When it comes to choosing the best gravel handlebars for your bike over the past few years, the choices will be limited to the world of road bike handlebars.However, gravel riding is a versatile discipline, and as its popularity has grown, so has the brand’s understanding of rider needs.
Although it has been an evolving discipline for much of the past decade, there is still no unified definition of what a gravel ride should look like.For many, the best gravel bikes provide a steed for the bike commute, battling rough roads and rain before a weekend ride.For others, it takes a long time to venture out for miles, sometimes those miles mean group rides and sidewalks, sometimes not.Usually, those miles mean gravel, double track, or even a little single track.Fiber Cable Clamp
What can be agreed is that there are few limits to gravel riding, and the bike is the vehicle that makes the adventure possible.The best road handlebars don’t always meet the requirements, so brands have started to roll out gravel-specific handlebars to meet the various needs of their customers.
The best gravel handlebars are available for everything from bike packers looking to add room to a handlebar bag to off-road enthusiasts looking for a handlebar that flares out for added control.Others remain more civilized in appearance and simply provide maximum damping for rough terrain.
No matter what kind of riding you do, changing the handlebars can change the way you ride, so keep reading to see our list of the best gravel handlebars available today, or skip to the bottom to learn more about how to choose .
Almost every modern road bike is aerodynamically optimized.When it comes to gravel bikes, less attention is paid to aerodynamics, but that is starting to change.As gravel racing becomes more popular, aerodynamic optimization becomes important.Aerodynamic handlebars also make sense if you’re using the same bike for road and off-road use.If you want to keep the internal routing and the winged style on top but pair it with a flared drop, there aren’t many options.3T Aeroghiaia offers options that meet the requirements.The design also places the controls perpendicular to the road, which helps improve road performance and style.
Ritchey offers the WCS VentureMax handlebars in carbon or alloy versions.There are two main differences between the two.The carbon fiber option adds some internal wiring and saves 42 grams compared to triple-butted aluminum.In addition to these differences, there are a few small differences in the specs, but all the big strokes are the same.In both cases, the plane remains elliptical, and the flare remains a generous but not exaggerated 24 degrees.You’ll also find a subtle swept back on the flats, although the carbon version is a bit straighter, at just 4 degrees.The defining bio-bump in a drop is whatever material you decide to use.
Shimano was the first to recognize what a gravel bike needs a specific kit to complement.It only makes sense that its accessory brand, Pro, created a handlebar to complement the kit’s design.But it’s not just an option.The Pro has flare options of 12, 20 and 30 degrees, ranging from mild to really wild.If 20 degrees is a good number for you, the carbon fiber version saves 55 grams and adds a little extra shelf space in the top corners.That little extra space is the perfect place to relax your palms during a long day of riding.
Roval is a company that understands going out all day and transitioning between paved and unpaved riding.The focus of Roval Terra handlebars is to keep your hands and arms comfortable no matter what position you take on the handlebars.The purpose of the flared drop is to add an extra wide spot when you need stability.If that drop is too low for you to get into the location, then it’s less usable.The Roval Terra and its low 103mm drop mean you can choose whatever position is best for the terrain without worrying about your back.
Bontrager GR Elite Road handlebars have only a small 13-degree flare so they won’t look out of place no matter what bike you’re pairing with.What sets them apart is their focus on vibration damping.Nothing makes for a more comfortable ride than padding your bars.To that end, there’s an option to add padding after the fact, but that can mean odd lumps in the wrapped bars.Bontrager makes room for the cushion and then pairs it with a cushion that fits perfectly in the space provided.Once you wrap the bar, the traditional round is what you see, and the filling remains your secret.
Modern bike design dictates that the primary riding position for most people is against the hood.SRAM and its Zipp brand responded by making the Zipp Service Course SL 70 XPLR a hood-first design.The clamping area has a small three-degree backsweep and five-degree flare.That little flare keeps the controls vertical with just a small angle that helps with wrist position.To make the drop wider for more control, there is an 11 degree camber angle, which twists the drop outwards so that the lower part rotates instead of simply giving a ton of flare – this keeps the drop aligned but angled outwards .The end result is similar, but the path to get there is different, with the benefit of a more ergonomic hand position.If the design sounds good, but you don’t mind adding a little weight for a more affordable price, Zipp also offers the Service Course 70 XPLR with the same design.
The Surly Truck Stop Bar is another hood-first design, but the exact opposite of what Zipp offers.There is a slight forward sweep, the biggest feature being a 30mm rise from the clamping area to the flat surface.
You can use it to adjust the geometry of the bike without adding too much, but it also opens up possibilities for hand position.If you raise the hood by 30mm, you get a more upright cruising position, but it also lifts the sag by 30mm.Since the number of drops is already short, this makes flared drops almost as high as the tops of some road railings, which means they are more accessible.
The Enve Gravel handlebar is designed for the gravel racing audience, but that also makes it an excellent mixed-road option.The most notable feature is the tight bend radius at the flat ends.Very little space is lost in corners.If you clip an aero pole or light near the pole, there’s plenty of room at the top for a hand and bag.This tight bend also allows the controls to run in a straight line, creating a support area for your forearm to rest on long straights.If you decide to move down to the drop, you have plenty of room for your hands and arms to get out of the way when pedaling.
Each company has its own take on the problems their handlebars can solve.This is a very good thing because no matter what you need, there is an option.For the Whiskey and No.9 bars, the problem is that it’s at your fingertips when paired with the design of modern controls.Their reach at just 68mm is the smallest on this list.This is a very specific fit, but if you need it, use that option.Not only that, but there are tons of options available.Choose from 6, 12 or 24 degree flares, with widths ranging from 380mm to 460mm.
Carbon fiber has several advantages.The most obvious is the lighter weight, so if you want to save grams, a carbon handlebar will do.Another oft-cited benefit of carbon is vibration damping.Road vibrations are easily transmitted through the aluminum, and switching to carbon really reduces the humming that reaches your hands.
As with carbon fiber bike frames, weight and vibration are not the only advantages, but the most obvious ones.There are other more subtle advantages.Carbon fiber is suitable for complex shapes and flexibility can be tuned very specifically.Even if you don’t care much about weight, it’s worth considering carbon fiber.
While the benefits of carbon fiber are real, that doesn’t mean it’s the only thing worth considering.Aluminum handlebars are inexpensive, work well, and are generally more resilient to the shocks that can occur in a crash.
The defining feature of a gravel-specific handlebar is often the flare.Sometimes this actually means a sweep, and different companies define the two terms differently.It’s important to understand, however, that whatever term you use, the droplet is wider than the control.
The idea behind this concept is stability.Maintaining control of the bike on a loose surface means you want to have all the control, and that can be achieved with a wider hand position.At the same time, horizontal bar bikes run long distances, and the extra wide hand position can be uncomfortable over time.To meet both needs, the gravel-centric handlebar keeps the bike on top of the fit.Wider droplets only allow for a second position if you need it.
The answer depends on your riding habits.The bigger the flare, the wider your hands will be when riding downhill, which means more and more limited leverage to the front wheel, and therefore more control.The trade-off, however, is that broader positions will be less comfortable for a long time to come.
If your gravel rides typically include brief, rough descents, a wider bar might add to your ride.However, if your riding is more of “light gravel” and high average speeds on long descents, a smaller flare will help you stay comfortable – and probably more aerodynamic – so you can be more comfortable on the descents spend more time.
A common school of thought on the best road handlebars over the years is to choose the width that is closest to your shoulder width, so for gravel riders who ride primarily on the road or smoother gravel, this is a great The starting point is the width of the hood, from there select the preferred amount of flare.
However, since wider handlebars often mean increased control, there’s a lot of room for interpretation here.If you tend to ride rough gravel and want more leverage on the front wheel, the only trade-offs at wider are aerodynamics and comfort.
Of course, keep in mind that the distance or reach to the handlebar increases as you go further, and you may want to offset this by shortening the stem.This in turn affects processing, so some balance needs to be found.
Gravel handlebars also tend to have a shorter drop and less reach than road handlebars, and the decision to keep the controls at the standard width and make the drop wider is a realization that most people don’t use the drop for most of the time.This applies not only to gravel bikes, but also to road bikes.All of these characteristics mean that the best gravel handlebar is a very comfortable handlebar for most people.
Of course, on the road, aerodynamics is a big concern for many riders, and as manufacturers begin to understand the benefits, the standard width of road handlebars is starting to narrow.But for everyone else, focusing on a comfortable handlebar makes sense on a road bike.The best enduro road bikes are becoming more and more off-road capable and able to handle light gravel, and in many cases, gravel handlebars are the obvious choice because they can handle whatever you want to do.
Even if you have a dedicated road bike, the extra comfort of a gravel handlebar design makes sense to many people.Don’t worry about labels and rules.If you want to use gravel handlebars on your road bike, choose the style of riding that works best for you.
Josh is from the Pacific Northwest, but he prefers riding in the desert to the rain.He’ll happily talk for hours about details about bike technology, but also understand that most people just want things to work.He’s a road cyclist at heart and doesn’t care if the roads are paved, dirt or digital.Although he rarely races, if you let him ride from sunrise to sunset, the answer will be yes.Height: 5’9″ Weight: 137 lbs Ride: Look 795 Blade RS, Cannondale Topstone Lefty, Cannondale CAAD9, Trek Checkpoint, Priority Continuum Onyx
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