Let’s suppose you are peacefully riding your bike, and then your handlebar comes right off; now in such a situation, what can you do? Can’t you get it replaced by someone in the middle of nowhere?
Handlebars of different bikes come in a wide variety of different sizes and shapes, and each one has its own unique set of benefits they bring to the table.
Good quality handlebars have proven to increase bike stability, comfort, and reliability, and it’s essential to have a good quality bike handle to improve your bike adventures.
So, a handlebar can have any different varieties of materials designated to provide the handler different feels and experiences, and it’s really important to recognize which one is the best and which one is clearly not.
Measuring the diameter of a handlebar can give you much more insight into the exact size you need to install into your handlebar, and a bike enthusiast especially will appreciate knowing how useful this set piece of information really is, and that’s exactly what this guide is about to let’s learn how to measure handlebar diameter.
Benefits of a good handlebar
Some handlebars are responsible for providing incredible damping performance; it especially helps when you are riding through tough and rugged trails. Some good handlebars are able to absorb the vibrations better than other handlebars.
The flex pattern is important because it provides you with effective control without sacrificing strength, and that is a sign of a quality handlebar.
Lightweight handlebars have unique traits of their own, and in a sense that, of course, you don’t feel them as much, and it gets far easier to maneuver your bike and steer it in your desired direction any way you wish.
As Citybicycleco has mentioned the fact that a wider handlebar gives you incredible control, and it’s easier to steer in different directions and puts you under less pressure in general if a place has more debris and rough surfaces; you definitely need wide handlebars.
Why is there a need to measure a handlebar diameter?
Firstly, you’re saving up on so much money if you want to install all your handlebars yourself, and this skill is necessary to help you in achieving that.
Getting to know the exact dimensions of a handlebar provides you with great versatility in the sense that you can control its exact thickness, type of material you can use, and size too.
Let’s all face it there are a ton of handlebars on the market, and they have their own sizes and shapes, and if you are out there looking for one and don’t know which one to choose based on the size, you’ll be in a lot of trouble.
How to measure diameter of a handlebar?
To get started, first, we need to identify which tools are the best for measuring bike handlebars, and the simple answer is vernier caliper scales are generally considered as the best tool for measuring handlebars.
In case you can’t seem to find vernier calipers or don’t have one on hand, a measuring tape will do the trick fine as well, but it won’t be as accurate as a vernier caliper.
Method of How to Measure Handlebar Diameter
1. Place your vernier calipers in between the handlebars and keep your eyes at a defined level to avoid any human error.
2. Carefully look at the reading you’ll see on the vernier caliper and note that down, usually will be given in millimeters.
3. This will give you the circumference of the bike handlebar or any vehicle handlebar you are aiming to measure.
4. You can easily convert the millimeters to any units you prefer to have the reading in case the vernier scale is limited to millimeters.
Common Measurements of different bike handlebars
Road Bike
For a road bike, the handlebars will generally come in two clamp sizes, 26mm or 31.8mm
Cruiser bike
The cruiser bike is slightly different, and for that, usually, the clamp sizes range from 25 to 32mm in size.
Mountain bikes
Some handlebars for a mountain bike have a bulge in the middle, and that leads to a smaller clamp size of 22mm.
Perks of having different styles of handlebars
FLAT BARS
Flat bars generally help more when it comes to climbing, and the reason for this is that leaning forward becomes a lot easier.
Flat bars allow you to attach much more bike equipment like lights, auxiliary cables, or anything you prefer and are much more versatile in that sense.
Another perk you are going to get with this type of design is that it is much cheaper to buy, and it’s much lighter to the feel, which improves your overall experience as a whole.
Bullhorns
The clear advantage you are going to get with this is supreme aerodynamics, and at fast speeds, you can keep yourself much lower and have greater control over yourself.
Bullhorn bars have a very attractive design, and after installing them, you’ll be immediately drawn to their beautiful design approach.
Cruiser bars
Cruiser bars are tailor-made to keep your hands position at a natural resting position, so you won’t have to make any necessary adjustments to shift your grip.
Cruiser bars are also responsible for keeping your weight and leave a wide room at the front for an additional basket to be installed where you can keep your groceries and essentials.
Drop bars
Drop bars also provide you with incredible versatility; just like flat bars, it keeps your hand at a neutral position, and the addition of hoods also allows drops to function as “miniature” bullhorns which makes them better for climbs.
Many traditional bike enthusiasts actually prefer to use this over other bars, and the reason for that is for someone who does general biking in the city on flat roads but occasionally wants to venture into some track type of biking, drop bars very much fit the bill.
Measure Handlebar Diameter 3 Ways
Final Thoughts
We truly hope you have grasped the true knowledge of how to measure handlebar diameter, and now you can put it into practical use. This will allow you much greater versatility and control over how you customize and select your new bike handlebar and the steps you must adhere to.
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Hi, my name is Gabrielle. I have been into Automotive Industry for over 15 years. If you’re anything like me, then building, maintaining and improving your Automotive Industry/Projects is all part of the Automotive experience.
My goal with this blog is to share my experience with and help you discover new and exciting things about Automotive.