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I need to replace my commuter bike with something a bit more working as opposed to the current something always needs fettling one. I'm looking at a sonder Camino. It's available as either a drop or flat bar option and I'm struggling to figure out which is "better".
The current commuter has drops which i rarely use (I'm on the hoods probably 70%of the time, flats 20% and drops maybe 5%).
I do like the option to move my hands about on longer trips and I'm likely to end up doing various touring bits on the bike (so commuter is maybe a bit disingenuous).
I think my main concern about flat bars on a bike like the Camino is they look a bit odd to me.
My commute varries from all tarmac to mostly bridleways depending on my mood and the weather.
Other than price (marginal) is there a benefit to flat bars that I'm missing?
Road bars are about aero and comfort yes. Less control off road.
Commuter bike, so more likely to be used in bad conditions?
if you drop (ie, fall off) a bike with flat bars, the sti units are inboard a bit, so less likely to be damaged,
drop bar sti are often the first (or only) bit to be damaged.
however, being able to change hand position can make the difference between enjoying or enduring a very long ride. My mate goes flat bars all the way, but I prefer to always have something with drop bars, just in case i do go for a really long ride.
Flat bars with ergo grips and maybe some stubby bar ends?
there’s no right or wrong way.
Flats do offer more control but I personally find drop bars fine on the kind of terrain that I would ride my drop bar bike on - if that makes sense. Once it gets too gnarsome for drops then its probably MTB time.
You can also look at some flared style drops (couple of recent threads on these) which are wider, shorter and flare-ier so should offer a bit more control.
there’s no right or wrong way
Please tell me that's Photoshop Hols! (Or Tj's first in 45 years, non marketed non lifestyle linked purely random purchase).
I'll take a look at the flared ones, I've seen some in the wild but had no idea what they were though remember thinking they looked a good compromise.
As with many things bike.. 'it depends'!
My commute is very urban road albeit with a few off-road (parks, tracks, cycle lanes etc..) embellishments I can add. I commute in my work clothes, so usually jeans/chinos/smart trousers and shirt/t-shirt. I find the more upright position of a CX style bike with flat/riser bars and short stem to be the 'preferred' bike for urban short rides. It's fun, flickable, upright so a good view over traffic.
It's also been a drop bar bike too - and for commute I much prefer the flat bars. It was for sale up until last week when I thought it worth trying out as a flat bar which I'd been meaning to do for ages.
It's a hoot!
If your commute is long, and/or the bike is also used for longer weekend rides etc... then I'd probably have gone drop bar, but would prefer to ride it in proper cycling clothes.
Smile on my face everytime:-
If your commute is long
That's the thing. Direct it's about 14k each way, at this time of year though it's often longer especially on the mtb (as the tracks are a bit too rough for the current road bike, hence looking at something like the sonder) i get up to about 40k on the way home. Hardly epic but it's enough a few nights a week.
I've recently built a couple of long-distance/gravel/all-road kind of bikes for myself and my partner (ex, perhaps -- that's an unnecessary tangent though)
Flat bars on them both, budget Jones-like bars, On One Mary's and Titec H-Bars.
For both of us this has been far better for all-round riding than drops, much more stable off-road.
One thing to consider with that Sonder is unless I am mistaken it looks like the same frame with a different build kit. So assuming it has been designed around drops with a standard 80/100mm stem then its going to feel short as flat bar.
Fwiw I commute 18 miles each way, twice a week on a Kona paddywagon that I have put a set of flat mtb bars on. I prefer it to the drops it came with although I have wrapped the centre part of the bars inboard of the brake levers with bar tape to give me a different place to put my hands. I just don't get on with drops.
Also, how about the Cotic Roadrat or Escapade as an option? At least the frame is designed around the bar type. I just wish they made the roadrat in an XL 🙁
It'll need to be an XL for me too and ultimately the sonder is in price range but i doubt the cotics are (I'll be honest I'd like another £50 bike for commuting so even the 6-700 is painful).
Fair point well presented re the length with a flat bar. (And i never thought of taping the middle of a flat bar, sounds like witchcraft)
I've ordered some 600mm flats and Ergon style bar ends. I'm thinking the narrow bar and bar ends will simulate riding on the hoods. Hope I'm right.
Flats for me. Drops are a historical accident. Think cigarettes.
I had flared drops on my PX London Road for a couple of years of mixed road and gravel 26 mile each way commute.
Like the OP I rarely if ever used the drops. A few months ago I swapped back to a 580mm flat bar with barends. It is so much nicer now and I still have a choice of hand positions (and I can use proper hydraulic disc brakes too).
I think the Camino comes with the Bomber drops which aren't typical 'road' style drops. I have them on my cross/gravel bike and the flare and shallow drop makes them quite useful off road.
Lots of hand positions too, but ultimately I think they do look a bit odd with flat bars. My cross/gravel bike came with either. I chose flats as I'm predominantly a MTBer, never got on with them and then stuck the bombers on. Much better and they look cooler!