Category Archives: Handlebars

Back in Stock: Knickers and Handlebars

Posted on December 12, 2018 by

Our knickers are back in stock. They are sewn right here in Seattle in small batches, which can make it difficult to keep them in stock. Now all sizes are back. Inspired by the clothes worn by the stylish Japanese … Continue reading →

Posted in Clothing, Handlebars | 1 Comment

Handlebars: Wide vs. Narrow

Posted on April 17, 2018 by

One of the hardest parts of bike fit is the width of the handlebars. There are many recommendations, but not all make sense. For decades, racers have been told that handlebars should match the width of their shoulders – but … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycle Quarterly Back Issues, Handlebars | 44 Comments

BikeRadar Reviews the Compass Handlebars

Posted on December 11, 2017 by

At Compass, we design our components over thousands of miles on the (often rough) roads we ride, so we have full confidence that others will enjoy them as much as we do. Still, we were pleasantly surprised when the world’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Handlebars | 5 Comments

Why Handlebar Shapes Are Important

Posted on January 13, 2017 by

Riders are realizing the importance of handlebar shapes again. In recent decades, makers tried to make ergonomic shapes by flattening the bars where the most useful hand positions are located. But human anatomies vary a lot, and locking riders into a few ‘anatomic’ hand … Continue reading →

Posted in Handlebars | 42 Comments

Compass 31.8 mm Randonneur Handlebars

Posted on May 27, 2016 by

We are glad to offer our Compass Randonneur handlebars with a clamp diameter of 31.8 mm (for modern stems), in addition to the 25.4 mm model we introduced last year. These handlebars have been very popular, and for good reasons. They support … Continue reading →

Posted in Handlebars | 28 Comments

Carbon and Leather

Posted on March 22, 2016 by

The Bicycle Quarterly‘s Specialized Diverge test bike came out of the box all black. Specialized’s photo (below) makes it look like a shadow, but when I saw the actual bike, I found quite unappealing. Everything looked like it was made from plastic. I dreaded taking … Continue reading →

Posted in Handlebars | 52 Comments

Compass Randonneur Handlebars

Posted on September 16, 2015 by

Handlebars are one of the most important parts of your bike. As one of the three “contact points”, the handlebar shape determines whether you are comfortable on the bike or not. After every Paris-Brest-Paris, numerous cyclists complain about numb hands. … Continue reading →

Posted in Handlebars | 81 Comments