Handlebars Explained

Bike Friday offers a variety of handlebar choices which can generally be fitted to all models according to taste. Certain shifters, however, will only work with certain handlebars. Please contact a Bike Consultant for more information. Many Bike Friday bars are split in the center for easy packing into the TravelCase. Some bars can be cut down to suit different shoulder widths.

Drop Bars: For road riding and touring. Gives the most hand positions. Many standard widths. Drop bars work with bar-end shifters (AKA “bar-cons”), or Shimano STI or SRAM Double Tap integrated shifters. Some drop bars can be split for easier packing.

Flat Bars: For mountain bike and recreational riding.  Flat bars accept twist shifters such as SRAM Grip Shift, or thumb/trigger shifters such as Shimano RapidFire click shifters. Some flat bars can be split for easier packing.

Touring “H” Bars: Bike Friday’s unique design for touring and recreational riding, these bars provide multiple hand positions, and come in a variety of widths. A very popular choice, particular for the touring models. “H”-style bars work well with twist (Grip Shift), thumb/trigger (Rapid Fire), or bar-con (bar end) shifters. Split design for easy packing.

STI Bars

STI Touring Bars: Another Bike Friday invention, this handlebar is a combination of the “H”-style bars and bullhorn bars. Although it’s specially designed for Shimano STI integrated shifters, these bars will work with a wide variety of shifters and levers. Split for easy packing.

NWR Bullhorn Bars: These are similar to STI touring bars, but with a more gradual curve designed for reverse brake levers. These bars can accept twist (Grip Shift), thumb/trigger (Rapid Fire), or bar-con (bar end) shifters, and are split for easy packing.

Cargo Bars: These bars are designed for the Haul-a-Day cargo bike, with the grip placement swept back toward the rider, parallel to the length of the bike.  This design provides lots of handlebar “real estate” for accessories such as lights.  Cargo bars are designed for twist shifters.

Tandem Bullhorn Bars: Also known as bullhorn stoker bars, this bar is rather like a drop bar with the drops cut off and the bar turned upside down. It is a popular choice for the stoker (rear rider) on our tandems.

Child Stoker Bars: A special, recreational handlebar with additional extensions for small children. A popular option on tandems.

Each of these bars works with different stems.  For more details, contact a Bike Consultant at 1-800-777-0258 (US), 1-541-687-0487 (Worldwide), or consultants@bikefriday.com.