Take a look across all the parts of a bike, and don't you notice something curious?
Whatever the genre, frame shapes mostly settle into a triangle.
Wheels are round, of course, pedals are shaped to be easy to push, and saddles never stray far from their job of being sat on.
But what about handlebars?
Straight ones,
ones that bend back slightly, ones that bend back a lot,
ones that drop down, ones that rise up, ones that spread wide to the sides.
The angles, the widths, the places you hold them: they're astonishingly varied.
Why is the handlebar alone designed with so much freedom?
No Two People Are Shaped the Same
I think the answer is a very simple one.
It's that no two human bodies are the same.
Not just height and weight, but
shoulder width, arm length,
wrist range of motion, spinal flexibility.
Some people are good at bending forward, while others are more comfortable with their head up.
Even when two people look like they have the same build,
the posture they find comfortable almost never matches.
If human bodies were standardized products, one handlebar would have been enough.
Handlebars Aren't Just for Steering
A handlebar isn't just a lever for steering the bike left and right. Of all the time you spend on a bike, it's the place in longest and most direct contact with your body.
Your legs turn the pedals, your eyes look ahead, your body keeps its balance.
The “point of contact” that connects all of that is the handlebar.
That's why a difference of just a few millimeters in angle, a slight bend, or a few centimeters in width can make a surprisingly big difference between comfort and discomfort.
I think the shape of the handlebar evolved for comfort even before handling.
Ride Differently, and You Use Your Body Differently
People who want to go fast, and people who want to go far.
People who want to carry stuff, and people who want to cruise around town.
Naturally, the way they use their bodies changes.
For a forward-leaning position that cuts wind resistance, or for long hours in the saddle, a drop bar with multiple hand positions is the way to go; if stability is your priority, we recommend a wide flat bar.
If you want to take in the scenery, a promenade bar, shaped so your gaze naturally lifts.
You could even say that a handlebar's bend is a personal statement of "how I want to ride."
Every Bend Is Also a Trace of Failure
Let's shift our perspective a little here.
If the perfect handlebar style had existed from the start, there would never have been this many kinds.
My wrists started hurting.
My shoulders got stiff.
Long distances were hard.
I couldn't put as much power down as I expected.
Those experiences of "it didn't fit"
gradually changed shapes and angles and gave birth to new handlebar shapes.
In other words, handlebars aren't a collection of success stories,
but a history of continually correcting failures.
So There Is No "Right Answer"
There's a question we often get asked in the store.
"Which handlebar is the best?"
To be honest, there's no single right answer to that question.
What there is:
your body right now.
The way you ride right now.
Your life right now.
And for those, there's simply
a shape that's “just right for now.”
And that "just right" is bound to change over time.
That's Why We Stock So Many Handlebars
Of all the parts on a bike, the handlebar is the one closest to the person, and the one most prone to change.
Being unsure isn't a bad thing.
If anything, I think it means you're really thinking about yourself and your bike.
That's exactly why we line up handlebars in so many shapes at Circles.
Different bends, different personalities.
I think the very act of choosing is the process of finding your own way of riding.
Before it's a tool for riding, a bike is a tool you keep living with.
Maybe the reason the handlebar, right on the front line, is so free is, after all, that people are free.
Why not come and find the handlebar that feels just right for you among the ones lining the whole wall of our store?
We're always happy to hear your questions and help you figure things out.
