Handlebars

Once your stem and seatpost is positioned correctly, you are not going to interact with it much.  Road-Bike, or 'Drop' handlebars are a different story because they come in many shapes and sizes, and cyclists individual preferences can vary considerably. 

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Like stems which are often supplied too long for the bike size, handlebars are often too wide, so it is most likely that we will trial narrower bars, especially if you are a road bike cyclist looking for a more aerodynamic position.  Flat bars fitted to mountain bikes are a much simpler story and if we do find they are too wide, we can cut them down for you.  Most cyclists are stunned at home much better a 40cm bar feels than the 42cm one their bike was  fitted with.​

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The narrowest drop bar width is typically 36cm centre to centre and its worth bearing in mind that stability and climbing ability is reduced once you get below that width.

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The rise of the Gravel Bike has started a trend towards drop bars which flare outwards as they transition from the hoods to the drops. The thinking here is that this provides a more stable position with improved access to the brake levers.  On the flip side, it also means that your most stable and brake-able position is also your lowest position which is not optimal for weight distribution.  Its an exciting area for development and I've trialed several set-ups myself, with no firm conclusion on which is best.  As usual, the answer to "which is best" is "it depends...".

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Flared bars are now becoming more popular on road bikes as well, especially where an aerodynamic position on the hoods is desired.  Its impossible to stock all the different variations of bar available so if there is something you particularly want to try, please let us know or  bring it with you.

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Because removing bar tape and levers can be a long and involved process, when we trial a different bar, it will be fitted with brake levers and bar tape and then there is the option of you buying a bar and tape from us to be fitted during your bike fit (time permitting) or you can purchase elsewhere afterwards safe in the knowledge that you know what size you need.