Drop bar v. Flat bar road bikes

[Cataboo]

Most road bikes can be either aggressive or relaxed in position.

If you post a picture of your triathalon bike, we could probably tell you whether you could change your handlebars and get a higher angle stem to bring your handlebars up higher. You can get steering tube extender things as well to move the handlebars up higher.

That's probably going to be your cheapest option vs. getting a whole new bike.

For a flat bar road bike - if you're doing a really long ride you may find that a flat bar on a road bike does not have enough hand positions so your hands may go numb or have other issues. Some people buy them and love them - others buy them, and within a few months to a year want to get a road bike for more hand positions or need to change the handlebars to something else. So you can usually do trekking butterfly style bars or soma sparrows on flat bar road bikes and still use the same shifters.


For regular road bikes - a more relaxed fit or a more touring fit bike will put you more upright. Someone should be able to adjust the stem angle and such like that to put you more upright on a bike - You are looking to go for something that has your saddle about even with the handlebars vs. something with your saddle sticking way up higher than the handlebars. Just go test ride a lot of bikes to find that - sometimes it's the size you choose that makes the difference.

I use the fsa carbon k-wing handlebars, which if you look at them, they sort of curve upwards from where the stem connects, which gives you a bit more riser, and then has a nice flat area to hang on to, dips a little to the hoods and has the drops underneath - but I generally sit pretty upright and just hold onto the flat bar section. So handlebar choice may play a big roll for you.

[DebW]

If you want to buy a flat-bar almost-road bike, look at the Trek FX series.

[mtngoat]

Also look at the Specialized Vita - I have a Specialized Vita Comp on order - can't wait - should be here around beginning of May!