How to choose drop bars
We launched a whole handful of new handlebars this year. If you’re interested in upgrading but not sure how to choose drop bars that work for your fit preferences and riding style this guide will help you find your ride your way. This article covers drop bars, but we have a flat-bar version coming soon — stay tuned.
The drop-bar shape
Drop bars are generally the bar of choice for road, gravel, and cyclocross bike. They put you in a more forward, aerodynamic position that prioritizes speed and efficiency. This forward-leaning position can put more pressure on your hands than flat bars do, but the drop-bar design offers multiple hand positions that can help alleviate pressure. The wide range of modern drop bar designs makes it difficult to find the right one — here’s a breakdown of drop-bar terms so you can determine how well it will fit your desired riding position and style:
Reach and drop
Reach and drop are drop-bar measurements that help define how a handlebar fits and the riding positions it will put you in.
- Handlebar reach refers to the horizontal distance from the handlebar clamp to the controls. Choosing a handlebar with a shorter or longer reach can help dial in a cockpit that feels too stretched out or cramped, respectively.
- Handlebar drop is the vertical distance from the tops of the handlebar to the drops. Handlebar drop can range from deep (130–145mm+) to compact (125mm or less) A larger drop number puts you in a deeper, more-aggressive riding position in the drops, while a smaller drop number creates a more upright riding position in the drops.
Width
Handlebar width is a personal choice. For drop bars, a good starting point is to choose a width close to your shoulder width (measuring the width between your acromion, the bony protrusions on the tops of your shoulders). This gives you a good baseline to gauge how the bars feel — you can go wider or narrower from there.
- Wider drop bars give you more leverage for a more stable feel — especially useful on technical terrain or when riding a loaded bike. Wider bars can also help open up your chest for easier breathing.
- Narrower bars can help alleviate hand, shoulder, and wrist discomfort and provide a more aerodynamic position. They can also provide extra clearance if you ride tight terrain like overgrown singletrack trails.
Flare
Flare is the degree at which a handlebar angles outward at the hoods, drops, or both. Not all handlebars are flared, but all drop bars in our lineup have some degree of flare, from our 6-degree Tropo road bike bar up to 24 degrees on our Radia 24 bikepacking bar. We embrace flare because it puts your hands in a wider stance, adding stability, confidence, and comfort on challenging terrain.
Material
Now that you understand how to measure a drop bar, the final step is choosing a material. Carbon fiber and aluminum are the two most common handlebar materials; each are lightweight and strong with their own nuances:
- Carbon fiber has a high strength-to-weight ratio and is easy to tune for stiffness and compliance in all the right places. This means carbon bars are lighter weight and soak up vibration, making for an extra-comfortable, efficient ride with less hand fatigue. On the flip side, carbon fiber handlebars are more expensive and require more care during installation to avoid damaging the carbon fibers.
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Aluminum bars can feel stiffer depending on design. They are typically heavier, yet more durable and considerably less expensive than carbon fiber bars. Most of our aluminum bars come in two different alloys: 6061-T6 and 7075-T6 (which we call “SE”)
- 6061-T6 is the most-common alloy used in aluminum bike components. It’s strong, stiff, and relatively lightweight.
- 7075-T6 is lighter, stronger, and stiffer than 6061 aluminum for a high-performance bar that falls between 6061 and carbon fiber in weight.
That’s it: you know how to choose drop bars and you’re ready to start dialing in Your Ride. Your Way. Consider your current drop bar and what you like or dislike about it. Need a shorter reach? More flare? Or maybe the comfort of carbon fiber? Refer to our guide below for the stats on all our drop bars to find what you’re looking for. Need extra help? Your local bike shop can help you find the perfect fit.
For road riders, our Tropo bar is designed for a comfortable and efficient ride on smooth or harsh pavement:
- 6-degree flare
- 68mm reach
- 125mm drop
- 38–46cm widths
- Available in carbon fiber and 7075-T6 aluminum
Shop Tropo Carbon and Tropo SE.
If you ride gravel, our Radia 12 and Feldspar bars are designed to bring rough-road comfort and all-day utility to your bike.
Radia 12 is our flared gravel bar with an extra-wide 140mm clamp area for you to mount lights, computer, aero bars, or bags.
- 12-degree flare
- 68mm reach
- 115mm drop
- 38–46cm widths
- Available in carbon fiber, 7075-T6 aluminum, and 6061-T6 aluminum
Shop Radia 12 Carbon, Radia 12 SE, and Radia 12.
Feldspar is our endurance and comfort-oriented gravel bar with a flattened top section for more comfortable hand positions.
- 16-degree flare (12–20-degree progressive flare on carbon version)
- 68mm reach
- 100mm drop
- 40–48cm widths
- Available in carbon fiber, 7075-T6 aluminum, and 6061-T6 aluminum
Shop Feldspar Carbon, Feldspar SE, and Feldspar.
For the bikepackers, our Radia 24 drop bar features a wider flare for more leverage and stability when navigating a loaded bike through technical terrain. Its extra-wide 140mm clamp area offers plenty of space to mount your lights, computer, bikepacking bags, and other accessories.
- 24-degree flare
- 68mm reach
- 115mm drop
- 38–52cm widths
- Available in carbon fiber, 7075-T6 aluminum, and 6061-T6 aluminum
Shop Radia 24 Carbon, Radia 24 SE, and Radia 24.