I cringe when I hear people use this formulation, though it’s one I’ve used once or twice myself. It goes like this, “There are two types of people…” If there were two types of people, one type would have killed all of the other a long time ago. Thankfully, we all contain multitudes. We are not so neatly and easily divided. We are analog, not digital.
The one I am most guilty of offering is this: There are two types of people, locals and nomads. Locals are people whose natural tendency is to stay in the place they grew up. They value that level of deep belonging. Nomads are not held by that feeling. They move around, looking for a place they like, accepting they might never really feel like they’re “from” their new home.
So let’s just say, that if you’ve been riding bikes any length of time, it’s likely that you’ve ridden both drop bars, as on most road bikes, and flat bars, as on most mountain bikes. So one way to think of yourself is as a drop bar person or as a flat bar person.
I know people who really, really like drop bar mountain bikes. Some folks call those ‘monster cross.’ If I’m honest, it’s a vibe I don’t feel. I know other people who prefer a flat bar on their road bike. I find I’m more sympathetic to that view, which is why I guess, at root I’m more flat bar than drop, though I have undoubtedly spent more time on drop bar bikes. Maybe that’s rooted in my beginnings as a BMX kid. Maybe it’s that I’ve never really been comfortable riding in the drops. I tend to ride a road bike like it has a flat bar (or bullhorn if I’m riding on the hoods).
The continued profusion of bar designs suggests that, like the mythic Ricky Bobby, we sometimes just don’t know what to do with our hands.
This week’s TCI Friday wonders which you are, more drop, or more flat. And why do you think that is?
Drop.
I was never a BMX kid. Once I graduated from my Sears 3-speed, it was drop bars for 3+ decades before I spent any appreciable time on flat bars.
My serious cycling started in 2008 on the road. A fee years later, I branched out to CX (drop) and MTB (flat), but along with road was still substantially drop.
Now, my singlespeed commuter is flat bar, as is my folding bike. I don’t really ever ride my old MTB, it having been replaced by my fat bike for trails in addition to snow.
Gravel underbiking and CX are my disciplines of choice these days, although the fat bike sees some cross country service. Much rowdier than XC and my interest drops off a lot.
Flat. Actually Raceface Atlas or Turbine R 800mm 35mm risers for more than ten years. I had curly bars on CX bikes when I did that for about a 10 year stretch. I do have a some Wood Chippers on my Fargo. I actually have never owned a legit road bike, despite having been on many road rides. Maybe I’ll get one when I grow up.
Flared drops on the Fargo. Flat bars on the phat bike and city bike. Tradition drop bars on my Cross Check. And the favorite, Jones H Bar on my Ogre. I’m a macro adapter sort of rider.
File me under flat bars. I have a couple of curly bar bikes but I ride them on the hoods 99% of the time.
I ride both; some years more of one, some years more the other. I’m more passionate about MTB, and I use a flat (riser) bar. However I’m delighted with all the options that drops bars provide whenever I use them.
Flat bar seems to be the long term choice, but currently my most enjoyable / focused riding is on a drop bar. Even then, those rides are pretty lax. I have several old bikes from my checkered past and they are all trending my posture up and back. More into the Rivendale / Crust style ride. Lots of sweep, steel wigglers. Easy going. I am trying to get some bar end shifters on to a sparro or bosco bar and have it all in the palm of my hand.