Gravel handlebars

How to choose your gravel handlebars

One visible feature sets gravel handlebars apart from road handlebars: the drops splay outwards. That’s the flare, and it shapes the entire range.

Flare, from 10 to 36°

• 10–12° : for fast gravel riding close to road cycling. Your hands sit naturally, and you retain an aerodynamic position.
• 16–24° : the most common compromise. In the drops, your hands sit farther apart, giving you noticeably better control over rough ground without compromising handling on the road.
• 25–36° : pronounced flare (Ritchey Beacon, Spank Flare). A grip width at the drops close to that of mountain bike handlebars, for demanding gravel riding and heavily loaded bikepacking.
• The greater the flare, the more the brake hoods angle inwards : that makes sense, but it changes how the tops feel in your hands. Try it before opting for a very high flare angle.

Width, measured in two places

Gravel handlebars aren’t the same width at the hoods and the drops. The stated width is generally measured at the brake hoods ; at the drops, the flare adds several centimetres. A bar measuring 42 cm at the hoods can measure 48 cm at the drops. Use your shoulder width to choose the width at the hoods, then check what the flare gives you at the drops — that’s where downhill comfort comes into play.

Reach and drop

Gravel handlebars generally have a shallow drop (115–125 mm) and a short reach, so the drops remain within reach on a bike with a more upright position than a road bike. That lets you stay in the drops for longer, where you have the most control.

Unusual shapes

• The handlebars Redshift Kitchen Sink and Top Shelf add a rise (20–70 mm), which raises the brake hoods without stacking spacers, and some have a forward loop like an extension: designed for bikepacking and very long distances.
• The Spank Vibrocore incorporate a vibration-damping core borrowed from mountain biking, which filters out vibrations from the trail.
• Handlebars with internal routing (ENVE In-Route, FSA ACR, Ritchey Butano) require a compatible stem and headset: they work as a system, not as standalone components.
• The markings EPS/Di2 indicate a handlebar drilled to route electronic cables.

The clamp diameter

31.8 mm at the centre in almost all cases. That’s the first measurement to check, before width and flare.

To find out more: How to choose your gravel bike handlebars

See also: Gravel handlebar tape · Gravel shifters · Road bike stems