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Handlebars have the ability to transform the way a bike rides.
Wide handlebars increase the steering leverage to offer you better bike stability. Drop bars offer a lower and narrower body position which puts you in a more aero position. Handlebars with multiple hand locations allow you to switch it up, giving your muscles and joints a much-needed break on a long ride.
Unfortunately, there is no perfect handlebar for everybody as the shape is hugely personal – one ‘ergonomic’ bar may suit one rider but not another.
Most stock touring bikes are found with three different handlebar styles: drop bars, flat bars or butterfly/trekking bars. You can find out about these three handlebar styles including information on hand positioning, body posture, frame sizing, and the bar shapes that suit beginners HERE.
With lots of new alt handlebars becoming available, this is your guide to the different options.
KOGA Denham Bar
The KOGA Denham Bar is a unique combination of a bullhorn and a sweptback bar.
It’s over 700mm wide which provides huge amounts to steering leverage to overcome the weight of any front luggage. The 40cm wide bullhorn section offers a narrower, more aerodynamic body position and the centre portion can be wrapped with bar tape to replicate the ‘tops’ of a drop bar. Additionally, there is enough room between the bullhorns for a mid-sized Ortlieb handlebar bag.
The KOGA Denham Bar is around US $75 and you can read about its design HERE.
Similar Handlebars:
Velo Orange Crazy Bar (45d)
Surly Moloko (34d)
Jones Loop H-Bar
The Loop Bar design is great for bicycle touring because it offers near and far hand positions, as well as a long/wide 45-degree main sections for increased stability. The bar is excellent for strapping things to given its generous real estate, and without luggage, there’s ample room for mounting accessories like your lights or GPS. You won’t be able to mount a handlebar bag to this bar design; instead, check out the more specific Loop Bar bikepacking bags. That said, if you have enough spacers under your stem you can use a steerer-mounted accessory bar for mounting your handlebar bag.
The Jones Loop are priced accordingly: US $80-120 (aluminium), US $295 (carbon), US $395 (titanium).
Similar Handlebars:
Humpert Boomerang
Humpert Space Bugel
Jones Cut H-Bar
Soma Eagle
Titec J-Bar
Ti Cycles Halo
Humpert Hornbar
The Hornbar is a backwards-swept flat bar, with built-in bar extensions. It offers three different wrist angles along the extensions, allowing you to take the strain off your wrists and stretch your body out. The Hornbar is almost a butterfly bar, however, it doesn’t reduce the overall reach of your bike like a butterfly bar will. It’s available in an adjustable folding model called the ‘AHS’, and a ‘comfort’ model with even more loop to the extensions.
You can find the Humpert Hornbar as cheap as £10.
Similar Handlebars:
Modolo Mohican
Origin8 Adventure Tour
Jones Bend H-Bar
Sweptback handlebars like the Jones Bend are considered more ergonomic than a flat bar. The theory is that if you relax your arms by your side, then lean forward into a riding position and lift your arms up naturally to where a handlebar would be – you would find your wrists at 45-degrees. There are lots of different options for sweptback bars with varying angles of sweep between 20 and 60-degrees.
Jones Bend H-Bars work out at US $75.
Similar Handlebars:
Ahearne MAP (41d)
Answer Enduro (20d)
Bontrager Crivitz (25d)
Carver MyTi (29d)
Crust Jungle Runner (40d)
Fairdale Archer V2 (35d)
FSA Metropolis (47d)
Genetic Digest (21d)
Groovy Cycleworks LUV Handles (21d)
Nitto Jitensha B2522
On-One Mary (40d)
Origin8 Space Off-Road 2 (40d)
Salsa Bend 2 (23d)
Sim Works Getaround (20d)
Soma Clarence (34d)
Soma Osprey (40d)
SQlab 302 (35d)
Surly Open Bar (53d)
Ti Cycles Double S (30d)
Velo Orange Curvy One (60d)
Velo Orange Curvy Too (30d)
Velo Orange Klunker (45d)
Velo Orange Milan (35d)
Velo Orange Postino (45d)
Watson Cycles Parkarino (31d)
Salsa Woodchipper 2
The Woodchipper flared drop bars are wider than a regular road bar, as well as offering an ergonomic 25-degree sweep in the drops. That makes them fantastic for off-road use when a bit of extra leverage is handy, and the flared design seems to provide additional comfort for most users.
The Woodchipper 2 handlebars will set you back US $75.
Similar Products:
Crust Towel Rack (15d)
Funn G-Wide (6d)
Nitto Dirt Drop RM014
On-One Midge
Salsa Cowbell (12d)
Salsa Cowchipper (24d)
Soma Gator (20d)
Soma Portola
Alt Handlebar Comparison Tool
You Can Read All About Bicycle Touring Handlebars HERE
