Who here rides with the Cow Horn style handlebars?

markz

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I have tried riding two bicycles that had that type of handlebar and I just did not like it one bit.

I like a 27-30" wide, with a 5" riser. Straight across on the stem but the grips and shifters with a slight bend.
Like the Wald 8038GB or the Sunlite.

Not much selection at all between 5.25" and 8.5", though I have been able to find 8" but they wanted to much $.

This is what I was riding today, and yesterday, and the day before that. Not that exact bike, same everything, except mine had a front rack, no rear rack, a nice springy Norco seat. Its a Norco Santiago. Slightly smaller then my ole Townie Electra. About 2" length difference on the top bar and down tube.


cow horn handlebars2.jpg




Other examples of cow horn handlebars


cow horn handlebars.jpg




cow horn handlebars1.jpg
 
Urrrgh


cow horn handlebars3.jpg




Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!


cow horn handlebars4.jpg




Soooooo un-natural Sooooo sooooooooooooo soooooooooooooooooo not right


cow horn handlebars5.jpg




position de conduite française


cow horn handlebars6.jpg
 
Looks like you're showing at least two, maybe three, completely different kinds of handlebars, but calling them the same thing.

The first ones you show are sometiems called "moon" bars these days, have previously just been called "cruiser" bars.



Those
file.php

that I don't recall the name of, are essentially what I use on SB Cruiser and CrazyBike2, but they are used in a completely different position, and work perfectly for these rides, except the grip area is more "vertical" (more parallel to the bike frame) on mine.


The set on CB2 came off a Schwinn postal bike from teh 1960s or 1950s, I forget which. IIRC, the set on SBC came off a similar-age bike, I think it was also a Schwinn, with a Sturmey Archer 3speed IGH (shifter was still on the bars, came with the wheel holding the IGH).

From front of trike, pretty much like it's now
file.php


Previous setup sort of from rider view
file.php


From underneath, just prior to presetn setup, while I was rewiring things
file.php


Should be pics of teh CB2 bars in that bike's thread.
 
Does this count?

file.php


Not as much sweep as your examples, but far from a straight bar. A couple degrees less sweep would be perfect for my wrists, but they're not too bad.
 
I bought the Nitto Albatross bar for my build, but they swept back too far for me.

handlebar-alba-cromo-4_1600x.jpg


I ended up getting the Jones Loop SG 2.5. It only has 2.5" of rise, but I also used a lot of spacers on the stem to lift it up higher.

Jones-Riser-H-Bar-Loop-SG_05-1200x800.jpg


The On-One Mary bar might be a good fit for you with a tall stem to bring it up higher.

2743475354_da2335e7e1_b.jpg
 
I am have two such handlebars in my spare parts storage,
I would call them grandpa cruise bicycle handlebars.
Well to much upright riding psition for me.
 
amberwolf said:
Those
file.php

that I don't recall the name of, are essentially what I use on SB Cruiser and CrazyBike2, but they are used in a completely different position, and work perfectly for these rides, except the grip area is more "vertical" (more parallel to the bike frame) on mine.
North Road bars?

b5DGJyr2n9UtDs77PLkuFUMoU-bgqk0ZtDvpQihsAcJem7zpdYfLoZ4FTzJBmqqX78egF9wfArLQS0EWuL8r6aR5aNV6VuDmZ2Ocy0es0toN03hYySdkDdY1ctD1JZol995fcyDg4-L0QLs-ehfp2QGylN8mzPl5t73B5mezC95riQU7x2U1VgujZbcloRRGGTGtA-qrS9wAwDOAxO6K45hoheApR3YVpXIzZXF_Inewy9aXsNsFGDm2F0qU4k99is0pNXk498I5mdAagqepr8uTBn2VcfxV0tahd5IIC-vg6pOcZjnbIp-yPuCjBNR9UTcoJvNbI9StsA_j_TXDDStdN1XbAKXTj1tizVFXtsvETUKYDnyNFfVGkHeHGtF1MAWt3OeyVBA2J6EXS5Redn9vGi-BYqIPN-_c22tTlrhN-GF1Rk7u5K2O61ayF4X12WOrObuhTZwVVZe87H84PNT_zNC2bXi63vLP2CMOuuNUQx6gHXlvgRhmdpr9mtX7j3kZXtcKT45lY7ACm_5AHpFCYNQEEWN0KscE_EkSogVrKyH7pZvKhP6AphwEoRDSiP2EZ98IG6Z6ZiFlMQESRzG08CpgyngjEcSbHe_IRfU5kAV-6nS7-mpIQ8PD6b6_u24l7R1Pb0-4aW6E7sxmnHXq3eEOF8A_SIsGmWRX1AKNu3Z4cpzgoyZdtmQfe1Kp3QVSiuuxRdaxXBf67bXUENp3RotQwO1hbTYyYBV7E1d5jOY=w4160-h2340-no
 
Its getting there, but probably not as I've ridden that style o handeebar. Not awkward for me to ride that style

To each their own.

I like a slight sweep back on my handlebars.

E-HP said:
Does this count?


Not sure what to call any style of handlebar, maybe cow horn style can also be called major sweep back. Sometimes it can hit the knees, othertimes I cant turn a lot because the grips hit my stomach. I also like to hang a bag off my handlebar, the one I am riding now I have to move the knee out of the way on every pedal.

Too bad Amazon doesnt have the one I want, have to wait until Oct 26. It is a 28" wide 5.25" riser with 8 degrees back sweep and a 1 degree upsweep.
 
I like handlebars 800mm wide, 15mm rise, 8° back and 4° up. Very far from cow horn design, which I did ride on a vintage motorcycle long ago.
 
thundercamel said:
North Road bars?
Mine have much less outward angle to the grip section. (they're also much much older chromed steel).
 
Well, cows are many, and their horns of all styles.

Mine handlebars that I ride on my actual bikes:

Thomson Ti
Thomson14-Ti-rb-31.8-8d-780-2.jpg



Race Face Atlas
race_face_atlas_dh_handle_bar_1442306702_d89f6b4e.jpg


Crank Brothers Iodine
iodine-11-handlebar_960x960.png
 
That is why I named it Cow Horn style.
I ride feet forward cruisers so I like an upright riding position.
The only upside for me, for cow horn handlebars, is I place my hands above the shifters and rest my fore arms on the grips. Sometimes I will put my elbow on the grip as I am riding and hold my head. :lol:


MadRhino said:
Well, cows are many, and their horns of all styles.
 
Everyone has their preferences of handle bar styles. Sometimes I will place the handlebars too far forward, then the first curb they are all the way forward and down. Its happened a cpl times :oops:


MikeSSS said:
This is a great thread, it will help a lot of people.

Thanks to all for the pics and names of the bars.
 
markz said:
Everyone has their preferences of handle bar styles. Sometimes I will place the handlebars too far forward, then the first curb they are all the way forward and down. Its happened a cpl times :oops:


MikeSSS said:
This is a great thread, it will help a lot of people.

Thanks to all for the pics and names of the bars.

I agree, knowing the style names is helpful. I like the feel and grip angle of cafe style bars on motorcycles, so that's what I put in the search to find the ones I'm using now. Probably would have been difficult to find without that as the starting point.
 
Well if you want some more examples:

The Velo Orange Tourist is a nice set of bars that I used on my wife's and daughter's bikes.

IMGP8204_500x.jpg


Northroad style bars mentioned earlier sweep further back similar to the Albatross bars, but maybe not as much.

hb1008.JPG


These are the Nitto Mustache bars. I don't understand them, but some people like them:

870-016.jpg


This is another strange one known as bull horn bars:

Spec_Bullhorns_HandleBars_4.jpg
 
Much depends on your body position. This is greatly affected by the frame type, and how it fits your body.

I like the moon/cruiser bars on my cruiser a lot! Riding straight upright on that frame which is long in front, you need the cruiser bar just to reach the bars in an upright position.

Put those bars on most mtb's, and you will not be able to turn while pedaling. Whack your knee on it, unless you point then way up, forcing an un natural wrist position that will be bad for you on a long ride. Same thing happens to me with other types of bars that have similar sweep, but the problem is not so much the bars, as it is poor frame fit. I get lots of my height in the leg. So its a frame don't fit me issue, really.

On mtb's, it took me awhile to learn how to use a straight, or nearly straight bar with less sweep. You have to sit right, or you get wrist pain. The trick is riding with bent elbows. I had been used to riding with a straight elbow on road/racing bars. I had to learn a new way to sit the bike, to ride an mtb.

When I started commuting on mtb's, I first sought out bars with a bit more sweep that required a bit less elbow bend, and then finally settled on using BMX bars. I found those had a sweep I liked, and also had a lot of rise so I could ride even more upright.
 
I am digging the riding position of a 4" wide fatty, with my normal cruiser 5.25" rise handlebars. I just need it in black to match the bikes frame color.

I find, looking back, riding the cruiser style I tend to slouch. The normal frame geometry of a mtb or fatty with flat handlebars makes it too low, but with the 5" rise I feel its better. I may even go a little taller, perhaps 9" or 8" if I can find at a cheap price. I dont like ape hanger style handlebars that I've seen on my searches.
 
markz said:
... flat handlebars makes it too low, but with the 5" rise I feel its better...

Well, I would lower the hind, or fit a longer travel suspension on the front... or both
 
Seats already pretty low. I like a flat foot on the ground when sitting in position on the bike. I wont ride with no flat handlebars anymore. I am not as old as some, but I am old enough.


MadRhino said:
markz said:
... flat handlebars makes it too low, but with the 5" rise I feel its better...

Well, I would lower the hind, or fit a longer travel suspension on the front... or both
 
Maybe I’m the only one with this issue. My current bars and back sweep feel great for riding. I can go a long way without discomfort, riding with PAS.

I’ve been practicing using throttle lately, negotiating right turns and hills or obstacles at slower speeds, etc. The problem is that for using the throttle, the sweep sucks and I quickly develop discomfort around my thumb and wrist area.

I suspect a slightly reduced back sweep would help, but maybe this is something that will always be a compromise. Never had the issue with motorcycles, but maybe I’m just old and crotchety now.

The half throttle diameter is slightly bigger than I’d prefer, but maybe changing that would alleviate the issue as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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