Just noticed I’ve never heard them discussed here. Surly basically invented them and called them the Corner Bars, but given it’s “bits of metal pipes” you can get some without the name branding now. They’re supposed to give you like a drop bar-esque experience except without changing out all the controls and most likely drivetrain, so if you ever wanted to try one, maybe this is interesting for you. You might have to readjust some cables or hydraulic lines.
I post this here because I feel like “how do I convert my flat bar into a drop bar” is a very common question in the bicycle world and while it is possible, it is often sort of not very advisable unless you like wrenching on your bike
I haven’t tried this style of bars, but I’d like to give them a try.
I’m a fan of ‘crazy bars’ that are sort of a similar idea. They’re slightly swept flat bars with bullhorn ‘hoods’. The design provides many options for adjusting posture to fit different situations of surface/climbing/descending etc. And they often can fit standard flat bar controls, and some even can fit dropbar controls on the bullhorns as well.
VeloOrange made the first version (and a new updated version), but Koga also makes a similar style (called ‘Denham’) that has been ergonomically tuned for touring. You can also fashion a similar setup with bolt-on bar ends (sometimes called inner bar ends) on almost any wide flat bars. SQlabs makes these ergo ones (https://sqlab-usa.com/collections/innerbarends), but there’s lots of cheaper options too.
This article covers the design details of the Koga Denham bars in the context of all-road touring: https://www.cyclingabout.com/koga-denham-bars/
should that first “not” in the title be a “now”, or maybe removed?
They’re drop bars that aren’t really drop bars, so not drop bar drop bars
I noticed that was a confusing mess but also I don’t know how to better describe it to the uninitiated
Dropbar-esque?
Flatbardrops?
Dropflats?
Flatdrops?
Flat bars have a 22.2 mm (7/8″) grip area diameter.
Road (“drop”) bars have a 23.8 mm (15/16″) grip area diameter.
So the CornerBars have 22.2mm grip area diameter with dropbar-like geometry.
Sorry, I don’t make the rules
Dawg you read my mind. I was just thinking I wanted to switch to drop bars from flat bars, but then I was like, shit, then I’d have to go get new shifters and brake levers too…
I love my bullhorns
Drops are the best for riding in traffic. They’re narrower so you can get past cars easier.
Look for a gravel bike instead of a hybrid if you’re getting a bike. Start out with drops straight away and avoid doing a conversion
