Bars for fixed gear riding

[tbushnel]

I have finally purchased a used steel track frame and will be having it built up soon. I am planning to ride it on the road most of the time until track season next year. I may occasionally do some training at the velodrome in between.

My question is what would the best bar be for the road application in terms of comfort and maneuverability (is there anything else?)?. I have seen drop bars, bullhorn/pursuit, and straight bars on fixed gear bikes on the road before.

Any input is appreciated.

Ted.
:banana:

[Ray]

I have finally purchased a used steel track frame and will be having it built up soon. I am planning to ride it on the road most of the time until track season next year. I may occasionally do some training at the velodrome in between.

My question is what would the best bar be for the road application in terms of comfort and maneuverability (is there anything else?)?. I have seen drop bars, bullhorn/pursuit, and straight bars on fixed gear bikes on the road before.

Any input is appreciated.

Ted.
:banana:
It's all personal preference. I don't find myself changing position much on a fixie, and I've ended up with homemade bullhorns just from chopping up a set of wide drops and flipping them over. Wide bars are nice to have for climbing - sometimes you really have to wrestle a fixed gear up a steep hill and the more leverege the better.

-Ray

[jerk]

38cm steel track drop bars.
aluminum if you're a pussy. :D :D

jerk

(oh, and if you put brakes on it, the jerk is going to send his boston black-out buddies over to kick you in the head.)

[Too Tall]

...thats a hard one to follow Senor' I'l stay upwind fer sher.

You may find that alot of the cool kids use classic bend road bars. Serioulsy, I'm using Kestrel EMS Pros for track and ocassional road. Don't change your position alot or go radical. Tom Kellog has some good tips on his website.

[Fixed]

On my work bikes I go to that big box at the bike shop with all the cheap bars in it I look for round and I get 40's or less, makes it easy to weave thru cars.But my work bikes are cheap never more than a $100 and there is no track around here .you might want 2 bikes one for the track and one for your urban battle.It's a jungle riding a fix ed in heavy traffic or heavy weather(Jaco) it makes you feel alive be careful Bro and good luck your going to have fun Cheers

[e-RICHIE]

Bars for fixed gear riding?
here:

[tbushnel]

I appreciate the comments (some more than others :) )
Ray, I think you may have a very relevant point about leverage. There are a lot of hills between me and work, so perhaps a 42cm bullhorn bar will help.

Jerk, I guess I'll have to sleep with one eye open. I think I will buy a second bar (steel drop of course) for the track though.

TT thanks for the tip about the Spectrum website - I'll check it out. Having two bars, and thus 2 different positions may not be best. Maybe as I get stronger, the leverage issue won't be such an issue and I can convert to the drops all the time. I will experiment.

Fixed, "more bikes" heck yeah, but my wife may put the brakes on that for a bit, so this one will have to do for now. Maybe you can talk some sense into her :cool:

e-Titchie, what can I say. You may have the best advise of all. :beer:

Ted.
:banana:

[dvancleve]

I appreciate the comments (some more than others :) )
Ray, I think you may have a very relevant point about leverage. There are a lot of hills between me and work, so perhaps a 42cm bullhorn bar will help.


Quite a few (bigger) folks seem to like the wide Profile stoker bars (intended for tandem, 45 or 46cm wide I think)...

YMMV,
Doug

[tbushnel]

Doug thanks for the tip. I'll check it out. I am definitely on the small side, so they may be too wide. At least I have lots of room when I fly coach. :rolleyes:
Happy Sunday.
Ted.
:banana:

[Too Tall]

If you are not adverse....it is so easy to change bar/stem as a unit on fixed gear bikes that I have more than one setup...just a thought.

PS - Bullhorns are not what I'd pick for a hilly ride.