Design Goals
The design goals of handlebars varies depending on the intended use of the bicycle. Common to all bicycles:
- Providing the necessary leverage to steer the bicycle.
- Proper positioning of the rider's hands according to the purpose and style of the bicycle.
- Providing a mounting platform for brake and gear levers as well as various accessories.
Racing/touring and triathlon bars have additional goals:
- Enabling the rider to assume an aerodynamic position.
- Enabling the rider to change hand and body positions during long rides, preventing fatigue.
- Enabling aerodynamic routing of brake/gear cables.
Mountain bike handlebar design goals have less focus on aerodynamics, more on negotiating terrain:
- Providing enough control to manoeuvre the front of the bicycle over obstacles.
- Being strong enough to withstand the extra forces generated in some activities/crashes.
- Optionally: not significantly increasing vehicle weight.
BMX and dirt-jump bike bars have similar needs to mountain bikes, with the added incentive of allowing even finer control, such as specific handling during the time the bike is airborne or during certain manoeuvres.
Read more about this topic: Bicycle Handlebar, Design
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