gregw

It is my opinion that bar end shifters only exist because the traditional english upright touring handlebars went out of fashion, especially in the US. Turn down racing style handlebars were just more sexy and sold better that granny bars. Touring cyclists just adapted to them. As a tourist you would rarely ride in the drops, making down-tube shifters a pain. So some clever tourists figured out how to move the shifters up to a more convenient location.

The same goes for brake levers, tourists adapted to the short pull caliper levers. The cantilever brake evolved with the need for increased braking power and clearance for fenders, still utilizing the standard racing style short pull lever.

But once you get over the fashion aspect, and realize that turn down bars are just plain silly for touring, you can make use of thumb shifters, grip shifts, long pull levers, linear pull brakes etc. All the great innovations that came in with the mountain bike craze.

Yes, I know people will defend the fashion choice of turndown bars for touring to the death, that's why I started this thread with the word opinion in bold, italic, and underlined.

Bekologist

i'm a long distance and touring cyclist, and i have my bikes set up to be comfortable in the drops.

Drop bars offer more hand positions and better aerodynamic positioning. its not really fashion.

shelbyfv

How far have you ridden in a day or a week with your one-hand-position flat bars?

gregw

Thousands upon thousands of miles, but not on flat bars.

shelbyfv

I must be missing something.

phughes

Huh? Sorry, drop bars, or as you refer to them, turn down bars, are not a "fashion" statement, they offer more places for your hands and so offer many people more comfort on a long day than other bars. They are abundantly suited for touring as a result. I doubt you will find many bicycle tourists doing much simply for fashion's sake. The bikes they choose and the components they choose are done so with comfort and reliability in mind, as well as pure function.

Try again.

fietsbob

3 & 6 month tours.. but the road bar bikes are more a US touring thing..
done those through the 70s to the late 90's, some bends and the way they are tet up and padded, help a lot..


My adoption made now in past 15 years, [@65] is Trekking bars .. a European preference, the figure 8 bend,
is a more versatile option over Straight Bars, but they use all the MTB/hybrid bar controls .

Mine , I have a grip shifter on my bars they only fit the 22.2mm/7/8' tube bars..

fuzz2050

I don't think cantilever brakes have anything to do with braking power; a good single pivot or dual pivot caliper brake will still skid a wheel. Far as I know, they came about because people wanted more clearance for wider tires and mud (think cyclocross).

V-brakes only came about with modern mountain bikes because suspension systems made it difficult to use cantilever brakes. As the suspension is compressed, the distance between the cable stop and the brakes can change.

If you've ever seen the photos in the 'Post your loaded touring bike' thread, you can tell people aren't in it for fashion.

fietsbob

cantilever brakes of various sorts, are over 70 years old. Mafac's date from like.. 1948

oldskoolwrench

I would venture to think the choice of handlebar is ultimately based upon what the rider is looking for in terms of comfort, efficiency, performance, etc.

bradtx

gregw, While I disagree with the word "fashion" I see your point in the same way I understand someone's preference for a flat, a butterfly or a plethora of other handle bar designs. Drop bars are simply popular on many N. American cyclist's touring bikes because many have roadies and are accustomed and comfortable with the design. Those tourers with primarily mountain bike experience may feel more comfortable with a flat or butterfly bar.

While butterfly bars may never be as popular here as in Europe, they're an option for both the drop bar and flat bar rider looking for something they find lacking in whichever design they currently have.

Brad

bikemig 

@gregw: I take it that the pic in your profile (your avatar) doesn't describe what you think of your opinions​ or your politics? More seriously, drop bars are great for touring but there are other good choices. I've never tried trekking bars but I'm considering them for a MTB bike that I want to make into a tourer.

calyth

+1 on the drop bar hand positions, so that you don't get numb.

GeoKrpan

Drop bars ARE a fashion statement. I rarely see anyone actually riding the drops. Flame away.

phughes

I do, often. Of course when I grew up, people rode in the drops and not the hoods. Bars weren't positioned as low as many people do today either. My touring setup is much the same as the older bikes, my bars are not slammed down low. This enables me to use all the positions comfortably. I can get down in the drops for a relatively more aero position when fighting a headwind. I also use the drops at times while climbing.

Bars are a personal thing, but if you setup drop bars "properly," you have choices in hand positions you don't have with straight bars.

Trekking bars offer many positions too, and on one of my bikes, I put Nitto Albatross bars. I put cork grips on and wrapped the rest of the bars with faux cork tape, I have position choices on these bars too, but not as many as the drops. Both are comfortable, but are for different purposes.

fietsbob

And which bend, Randonneur are old school , tops angle up and back, ramps are long..
drop angles out, so wrists clear the tops.

other bends have other priorities.. brifters are long, so bars to best use them, have a short ramp.

criterium and track bars start curving downward right at the center, as the racer is working from the bars.

Working is the word, the bike as a tool is designed to do its task best by many variations ,
the shape and material of the bars ,is part of making the tool work at its best.


and of couse the world revolves around you and the small area around you
is flat so the earth must be flat.

tarwheel 

You are confusing "fashion" with your own personal preferences. Everyone has preferences and there's nothing wrong with that, but don't assume that everyone has the same needs or preferences as you.

I have drop bars on all of my bikes and find them very comfortable. Although I usually ride on the hoods or the tops, I also use the drops quite a bit -- particularly on windy days. I have ridden long days on tours traveling almost entirely entirely into headwinds, and drop bars made the experience much more enjoyable and quicker. Even when winds aren't a problem, I often ride in the drops on longer routes just for a change in position. I set up my bikes with the handlebars the same height as the saddle, so I can comfortably ride in the drops for as long as I want.

I'm not sure what point you are trying to make about brakes, but if you are opining that V-brakes are the answer to everything, you have overlooked some of their drawbacks. V-brakes are set up with the pads very close to the rims to function properly. So, if your rims get out of true -- which can easily happen on a tour with a loose or broken spokes, the brake pads will rub and made it difficult for the wheels to turn. Personally, I prefer cantilever brakes for that reason.

djb

dont forget too that there are diff shapes and dimensions of dropbar handlebars. I very much prefer the shorter "reach" (distance front to back) and shallower "drop" (vertical distance) bars I have now compared to my older drop bar bike. I also ride a bike with slightly angled back riser bars, its comfortable, but even with using bar ends that give me a lower down position with a head wind, my drop bar bike is still better for diff hand positions for a bear of a headwind, and/or varying positions being nice for my neck and back with regular changes.

you have your opinion, and ultimately it comes down to if it works for you, great.
I still feel you have tunnel vision about how dropbars are just fashion, but hey, ride your ride and enjoy.

imi

Gawd, this is silly! LOTS of us have drop-bars on our touring bikes because we find them to be the best option for our riding styles.

For me it's about the wrist/arm comfort on the hoods, and the drops for headwinds

tmac-100

Most of my touring has been in outback Australia. Not much support nor any semblance of a LBS.

In Borroloola (NT) in 2006 I came across Andrew of OzByBike fame.. His brifters died going to Cape York and when he got back to Cairns ( going single speed -you figure the distance) he saw my bike and got bar ends.. So much for my Arvon1 ...

I now have an alternative: a mini- velo for more touring (my Arvon2) Also with bar ends.

I rest my case....

pdlamb

+1.

I'm disappointed by the OP. With "evolution" in the title, I expected more than a "Not everyone agrees with my preference!" rant.

chris1548

I like drops on touring bikes for the variety of hand positions and getting down out of the wind. I don't expect everyone shares that view, but there's not much reason to run down others' preferences based upon their own experiences. You want to ride flats bars? great. Butterfly, great? Whatever suits each seems fine to me. If you like it, ride it. Argument for argument's sake gets old.

Bezalel

There is a functional reason why American steam locomotives had their mechanicals on the exterier while European locomotives had the mechanicals inside. In fact it is the same reason why drop bars became more popular in the United States than in Europe.

BobG

I ride on the brake hoods or tops of dropped handlebars 95% of the time but I love the drops on long screaming downhills for their safety as well as stability. It is the only position where you are "locked in" in the event of an unexpected bump in the road that might possibly dislodge your grip on the bar. On the hoods or on the flats of a mountain bike bar it is only the thumbs which prevent you from being bumped off the front of the bar. In the dropped position the palms are firmly engaged in the curve of the bar. I've recently taken a liking to the On-One Midge splayed drop bars as the shape is very shallow and the splay allows easier reach to the brake levers when riding in the drops. No fashion involved here. It just works for me.

k_randomfactor

Don't disagree, nor trying to be argumentative, but would be interested in an expansion. Just curious. By PM would work if you don't want to derail this sterling example of thread-dom.