Danger - contains gravel-related content. A question of handlebars.

[2manyoranges]

I am quite liking these

 

[2manyoranges]

And OH LOOK they are on a Karate Monkey too....

 

[Tayside]

'you need therapy my boy' (viennese accent)

Thanks, I now have 'Frontier Psychiatrist' (The Avalanches) as an earworm

 

[grantoury]

I like the wider gravel drop bars like the Ritchey Venturemax xl, they go to about 52cm and have a friendly bend and wider areas on top, and flaring and very shallow drops. Crust make a drop bar that is up to 66cm wide, called the towel rack. I am not sure it is any more than a good laugh, but you can have wider drop bars anyway.

 

[Tootyred]

I am quite liking these

Surly they are upside down?

 

[Tayside]

I am quite liking these

They look a bit like Midge bars

There was a fad/fashion for Midge bars a while ago.
I fell in to the trap and got a set (still in the shed).
In lots of tiny ways they were almost ok, but in the end, trying to get controls set up in a good position (for me) was hopeless.

 

[2manyoranges]

Thanks, I now have 'Frontier Psychiatrist' (The Avalanches) as an earworm

That boy needs therapy!!!.....etc A much needed dose of surreal nonsense in a febrile world....phew

 

[CassidyAce]

I use both the drops and the hoods on the road and gravel bikes. Being in the drops puts me in a more aerodynamic position and usually that means that I'll end up riding in a higher gear than I would be riding on the hoods. However, contrary to gravel riding lore, I tend to use the drops on smoother, safer surfaces when I want to go faster, and I rarely use them on trickier surfaces, mainly because I get a better view of what's ahead if I'm on the hoods. Being able to brake harder isn't going to help much on a slippery surface anyway. So, drops: yes, I'm happy with dropped bars. Flared drops for more control on trickier stuff? Meh.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

inner bar ends

Bar ends run in the inboard position

Brands such as SQlab even design ones specifically for the middle location

 

[clubby]

Drop bars are great on bikes designed for them. Multiple hand positions with different uses. Using different hand positions also changes your entire body position. Great when you are pedalling sat down for long periods of time. I also spend most of my time on the hoods, but on long road downhills, using the drops is significantly faster for no extra effort.

My gravel rides cover multiple surfaces and I use each hand positions each ride.