QUESTION: Are flat bar road bikes good? I would like to start riding on the road for fitness, but I’m not comfortable with those 10-speed style curved handlebars. Can’t I just ride with flat bars? – Doug M
RBR REPLIES: If you want to start riding on the road more for fitness, then don’t let the style of handlebars stop you! There are plenty of hybrid road bikes to choose from that come with flat bars, and some of them are pretty lightweight and fast. In fact, we’ve rounded up our favorite flat bar road bikes here.
The truth is that drop style handlebars do provide a lot of advantages if you want to go on longer rides, or ride with a group of other roadies later. The bent shape of drop bars allows you to have multiple hand positions that will help you stay comfortable by allowing you to change them during a ride. And some of the positions are more aerodynamic, for times when you want to ride faster.
But it’s still perfectly ok to ride a road bike that has flat handlebars. You’ll get the advantages of a bar that gives you a steady grip like a mountain bike, which can help give beginner cyclists more confidence. But there are also plenty of riders who are not beginners who just prefer the typically more upright position of a flat bar road bike. More power to them!
Sources for flat or alternative trekking bars that I currently own are rivbikes.com and velo-orange.com. I am not promoting them exclusively, I am just a customer, I am sure that others will offer other vendors. I love my trekking bars! then again, I don’t have an issue with drop bars either, that is what is on my touring bike.
My flat bar on my Pinarello is valued and allowed my arthritic wrists and hands to endure rides with tolerable pain. Also my local bicycle shop outfitted me with special grips which added to my comfort.
Hey Hank. Did you get your training wheels off. I,m 87 and still riding. Not as fast, not as far but still riding. Still doing west mountain but it takes a lot longer and I rest longer at the top. Still riding road bars on the road bikes and flat bars on the mountain bike. KootnaMoots
I changed my 30 year old road bike to flat bars and mtb levers – very happy now. As I continue to lose flexibility I was riding on the flats most of the time anyways. Worse, I was having more and more trouble reaching the brake levers in a hurry, which was dangerous.
Flat bars or hybrid bars don”t allow enough hand positions. I cannot get a
position where the wrist is straight. When I had a hybrid I cut the ends of the bar off 3/4″ each side & put Fish Sticks on the bar inside the shifters. My wrists like the hoods of drop bars.
I can only use a flat bar road bike because I’m an above knee amputee and cannot ride with drop bars – the prosthetic socket would quickly irritate me by physically jamming into my upper thigh with discomfort and irritate me operationally with regard to maintaining optimal fit of my prosthetic socket (most critical factor). I have 3 Trek flat bar road bikes (1 full carbon, 1 on trainer only, 1 for “emergencies”) and upgraded all of them with identical Ergon grips to allow for different hand position, especially because I have severe carpal tunnel in my right hand and frequent shifting of hand position helps.
The choice of drop bar versus flat bar is clearly an individual choice based on what the rider is hoping to achieve and physical factors. I am not going to be moving along more than 15 mph on average so I think flat bar is a good choice for people who want a solid workout, but with more upright body position. Drop bar is going to allow you both upright and more aerodynamic body position.
Ergon Grips can make flat bars more comfortable on longer rides. I used them to ride the GAPCO and KATY trails.
You are right!
I have a set on my flat bar! Wonderful!