Cockpit, pilot, airtime ... don't worry, you're still riding in the beautiful world of bikes - and not on a plane! Again and again we help ourselves to other divisions to describe bikes as true to life as possible. Among other things, the term "cockpit" for the bike's control center was borrowed from aviation.
Meant with the cockpit everything around the bike handlebars, so everything you hold in your hands and all the parts that help you keep your bike on course. Therefore, in this category you will find:
- handlebars for road bike and gravel bike, MTB, trekking bike and Co.
- Grips and handlebar straps, which provide a good connection between hands and handlebars
- Front stems for a good connection between bike and handlebars
- Headsets for the bike, which store the steerer tube in the head tube
Of course, brake levers and shifters also belong in the handlebar section, but you won't find them here, but in thebrakes, or theshifters.
The e-bike cockpit
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When you ride an e-bike, your cockpit gets an addition. Then the display and control are also mounted there. The display must be in sight, because it tells you your speed, the remaining range and much more. The control element is especially important because it controls not only the display, but also the assistance levels.
The ultra-clean, modern cockpit
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If you're a bit into bikes, you've probably heard the term "clean cockpit" or "uncluttered cockpit." Here, the area around the handlebars should come across as clean as possible.
Best in class in this division is the integrated cockpit. Here, the handlebars and stem are actually made of one piece. The wiring is also routed internally, so the cables disappear inside the tubes. An integrated cockpit is mainly found on high-quality road bikes and also on mountain bikes. The advantage of this tidying up is not only a perfect look. Everything that is not exposed to wind and weather simply lasts longer. And especially on the MTB, the internally routed cables can not get caught on the way. In addition, the whole thing is to improve aerodynamics.
Always everything under control: the perfect bicycle handlebar
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Just as the frame is the basis for the bike, the handlebars are the basis for the cockpit. But there is a suitable handlebar for every bike discipline. Here we present them to you briefly, much more information is available in the buying guide for the respective bike category.
handlebars for MTB
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Stability is the top priority for mountain bike handlebars. After all, when you're pedaling and leaning on the handlebars in technical terrain, a lot of weight rests on them. He must survive shocks and vibrations without premature material fatigue, and even if you take a fall, he must take it without complaint. Therefore, flat bars for MTBs are particularly robust. With a little material flex, aluminum or carbon handlebars give you a little extra cushioning
That the handlebars are particularly wide also has to do with the changing surfaces and the versatile terrain on which hardtails and fullys move. The wider the handlebars, the better you can control your bike and the road. Flat bars aren't always completely straight, either. They come as riser bars with upsweep and/or backsweep.
> Discover the mountain bike handlebars on BMO
Road Bike Handlebars/ Dropbar
We love drop bars. Do you? They contribute significantly to the distinctive look of a road bike or gravel bike. They are aerodynamic and fast. You can add a custom touch to your road bike with your choice of handlebar tape. You can reach around and change your riding position that way from edge-deep, sporty and fast to a bit more comfortable and more overview. Ok, comfort isn't really a criteria. But hey, the endorphins of the speed rush will surely console you over it.
Bicycle handlebars for Gravel Bikes have in addition to the correct swing also Flare, they are the better control because of the left and right issued.
> One click takes you to the drop bars and road bike handlebars here in the online store, handlebar tape is also available
Trekking handlebars
The most important criterion according to which trekking bicycle handlebars are built is obvious - absolute riding comfort. Anyone who sits in the saddle for a long time wants to be comfortable and, above all, pain-free on the road,trekking bike handlebars are ideally suited for this, because ergonomics is the top priority here. They usually offer you the possibility to grip the handlebars in different places, so you can vary the position of your arms in the best way and do not strain yourself one-sidedly. With handlebar horns you can still expand your selection options here. A typical trekking stem can also be adjusted without much effort in the angle of inclination, so you can change your entire seating position on the road.
> Click here to continue to the categoryCity handlebars and trekking bike handlebars
City Bike Handlebars
Flatbar, butterfly, moustache, retro or Holland - the selection of handlebars you can ride on city bikes is varied and truly flowery titled. It also doesn't matter if you don't know what exactly the shape of your bike handlebars is called, the main thing is that your handlebars meet two requirements: You have to feel like a million bucks on your bike. The bicycle handlebars also contribute to this, because they have a great influence on the seating position. With a handlebar bent backwards you sit more upright, on a straight handlebar you have to stretch more, etc. The handlebars - and this is the second point - have a direct influence on how your bike steers. Stable or wobbly, direct or more playful; for you to have a good grip on your bike in any situation in city traffic, the handlebars should give you good control over the road.
> Discover our city bike and trekking handlebars
Important when buying a bicycle handlebar:
- Of course, you must first select the handlebars to match your bike. For this you can filter here in the store for road bike handlebars, MTB handlebars or city bike handlebars.
- The clamping dimension of the handlebar says whether the handlebar fits your stem. There are bicycle handlebars with different diameters! Attention - also the brake levers have a specific clamping dimension.
- There are all handlebars in different widths. Wider handlebars provide better control over the bike, narrower handlebars mean less drag. You should also consider the width of your shoulders for comfortable riding.
- There are bicycle handlebars then still in different forms. Upsweep, Reach, Drop or Flare designate the different bends that a bicycle handlebar makes.
Bicycle handlebar troubleshooting
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If you feel that "something is wrong" with your handlebars, there's a lot you can do about it. If you have a perfectly straight flatbar, there's little wiggle room. But if your handlebars are cranked, you can try a slight twist in one direction or the other - and the position of your arms and torso will change. Thicker or thinner grips take the strain off your hands. There are also different ergonomic grips and extra comfortable comfort grips that distribute pressure better and keep your wrists from getting bent.
Bicycle gloves with a high-quality padding will help prevent pressure points, calluses or hands that fall asleep. As a last measure, you can replace the handlebars with a few simple steps.
The bicycle stem
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Somehow the handlebars must be on the bike and few cyclists think about how this works! Yet a stem can help you with problems with the neck, back or arms. How? That is quickly explained, but first we tell you what a stem is at all:
Considered roughly, the stem holds your bicycle handlebars firmly to the bike. On closer inspection, this turns out to be misinformation, because if the handlebars were attached to the bike, i.e. to the frame, the good stuff wouldn't steer. Rather, the handlebars, stem and fork form a unit, it is rotatable, only so you can steer the bike.
There are different standards of stems, Direct Mount, Ahead and threaded steerer stems are the most common.
But what does the stem have to do with comfort now?
There are longer and shorter stems. A longer stem stretches your seating position, a shorter one brings the handlebars closer to the saddle. Stems can also have a tilt angle, which raises or lowers the handlebars. So you sit more upright or flatter in the frame. Both help make your seat comfortable or sporty. Adjustable stems are especially flexible.
Withspacers you can also vary the height of the stem.
Grips and handlebar straps
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You can buy grips and handlebar tapes in all sorts of colors and thus give your bike an individual splash of color. But besides the look, the feel plays a big role here
- Handlebar tapes must be grip, so that you do not slip even with sweaty hands or in the rain.
- Of course, the materials are skin-friendly, even if every biker who spends a little more time in the saddle usually wears cycling gloves.
- Bicycle grips are available with clamping (Lock On grips) or without clamping (Standard grips).
- Both bike grips and handlebar tape you can buy with a gel insert, which will make your bike handlebar even more comfortable.
- The material should be pleasant soft in the hand, without feeling "spongy".
- The thickness of the handles adapts the handlebar to large and small hands on the one hand.
- More or less padding in the hand, however, also means a more direct feelfor the steering or a softer feel.
- But the loose-floppy material not only improves comfort, it dampens shocks at the same time.
- Ergonomic handles or comfort grips are precisely adapted to the anatomy of the hand, they stabilize it in a healthy posture and distribute the pressure over a large area, which avoids punctual stress.
The right headset for your bike
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The headset here has nothing to do with taxes to pay, it attaches the steerer tube to the frame of the bike. So that you can steer your bike, the fork remains rotatable thanks to the tax rate (bike, not tax office!). There are again different systems here, which one you have to buy depends on your frame and fork. In addition, you must note the installation dimension, so that the right tax rate then also fits. You can find here in the bike store all common bike parts such as Ahead headsets, semi-integrated or integrated headsets, Tapered and threaded headsets.
Buying the right headset for your bike is a science in itself, because they differ from manufacturer to manufacturer and each type of bike prefers different ones. Here you will find a wide selection of headsets, you can easily select the system using the filter on the left of the screen. Mostly you can see the steerer tube dimension directly in the article description, so you can quickly and easily buy the right parts.
With bike handlebars, stem, grip and headset your cockpit is ready for takeoff! You can still equip it if necessary with a bike navi, a bright battery front spotlight or even with a handlebar bag, between clean, integrated cockpit and everything-possible-in-range-plus-transistor-radio handlebars, there is plenty of room to play!
