Why do these handlebars look so different?

The story: In 2017 Rick Sutton from Coefficient approached me and asked if I would like to test the Coefficient AR handlebar. I took one look at the design and immediately said yes. The AR was a handlebar that was very similar to a design I had in my head for many years, and someone else had brought it to life. I put these bars on my gravel bike and rode and raced them that season, and it was a great experience.

Rick informed me that Coefficient was developing a second model of bar, which would be called the RR [road race] and asked me if I would like to be involved in the design of the product. Over the next several months I had the opportunity to work with the design team at Coefficient on the RR handlebar and the final product does not disappoint.

The primary design feature of the Coefficient bars is the top design, which is both upswept and backswept, which is a design feature Coefficient has nicknamed “swope”. This design allows for a neutral wrist and shoulder while riding on the tops, which is a big step forward in handlebar ergonomics.

Most modern bars are designed in a way that puts the shoulder into a protracted, unstable position. This applies to any bar that has a straight top section. As the lateral aspect of the hands [the pinkie finger side] comes up, the shoulders rotate in correspondingly [protract], which destabilizes the gleno-humeral [shoulder] joint. This has many implications in cycling, which I have spoken about at length in my podcast.

Many modern bars have flat shaped, aerodynamic top sections. This makes the bike look cool at a coffee shop and puts a pretty solid kink in your wrist when you ride on the tops. I have heard many riders talk about how “comfortable” this is when they ride on the tops and I try not to roll my eyes when I hear this. What I see when a rider lets their wrists collapse onto the tops in this position is a sloppy posture on the bike, which is usually associated with poor core recruitment, magnification of Upper Cross postural symptoms. A neutral wrist is the most powerful, stable position for the hand to grip the bars.

Some modern bars are even built backwards, with a forward sweep instead of a back sweep, and the manufacturers have the balls to claim this position is ergonomic and aerodynamic. This is explained by nothing less than total ignorance of human anatomy and ergonomics, but it’s not the first time companies have defended their victorian era contraption arguments with complete bullshit.

Modern mountain bike bars have it half right; they are back swept, but down swept [not up swept]. Down swept means the second knuckle [pointer finger] is below the pinkie. This also pulls the shoulders into protraction, which is undesirable in a sport where shoulder stability plays a large roll in rider safety and speed. Mountain bikers offset this shoulder position with the cue “elbows out” when descending, which is a way to help a protracted shoulder have a more stable connection to an unstable surface [the handlebars on loose, rocky terrain].

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