrelevant stuff about the Mary bars, maybe change the thread title.
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,547
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18373 Post(s)
Liked 4,508 Times
in
3,351 Posts
Are we talking about something like the Salsa Woodchipper?
Not particularly my choice of bars, but I think they're popular with some tourists and casual riders.
Not particularly my choice of bars, but I think they're popular with some tourists and casual riders.
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 18,073
Bikes: Stewart S&S coupled sport tourer, Stewart Sunday light, Stewart Commuting, Stewart Touring, Co Motion Tandem, Stewart 3-Spd, Stewart Track, Fuji Finest, Mongoose Tomac ATB, GT Bravado ATB, JCP Folder, Stewart 650B ATB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4201 Post(s)
Liked 3,857 Times
in
2,305 Posts
I finally decided to take a bit of time and did a search for mary style bars and see they look very close to what we called "North Road" bars back in the day. A style I used on a couple of small wheeled urban bikes years ago. Oh well, I guess every generation feels the need to make the old their own by renaming it. Andy
__________________
AndrewRStewart
AndrewRStewart
#11
working on my sandal tan
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: CID
Posts: 22,629
Bikes: 1991 Bianchi Eros, 1964 Armstrong, 1988 Diamondback Ascent, 1988 Bianchi Premio, 1987 Bianchi Sport SX, 1980s Raleigh mixte (hers), All-City Space Horse (hers)
Mentioned: 98 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3871 Post(s)
Liked 2,568 Times
in
1,579 Posts
I finally decided to take a bit of time and did a search for mary style bars and see they look very close to what we called "North Road" bars back in the day. A style I used on a couple of small wheeled urban bikes years ago. Oh well, I guess every generation feels the need to make the old their own by renaming it. Andy
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 18,073
Bikes: Stewart S&S coupled sport tourer, Stewart Sunday light, Stewart Commuting, Stewart Touring, Co Motion Tandem, Stewart 3-Spd, Stewart Track, Fuji Finest, Mongoose Tomac ATB, GT Bravado ATB, JCP Folder, Stewart 650B ATB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4201 Post(s)
Liked 3,857 Times
in
2,305 Posts
Not at all what I had thought. Also not what I would want given the long sloping tops to the hooks. Good luck. Andy
__________________
AndrewRStewart
AndrewRStewart
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,547
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18373 Post(s)
Liked 4,508 Times
in
3,351 Posts
Those look somewhat like track/pista style drop bars.
Here are some Nitto Track bars.
https://an-excellent-test-store.mysh...rack-drop-bars
Here are some Nitto Track bars.
https://an-excellent-test-store.mysh...rack-drop-bars