Handlebars

What Are Bike Handlebars?

Bike handlebars (often called bike bars or bicycle handlebars) are a key part of your bike’s cockpit. They influence your riding position and affect bike control across all types of riding.

Different handlebar shapes are designed for different riding styles too. From upright comfort to aggressive, performance-focused positioning.

Types of Bike Handlebars

Flat Bars

Flat bars are the most sporty/aggressive. These are found on race Cross-Country (XC) mountain bikes and flat bar road bikes.

• Sporty riding position
• Responsive handling at low speeds/urban traffic.
• Better for climbing.
• Ideal for easy trail riding and commuting.

Riser Bars (MTB Handlebars)

Riser bars are a popular upgrade for Trail and Enduro mountain bikes. But customers also buy them to use on their hybrid or city bikes to get a more relaxed riding position.

• Rider bars come in several rise dimensions. From a low 15mm rise to a massive 80mm rise for taller riders.
• Riser bars are also wider. Their extra width delivers more stability - especially when cornering.
• Taller riders often struggle getting the front end of their bikes high enough. A high-rise handlebar will deliver better bike positioning in this case.

Drop Bars

Drop bars are used on road and gravel bikes. They have many advantages:

• Multiple hand positions. Keep your hands on the hoods for all-round control. Place them on the drops for better control descending and cornering. Or on the flats for those gruelling climbs.
• More aerodynamic riding position. The narrow front end means your surface area into the wind is less. And that equals faster.
• Designed for long-distance efficiency.

How to Choose the Right Bike Handlebars

Width

For mountain biking:

Wider handlebars provide more control and stability. Especially for high-speed, raw and technical mountain bike trails. Width is personal preference, but a common width now for Trail/Enduro it's 780mm wide. Smaller riders may use bars down to 750mm.

Use narrower bars if you're racing XC for faster steering response. Modern bar width for XC bikes is 760mm wide.

For road:

For best fitting, choose bar width based on your should width. This places your hands, elbows and shoulders on the same line.

The only exception here is if you're racing. Or you're an experienced rider that prefers to be more aerodynamic.

For gravel:

Gravel handlebars tend to (slightly) wider than road bars on the top. But as the bar curves down, gravel bars flare outward significantly more than road handlebars.

When descending or cornering, you're hands should be on the drops for better control. The extra flare places your hands wider apart, delivering more stability.

Rise & Backsweep

• Rise affects your riding position (higher = more upright)
• Backsweep affects wrist comfort and natural hand position

Material

• Aluminium: Durable and affordable
• Carbon fibre: Lightweight and vibration-damping

Leading Handlebar Brands

We stock a range of high-quality bike handlebars from trusted brands:

• Deity bars are known for their premium feel. These are performance MTB bars with a huge amount of rider input. They excel at vibration damping and being lightweight.
• FUNN handlebars are Trail and Enduro-focused designs. They are an excellent mid-range option.
• Giant handlebars are available in in road, gravel and mountain. In both carbon and aluminium. Their mountain bike bars have a limited range of sizes, especially compared to brands like Deity and FUNN.

Complete Your Cockpit Setup

Handlebars are just one part of your bike’s cockpit. Pairing them with the right components can significantly improve comfort and control.

• Choosing the right bike grips helps reduce vibration and improves handling.
• Road riders may also consider bar tape for comfort and grip on longer rides.