You could also use older style drop bar brakes and install them on the top end of your bars if there is enough room for them. THESE ARE THE TYPE OF HANDLEBARS THAT PEOPLE LOVE ON THEIR BIKES AS ITS MORE LIKE THE DUTCH HOLLAND TYPE VERY UPRIGHT RIDING POSITION. After converting the road bike to single speed, I did not need the brifters, so I bought some wide-sweep handlebars and added hand brakes. About a year ago I converted my 82 Schwinn World Sport Road Bike with these VO Postino Bars and love them.

Having experimented recently with drop bars, trekking bars (of a sort) and upright bars (Albatross shape), one observation I have is a caution for those who still ride at speed regarding braking with the swept bars. Most brake levers allow to adjust the reach of the lever, in case you have trouble comfortably reaching for them. The riding position is not only higher, but also respects the natural curve of the back and the padded seat ensures optimal comfort. These bikes have a surprisingly tall frame, which allows the rider an excellent view of the road in front of them.There are plenty of ways to set up drop bar levers such that they are awkward to use, and reach can be an issue.

Aesthetic - The Dutch style is one of the biggest draws to this style of bicycle, so it’s well worth getting a frame that you’re excited about. Remember that theNetherlands is flat – if you live in a hilly city, a heavy steel frame with no gears may not be all that practical. I currently have a cheap, battered down touring bike that is nevertheless doing the job surprisingly well, and I think it can work for quite some time more with the proper maintenance.Your stem is also pretty vertical, which means you don't have many options for bringing the bars closer with a shorter stem. OTOH, when you are going fast downhill with curves and bumps and all the other things that actually happen in riding, there is a safety factor to a braking position that resists your momentum as the bike slows. I have the feeling, that with a curved handlebar my hands are in a much more natural position and I surly don't have to "look up" as I do on my tour bike.

These have a width of 525 mm and a stem height which is quoted as 300 mm but which I measure as 280 mm.When you brake on the swept back bars, your hands are not pushed into the bar, as is the case with drop bars and (relatively) straight bars. To me (and, I think, most cylists), a touring bike is a drop-handlebar bike similar to a racing bike, but with more relaxed geometry, mounts for racks and fenders, and longer seat-stays so that your heels don't hit your panniers. It's good for a low position, but makes it difficult to achieve a comfortable position for utility usage. If you install those handlebars upside down (flipped left to right, NOT simply rotated on the stem so you'll have to remove it from the stem and swap the brake hoods left and right), it will look like a drop bar and put you in a more aero position while preserving the sweep (which is good for your hands).

I don't want to do this, not because I can't afford it, but because I park my bike in the street all the time, and bike theft is a thing here, not a rampant problem, but it happens. Instead of the lateral dynamo of today, a hub dynamo usually operates the lighting system, but this concession to modern technology is a welcome one. I can't ride drops -- my neck don't bend that way no more -- and straight bars pound the hell out of my wrists.Whether you're going out for the weekend or cycling across continents, bicycletouring is a community of individuals who share this passion. I'm tempted to put an Albatross or Dutch-style handlebar on it -- something with a substantial amount of flat bar as well as swept-back grips so I can vary hand position. I am not 100% what the original poster of this answer meant with his answer so if the picture doesn't match his idea his/her input would be greatly appreciated, please let me know). Bicycles Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people who build and repair bicycles, people who train cycling, or commute on bicycles.