The three key touch points that connect you to the bicycle are: pedals, seat, and handlebars. Most cyclists spend a lot of time choosing the first two with military precision-but the best bicycle handlebars are often forgotten.

Choosing the ideal handlebar for you can have a huge impact on your comfort and performance, as they play an important role in determining your position and weight distribution.

Of course, although turning and other actions should mainly come from changes in weight, your handlebars are also very important-if they are the weak link in the chain, upgrading them will have obvious results.

BEST HANDLEBARS: WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Width

The bar on the new bike is estimated based on the average shoulder width of an average cyclist of the same size as yours.

As most cyclists would protest, none of us are truly ordinary people, so it is a good idea to customize the handlebars according to your needs. This is especially important for women who buy unisex bicycles instead of women-only bicycles: most women have narrower shoulders than men of the same height, and therefore require narrower handlebars.

A barbell that is too wide will put pressure on your neck and arms, and will make riding a bicycle feel a bit like driving a truck. On the contrary, a narrow rod will make you feel cramped, but it is worth remembering that a narrower rod will let your elbows in and have a considerable impact on aerodynamics.

The rule of thumb when choosing the right handlebar width is to measure the distance between the two bones on the shoulder-a more scientific term is the distance between the two acromioclavicular (AC) joints.

This measurement provides you with a baseline-if it is 38 cm, look for the 38 cm bar-and so on. However, personal preference and riding style also have an impact. For example, if aerodynamics is important to you, then maybe you can choose one size smaller.

Some riders like the stability of a slightly wider barbell-so you can choose a size one size-40 cm barbell. However, this means that you have to move your arms outwards to reach the lever, which can cause your shoulder blades to collapse and cause discomfort.

The standard method is to measure from the center of the drop, but some brands measure from the outside, which means their 40 cm bar may be 38 cm in the previous method. It is best to check the method used by the manufacturer in your mind.

Handlebar shape and drop

When it comes to handlebar width, although you can go up and down a bit according to your preferences, there is a right and wrong answer: too narrow or too wide will cause you pain and make bicycle assemblers around the world cringe. The shape of the handlebars depends more on personal preference.

Traditionally, handlabars had a gentle round curve, which created a deep drop, putting the rider in a low position when off the hoods.

In recent years, compact handlebars have become more popular: these feature a straighter shape, which means the lower section of the drop is higher up. In the middle, are ergonomic bars: rounder than traditional bars, but they have a flat section in the centre which is ideal for hand positioning.

Choosing the best handlebar shape for you comes down to your riding style. If you're after fairly relaxed endurance rides, think compact.

If you want eyeballs out, nose to the bar time trial efforts and tend to hold the bars close to the bottom of the drops, think traditional.

Sitting in the middle, if you want a fair drop and tend to hold the bar right at its centre point, look for ergo bars where doing so won't put pressure on your wrists.

Different manufacturers will shape their bars their own way, and you'll also find adventure road bikes, gravel bikes and cyclocross bikes will sweep them out at the end to create a wider and more stable platform when riding in the drops.

Reach

The shape and depth of the drop will affect the distance between the handlebar and the lever. However, most levers can be adjusted, so it is best to choose the shape you like and then adjust the lever to suit you. The handlebar will also affect the overall stretch from the saddle to the handlebar-but again, if the new handlebar has an effect here, you can adjust the length of your stem to find the right size.

Material

One of the biggest challenges faced by cyclists when upgrading their handlebars is the question of what materials to choose.

Carbon fiber handlebars reduce the weight of the bicycle and are usually 20% to 40% lighter than alloy handlebars. The material can also be molded into any shape, allowing it to be perfectly designed to fit the ideal ergonomic fit. In addition, the carbon fiber laminate can be finely rotated to create the best combination of strength, low weight and flexibility. Everything sounds perfect?

The problem with carbon fiber handlebars is that they are much more expensive and more fragile. Although carbon can be very strong, if it is damaged, it is not always as obvious as on aluminum rods and may go undetected.

Not only that, carbon needs to be handled more carefully in the workshop-or home workshop-if the wrong torque setting is used, it is more likely to break. Another disadvantage is that aluminum bars are much cheaper.

Aerodynamics

Pneumatic road bikes are becoming more and more popular, and the handlebar setting plays a huge role in reducing drag.

Handlebars that improve aerodynamics usually have a smaller surface area at the front, flattened to create a longer surface area at the top.

This means that they cut into the air more efficiently, and there is an added benefit of staying comfortable when climbing for long periods of time. In addition, the design of the pneumatic handlebar will cater to the internal wiring.

More advanced versions will support a high level of integration. The pole and the pole can be a unit, and can be built-in the installation seat of bicycle computer and other items.

The advantage here is to save watts; on the Bianchi Oltre XR4, the improvement of the bar saves 5 watts. On the downside, if you decide to change your fit with a shorter or longer stem, you will need to purchase a brand new unit.

Diameter

A housework point that is actually very important but seemingly boring. The standard diameter handlebar size is 25.4 mm-this refers to the center point where the stem will be connected. However, some brands choose to strengthen them to 31.8 mm to increase stiffness. This is great, but you need a stem that matches the size of the fixture: no one wants to take a new one home and finds that they don’t have the right stem.

If you have your own ideas, please contact us(sales@top-fire.com) to discuss and provide you with customized services.