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

[Llama]

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!

 

[Yellow Saddle]

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.

 

[Dadam]

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]

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.

 

[Llama]

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

 

[Llama]

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.

 

[Llama]

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!

 

[All uphill]

Sure, these work well for me:

https://www.balfesbikes.co.uk/compo...CVlfTZUpkzfQuhBfnjmgDN9Ipp-2wiMRoCBpgQAvD_BwE

 

[ColinJ]

Sure, these work well for me:

https://www.balfesbikes.co.uk/compo...CVlfTZUpkzfQuhBfnjmgDN9Ipp-2wiMRoCBpgQAvD_BwE

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.

 

[MichaelW2]

I switched my straight MTB bars for
for On-One Mary.
MTB style straight bars do put rotational stress into your arms and it can affect the elbows or wrist. Marys unwound all of that stress. I cut mine down by 1cm each side and fitted Ergon grips.

 

[andrew_s]

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.

 

[Llama]

Thanks for the advice everyone, I have ordered an OG V2 to get started with, I suspect I will be adding the Mike and maybe Mary soon...

 

[Gillstay]

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.