Flared Drop bars - any good?

[Jon George]

I'm in the wonderful position of being able to splash some cash on a bike to replace my old and rim-braked CX that I use for off-road and winter riding with something that has disc brakes and a slightly more 'relaxed' ride. The latest one I'm considering is the Forme Monsal Pro, but it has flared drop handlebars (25 degrees) and I've never tried a bike with such a set-up. What is people's experience of them been? Cheers.

 

[Peter Salt]

Two reasons, in my opinion, why one would consider flared bars. I'm sure people will think of others:

1. You do a lot of sprinting or another type of effort where your hands are on the drops and the bike sways a lot - this may cause the upper part of the handlebars to hit your forearms and leave them bruised. 25 degrees seems a bit excessive though.

2. Your shoulders, elbows or wrists are for some reason messed up, and your hands point inwards (a lot) in a resting position. In this case, you may find the angled bit of the drops much more comfortable - especially during descents.

 

[figbat]

I replaced the parallel drops on my home made gravel bike with a 12° flared bar - I much prefer the flared. Not only is riding on the drops more comfortable and the wider stance more stable off-road, but accessing the brake levers from the drops is far easier.

 

[chriswoody]

I ride a Kona Sutra LTD with Salsa Cowchipper bars that are 500mm wide and have 24° of flare. The bike originally came with Kona bars that were 460mm wide and had 12° of flare.

I find flared bars absolutely brilliant and super comfy to ride with, the wider, more flared bars are even better still. They are designed for off road riding, where the flare allows you a lot more control and comfort when riding in the drops at low speed. On road, they are also a comfy bar, but then there are lot of other factors in play, not just the flare.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Off road the wider the bars the better your control in technical terrain. Thus you can use the wide flare when dealing with such obstacles then move the hands in on less technical terrain such easy easy forestry commission tracks. How much flare you want is personal. I generally aim for the top of drop to be width of my shoulders and the flare a bit wider. If you go for shallow drops that come back a bit further than traditional; you’ll find you can maintain the same body position switching between the hoods and the drops; but with wider more triangulated arms for stability when needed.

 

[Ian H]

Two reasons, in my opinion, why one would consider flared bars. I'm sure people will think of others:

1. You do a lot of sprinting or another type of effort where your hands are on the drops and the bike sways a lot - this may cause the upper part of the handlebars to hit your forearms and leave them bruised. 25 degrees seems a bit excessive though.

2. Your shoulders, elbows or wrists are for some reason messed up, and your hands point inwards (a lot) in a resting position. In this case, you may find the angled bit of the drops much more comfortable - especially during descents.

3. They're trendy.

I'd hope that any descent bike shop would swap things like bars & saddle for your preferred versions.

 

[sevenfourate]

Slightly OT: i have a Forme Monyash. Described as an ‘Endurance’ bike with its relaxed Geometry. But with loads of tyre clearance……mines set-up for Gravel. Love and rate it 👍

 

[Cycleops]

Down to personal preference. Bars aren't too expensive, if you don't like 'em change 'em.

 

[Rusty Nails]

I used to have Randonneur bars on an old Raleigh. If I'd only known they were trendy I'd have kept them.

There's nothing new in this world.

 

[DRM]

As everyone else above says, brilliant for control descending off road

 

[I like Skol]

I had traditional parallel drop bars in my first road bike as an adult and never really got on with them, rarely used the drops and did probably 95% or more of my riding on the hoods.
My next road bike had some gravel/cx type characteristics including flared bars (12° I think) and these transformed my road riding. Now spend a third of my time on the drops even when urban commuting and this is probably higher when out on longer leisure rides.
I liked the flared bars so much that I fitted the same bar to my new steel full-on road bike and used that bike to ride lejog.
It's all down to personal choice, comfort and fit. Ignore anyone that suggest it is a fashion.

25° does sound a bit extreme?

 

[cyberknight]

i can see the latest trend in the road peleton going to flared bars to get around the minimum width for bars soon especially when the uci start clamping down on the angle the hoods can be turned in .

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Flared drops are great on a tandem. Even when on the hoods, I just feel liken I have much more control.

 

[chriswoody]

25° does sound a bit extreme?

I think it all depends on intended use and as you say say personal preference, 25° is quite common these days and over 30° is not unheard of. I moved from 12° of flare to 24° and noticed a definite improvement on the slow speed handling on rough ground, but then, I do tend to take my bike into some interesting places that I appreciate many folk wouldn't. Since upgrading to the Cowchippers, I've certainly not found any downsides to having greater flare on my bars.

 

[Sallar55]

Road bike almost never on the drops, for touring ,gravel or mtb its wide flat bars or Jones bars depending on bike top tube length.