Gravel handlebars: the best 11 and some tips

Gravel handlebars: a short foreword

It's a fact: gravel bikes are taking the scene among two-wheelers. Coming from road bicycles, they're convincing more and more cyclists to fly over off-road gravel roads, more or less technical ones. Not only gravel bikes are slightly different, but also gravel handlebars compared to road bicycle handlebar differ in the handlebar shape.

In Leonardo's article about bicycle handlebars, there are two main features helping your comfort on the saddle, and the same two are valid for gravel bars: hands positioning in order to avoid fatigue and tingling resulting from the median nerve compression, and the ideal position, which you can obtain from a visit at a biomechanic or by adapting your bicycle after many tries.

In this regard, my suggestion is to choose the handlebar width depending on the shoulders width, in order to avoid tinglings.

How to choose your gravel handlebar

Let's get closer to the terms used to describe gravel handlebars, the technical terms and features in order to list the best gravel bars.

There are six main features in (gravel) handlebars:

Gravel bars width

Actually, it would be more correct, in this case, to talk about widths, since there are two parameters to consider. The first is the total width of a gravel handlebar which is measured as the horizontal distance between the axes of the two extremes (red line), unlike the width of the handlebar (blue line) which represents a partial but reference value for manufacturers (from now on we will only use this value).

Clearly, the wider the handlebar is, the more stable riding will be achieved, even at fast speeds.

Gravel bars drop

The drop is nothing more than the vertical distance between the axis of the upper stem and the axis of the lower end of the handlebar. A very small drop facilitates the cyclist in preventing back pain caused by a too pronounced arching of the trunk when passing from the high to the low position.

Gravel bars reach

Reach is the horizontal distance between the axis of the upper stem and the axis of the forward end of the handlebar. Again, a reduced reach facilitates a quick movement of the hands from the low grip to the brake levers.

Gravel bars flare

The flare or curve is one of the most evident characteristics that differentiate gravel handlebars from the classic bend of a racing handlebar. Basically, it represents the opening angle towards the outside of the lower ends of the handlebar. This configuration allows the cyclist to have a secure grip and greater control of the vehicle on rough terrain, in favour of driving comfort and stability. 

On the other hand, the flare affects a little on the aerodynamics and therefore on the performance which is a secondary parameter in gravel bikes and gravel bars.

Gravel bars backsweep

In gravel bars, the backsweep, not present in all models, is a sort of backward angle of the upper handlebar stem. This favours a slightly more comfortable position of the hands and - more importantly - a little less tiring for the wrists.

@Ritchey

Gravel bars rise

The rise is the vertical distance between the stem and the grip of the hands on the upper stem of the gravel handlebar. The higher the rise is, the more comfortable the position will be as the wrists will be loaded less in favour of the well-being and less fatigue of the wrists themselves.

@Specialized

Best gravel handlebars for your adventures

Well, the time has come to list the best gravel handlebars for your adventures, also paying attention to Italian manufacturers. The selection criterion is essentially based on the concept of providing a fairly wide range of models currently on the market according to the different combinations of the parameters listed above and the most suitable contexts of use.

Easton EA50 AX

This first among the best gravel bike bars is an aluminium alloy handlebar with a width between 400 and 460 mm depending on the models, a 120 mm drop, an 80 mm reach and a 16° flare. It is a compact handlebar and easily manageable in the grips, even if in the narrower model the control with the hands resting on the horns could be a bit compromised, in addition to the little space to house a bikepacking handlebar bag.

For more info visit Easton's website

FSA A-Wing AGX

This handlebar is made of both aluminium and carbon. It has a width between 420 and 480 mm depending on the model, a 121 mm drop, an 88 mm reach and a 15° flare, all parameters that allow it to guarantee good driving control on mixed terrain. In addition, postural comfort is also improved with a 2.5 mm rise.

For more info visit FSA's website

Lauf Smoothie

This handlebar, made of carbon fibre and glass fibre with the aim of ensuring rigidity and absorbing the vibrations induced by use on dirt, has a width between 400 and 440 mm depending on the model and therefore a bit limiting, a consistent drop of 125mm, an 80mm reach and a 16° flare. In favour of driving comfort and more relaxed arms, a 3° backsweep is introduced.

 For more info visit Lauf's website

Salsa Woodchipper

Let's go on with our best gravel bike bars with Mr. Woodchipper, maybe the most appreciated by cyclists on gravel and adventure bikes could not be missing. The structure is unmistakable: width from 420 to 460 mm, drop from 114 mm, very compact reach with its 56 mm, a flare of 25° and therefore the handlebar is decidedly open, very pronounced outsweep of 38°. Also available in the carbon version, this handlebar allows you to house Anything Cradle and aero bars on a clamping area of ​​120 mm (140 mm for the carbon version). A distinctive feature is the slight downward inclination of the gear lever and brake lever.

For more info visit Salsa's website

Bombtrack Beyond 

Aluminium alloy handlebar with variable width between 420 mm and 460 mm, 115 mm drop, 85 mm reach and 30° flare. Ideal for offroad thanks to the very wide shape, the brake and gear levers very open for a comfortable handlebar grip and a large space for a large handlebar bag.

For more info visit Bombtrack's website

Curve Walmer

This gravel handlebar is available in various widths, from 460mm to even 600mm, among the widest on the market. The accentuated width makes it possible to change the position of the hand several times, preventing tingling and discomfort on the wrist, guaranteeing more effective control of the bike, especially when loaded and improving off-road driving stability. In addition, such a wide handlebar offers plenty of space to house a bag, a light, a GPS device, etc. All features guaranteed by well-balanced parameters: 110 mm drop, 60 mm reach, 29° flare and 7° backsweep.

For more info visit Curve's website

Ritchey WCS Beacon

Aluminium alloy handlebar with a width range between 400 and 460 mm but with a very low drop (80 mm) and reach (65 mm) values ​​in favour of driving comfort. In addition to a 4.5° backsweep, the peculiarity lies in the 36° flare, a very high value compared to the most common gravel handlebars.

For more info visit Ritchey's website

Specialized Hover

Aluminium alloy gravel handlebar with a width between 380mm (very small value) and 460mm. With a drop of 103 mm, a reach of 70 mm, a flare of 12°, riding on dirt becomes stable and effective. By adding a 15 mm rise, comfort will certainly not be lacking.

For more info visit Specialized's website

Surly Truck Stop

Another widely known brand in the world of cycle tourism, which offers an aluminium gravel handlebar between 420 and 480 mm in width, 114 mm drop (average value), 68 mm reach and 12° flare. A 30 mm rise for a more relaxed riding position completes the geometry.

For more info visit Surly's website

Redshift Kitchen Sink

This particular model among the gravel handlebars is available with or without aerodynamic loop (the latter suitable for endurance). With a variable width from 440 mm to 500 mm, a drop of 110 mm, a reach between 65 and 70 mm and a flare of 25°, comfort will surely be rewarded. Furthermore, with a backsweep of 7° and a rise of 20 mm, an even higher level of comfort associated with efficiency will be reached, especially on natural terrain. At the lower ends can be inserted knobs with an ergonomic grip.

For more info visit Redshift's website

In support of this list, I want to include an additional gravel handlebar, more particular than the others, perhaps more extreme but worthy of further study, also because it is from an Italian brand.

Deda Gera

The Italian brand Deda Elementi offers a high-end gravel handlebar in carbon with internal cable routing. The particular shape makes it suitable for competitive use on endurance courses, but nothing prevents you from being able to use it even at an amateur level for your own adventures. Three widths are available, from 440 to 480 mm, with different possibilities for positioning the hands. A 100 mm drop allows quick movement of the hands from the brake and gear levers to the low position, while a reach of only 40 mm allows a very close position to the brake levers. 16° flare, 12° backsweep and 7 mm rise complete the geometry.

For more info visit Deda's website

This was our list of the best gravel handlebars on the market. What is your favourite gravel handlebar out there?