I've been on a quest to find the perfect bars for my track bike since I started riding. I've tried the lot: Road drops, risers, track drops. And so, the only other bar left was the 'bullbars'.
Normally I'm happy with my Nitto track drops. They do take a little getting used to at the beginning. In fact, only on my third or forth ride did I finally leave them on my bike for longer than an hour. Naturally, they are not intended for road use, and so the only real comfortable position is down on the drops. The curve of the bar makes it difficult to get a nice grip as it pushes your wrists outwards, and climbing is a nightmare, but after a couple of rides your hands, wrists and arms start to settle in. Of course, whats also important about the track bars is that they look great on your bike. (Don't let any fixed gear rider tell you that they don't care about the look of their bike!) Track bars give your bike that nice classic look.
Saying that track bars are not great for longer rides is a bit of an understatement. I've done several runs lately of 50+ miles and I have to tell you that it's not my legs that are hurting the most when I get home, it's my wrists, arms and shoulders. I know there is more to this that my choice of bar, but it would help greatly if I had more hand positions to chose from.
So, the Bullbars it is then.
Again, it has taken me quite a few rides to get into these bars. It took me a while to get used to the look of them on my bike and the way they throw you so far forward on your bike is strange at first, but, like the track bars, after persevering they begin to grow on you. They not only offer you a few more hand positions, which is terrific for long runs, when you are climbing, up out of the saddle, it almost feels like you have another gear as your body is thrown so much further forward.
I've ridden about a 1000 miles on these Airwings, and so far I'm more than happy with them. I've yet to find a good hand position for solid trackstands (I had my worst ever result in a trackstand comp the other week!) and fucking about doing backward circles and various leg over skid combos.
Again, it has taken me quite a few rides to get into these bars. It took me a while to get used to the look of them on my bike and the way they throw you so far forward on your bike is strange at first, but, like the track bars, after persevering they begin to grow on you. They not only offer you a few more hand positions, which is terrific for long runs, when you are climbing, up out of the saddle, it almost feels like you have another gear as your body is thrown so much further forward.
I've ridden about a 1000 miles on these Airwings, and so far I'm more than happy with them. I've yet to find a good hand position for solid trackstands (I had my worst ever result in a trackstand comp the other week!) and fucking about doing backward circles and various leg over skid combos.
