Which comfort/dutch style handlebar? OneOne Mike, Mary, OG V2 or something else?

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Llama

Guru
Location
Norfolk
Hello All,
I am looking at trying a more comfortable handlebar much like the typical dutch bikes or cruiser bikes, both for a more upright riding position and to put less stress on wrists. I currently have a Giant Escape 1, bars fitted are slightly angled back and are approx. 640mm wide.

Just wondering if anyone has experience of these handlebars or can suggest any in particular.

On-One OG V2 £19.99 - 25° backsweep, 6° upsweep, 680mm width, 38mm rise
On-One Mike £19.99 - 38° backsweep, ? upsweep, 630mm width, 65mm rise
On-One Mary £29.99 - 40° backsweep, ?upsweep, 645mm width, 38mm rise

I am keen to ensure that I can fit replacements without having to re-do brake lines (they are hydraulic so more disruptive than simple cables) until I'm sure I'm happy with the change. Given this it seems the Mike is the most likely to fit without requiring any adjustments (but it does have a significant rise)?

Any thoughts and advice greatly received,
Thanks!
 
Location
Loch side.
Hello All,
I am looking at trying a more comfortable handlebar much like the typical dutch bikes or cruiser bikes, both for a more upright riding position and to put less stress on wrists. I currently have a Giant Escape 1, bars fitted are slightly angled back and are approx. 640mm wide.

Just wondering if anyone has experience of these handlebars or can suggest any in particular.

On-One OG V2 £19.99 - 25° backsweep, 6° upsweep, 680mm width, 38mm rise
On-One Mike £19.99 - 38° backsweep, ? upsweep, 630mm width, 65mm rise
On-One Mary £29.99 - 40° backsweep, ?upsweep, 645mm width, 38mm rise

I am keen to ensure that I can fit replacements without having to re-do brake lines (they are hydraulic so more disruptive than simple cables) until I'm sure I'm happy with the change. Given this it seems the Mike is the most likely to fit without requiring any adjustments (but it does have a significant rise)?

Any thoughts and advice greatly received,
Thanks!

You want to relieve stress on your wrists by keeping them bent at an angle for longer periods of time? Butterfly bars are hardly the solution for that. Straight bars give you the most natural wrist position and drops the most alternative positions. Both can be set up to be more, or less, upright.
 
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Dadam

Über Member
Location
SW Leeds
I have a Giant Escape 2. I just chopped the bars down, much more comfortable and zero cost.
On mine there is plenty of length in the cables. To see if different bars would fit you could take off the grips and slide the levers out a bit more then see if there's still enough slack to turn the bars normally without binding.
 

All uphill

Still rolling along
Location
Somerset
You want to relieve stress on your wrists by keeping them bent at an angle for longer periods of time? Butterfly bars are hardly the solution for that. Straight bars give you the most natural wrist position and drops the most alternative positions. Both can be set up to be more, or less, upright.

Maybe I'm a freak, but my hands, at rest, aren't at 90 degrees to my arms.

The centre of my palms are at about 60 degrees to my arms, and, unsurprisingly, straight bars swept back about 30 degrees are the most comfortable for me.

I had properly straight bars on one bike and the unnatural angle caused me pain within about ten miles.
 
OP
OP
Llama

Llama

Guru
Location
Norfolk
You want to relieve stress on your wrists by keeping them bent at an angle for longer periods of time? Butterfly bars are hardly the solution for that. Straight bars give you the most natural wrist position and drops the most alternative positions. Both can be set up to be more, or less, upright.

Thanks for your reply, I've read that non-straight bars have advantages with regard to the ulnar nerve being in a more natural position which can reduce stress on hands and wrists. Given the low cost in switching it seems like a worthwhile endeavour to try and see
 
OP
OP
Llama

Llama

Guru
Location
Norfolk
I have a Giant Escape 2. I just chopped the bars down, much more comfortable and zero cost.
On mine there is plenty of length in the cables. To see if different bars would fit you could take off the grips and slide the levers out a bit more then see if there's still enough slack to turn the bars normally without binding.

Thanks! I'd not actually thought about chopping the bars down, that's a good shout and another thing to try.
 
OP
OP
Llama

Llama

Guru
Location
Norfolk
Maybe I'm a freak, but my hands, at rest, aren't at 90 degrees to my arms.

The centre of my palms are at about 60 degrees to my arms, and, unsurprisingly, straight bars swept back about 30 degrees are the most comfortable for me.

I had properly straight bars on one bike and the unnatural angle caused me pain within about ten miles.

@All uphill thanks for your post - can you detail which bars you use? thanks!
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
I might fit a pair of them to a friend's bike. She hates leaning forwards too much and I reckon those would let her adopt a more comfortable upright position when riding.
 

andrew_s

Legendary Member
Location
Gloucester
I also switched from straight to Mary on the previously flat bar bike, and found it a considerable improvement.

The natural, no stress hand position depends on bar width.
If you let your arms just dangle by your side, then bend the elbow to bring your hands in front of you, your hands are in a handshake position, knuckles out and thumbs up, matching a 90° sweep or the lever hoods of drop bars.
If you then move the elbows outwards away from the body, the hands rotate with the upper arm, only reaching a 0° sweep flat bar position when the upper arm is straight out, at 90° to the body.

The 38-40° sweep of the Mary or Mike handlebars is a good match for their overall width.

Dutch bikes generally come with "North Road" style handlebars, with a 70° sweep and 560 mm width, or thereabouts.

A straight flat bar only gives a natural wrist position in a full on downhill width.
 

Gillstay

Veteran
My very comfortable Dutch bike had Mary type bars. Straight bars don't work well which is why you rarely ever see them on motorbikes either.
 

freiston

Veteran
Location
Coventry
I can't get on with straight bars either.

As well as sweep angle and bar width, the reach can make a big difference to comfort. I had Surly Moloko bars fitted on my (new last year) bike and couldn't get on with them at all though I did find the horns quite comfy for when I wanted to get my head down. I replaced them with the Velo Orange Crazy bar (cut down). The sweep angle isn't remarkably different but the reach is shorter. I'm not as low down when on the horns but they provide a comfy position similar to on the hoods of drop bars*.

To my eye, the Crazy bar, apart from the horns, is almost identical to the On-One OG V2 (after deciding that I couldn't live with the Moloko, I bought the OG V2 with the idea of putting bar-ends inboard of the grips/levers but struggled to get bar-ends to go far enough around the bend of the bar - that's why I ended up with the more expensive Crazy bar - which for me is ideal except for the price).

*[edit] My drop-bar bike is a touring bike and is not an aggressive low-down fit. The tops are level with the saddle and give a fairly upright position for a drop bar bike.
 
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Oldhippy

Cynical idealist
A vote for butterfly bars, best general do anything cycling bars ever in my opinion. Especially perfect for touring and all forms of general pottering about the countryside. I'll be fitting them on my Tour de Fer at some stage.
 
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