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IB14: BP4 Design Creates new Hand Positions with Unique Drop Top Road Handlebar

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bp4 handlebar 50mm drop  4 position bars (2)

Drop bars are known for providing additional hand positions when compared to the standard flat bar, but BP4 seems to be taking that notion to new heights (drops). While many companies are experimenting with different reach, bends, and sweeps, BP4 is adding another dimension to road handlebars – top drops. The admittedly strange looking handlebars drop down where a road bar would typically be flat. The resulting hand positions are claimed to be an improvement over standard bars in both aerodynamics, performance,  and comfort.

Get a grip on the BP4 Warbird next…

bp4 handlebar 50mm drop  4 position bars (1)

Using a standard 31.8mm clamping surface, the aerobar compatible bars then drop 50mm on each side creating an additional hand position. We’re told that some riders use an additional +8 degree stem to compensate for the additional drop, while others are using the bars to drop down even further than their current positions. BP4 claims in their testing they have seen decreased drag, improved breathing, and higher power output with the bars in wind tunnel testing outlined here. In addition to the measurable improvements, BP4 states that rider comfort is greatly increased as well since the new position more closely mimics the arms’ natural position.

Patented in the U.S. and Europe, the bars will first be available in carbon only, though an aluminum version is in the works. Weighing in at 208g for the 42cm, Warbirds will be available in 42 and 44cm version initially with a 40cm and 46cm on the way. Currently the carbon bars are about 8 weeks out, with retail estimated at $395.

bp4.bike

 

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vectorbug
vectorbug
10 years ago

flip em upside down for the ultimate DUI style ride

BMANX
BMANX
10 years ago

GREAT. Lets create more surface aera on the bars to slow us down even more. Great training tool maybe like runners do with parachutes.

pete
pete
10 years ago

another nominee for The Museum of Bad Bike Ideas

Rico
Rico
10 years ago

Add some tri bars bull horns to that rack of antlers. Plenty of local hero dudes in my area would ride those. Big belly? No problem, use tri bars. Gran fondo gnar gnar.

His Highness Lord Wrinkletits
His Highness Lord Wrinkletits
10 years ago

Interesting. I’d give them a try if they weren’t $400.

Ventruck
Ventruck
10 years ago

Not gonna lie, it’s not that silly of an idea. $395 and the likely need for a dorky positive rise stem turn me off. If they had a much cheap alloy offering and I had a long headtube Cervelo, yeah maybe.

fap master flex
fap master flex
10 years ago

Hopefully Salsa goes at them about the Warbird name… They need to be stopped!

wako29
wako29
10 years ago

Wow, some haters here. I actually think this is a great solution for those riders/racers that just can’t seem to ever get low enough on their bike. Of course a lower position is more aero, but I’m calling BS on their claim of increased comfort. In my experience of fitting riders, a taller position is the more comfortable one.

ObligatedToSay
ObligatedToSay
10 years ago

Wouldn’t it make more sense to tweak the stem angle to get the position?

Mike
10 years ago

Rough crowd, as with anything new there were always be push back, tested these bars @ Interbike and was able to ride on trainer in exhibitors booth. The neutral handle angle the bars provide is much more comfortable than the standard top positions as they claim. I read the performance test they provide on there site and is from a respected facility. I have been riding many years and remember when clip less pedals came about with the same push back…

scentofreason
scentofreason
10 years ago

Wow, all the haters here must only do road rides that last an hour. On the 5-7 hour rides I do, an extra hand position sounds great. Although 400 bones is on the steep side. Hope they have a ‘test ride’ program. Not going to spend that much on ‘hoping’ I like the added position…

Scott Smith
Scott Smith
10 years ago

When I see Sagan, Contador or Quintana on them then I might consider them but it would still take a lot of convincing at $400.

Cody
10 years ago

Wow, a lot of people firing off about something they have not ridden. Looks like there be some trolls in this here parts. Give an opinion when you have something of value to add instead of offering up half witted assessments. I, for one, like the idea of an extra hand position, which, if you had noticed, is in the neutral hand position. Makes sense to me.

Al Boneta
Al Boneta
10 years ago

Interbike was a sea of fat bikes and electric bikes. It’s nice to see someone come up with something new. Would I buy these bars? I’d have to try them first.

myles
myles
10 years ago

turn down for this

lawyerknowitalll
lawyerknowitalll
10 years ago

Myles,

The kids say that “turn down” means it is something you really would like because you are “turning down” your enthusiasm while you are “turned up.” For example, “I would turn down for a bicycle ride.” Please refer lil’ john’s “Turn down for what?”.

alan
alan
10 years ago

@wako29…they’re talking about arm hand comfort not back/hip comfort and the position they create does help…when riding on the tops you have to excessively pronate which causes the pronator teres and anconeus to strain, while in the drops you either over flex/extend laterally depending upon how high/low you grip the bars. The only true neutral position is to ride the hoods which is not aero…these bars fill that void. If the tops were accessible without bringing your arms internally by rotating the humerus you could offset some of the strain created but that isn’t the case on conventional bars as the forward bend gets in the way. If you stand with your arms hanging at your side and just bring them up to a 90º bend at the elbow you will naturally fit into the new bar position without having to over work any muscles.

myles
myles
10 years ago

lawyerknowitalll ,
it was the only witty thing I could think of at the time…

Ifbikes
Ifbikes
10 years ago

I think the opposite bend, bars that rise up a few inches, would have a market for those looking to get more upright on bikes with small head tubes. Probably safer than steer tube extenders.

1Pro
1Pro
10 years ago

Ifbikes definitely understands the market. BP4? not so much.

Sam
Sam
10 years ago

It should be pointed out that:
1. These aren’t really adding a position, they are just changing your positioning on the tops.
2. The bars put you in a more aero position when compared to traditional bar tops position

todd
10 years ago

Challenging the standard design drop handlebar? That’s like challenging your grandma! All of us have only experienced one type of road drop handlebar design (excluding some wider tops or aero tops designs that are on the market) but none have been totally overhauled , I commend this company for their innovation and thinking outside the box on this. Maybe they really have a game changer? Current handlebar companies can not boast the benefits they have proven in their tests, the handlebar has been for as long as I have been riding a place to hold on to the bike and never has there been a choice for a handlebar to enhance performance (other than the aerobar, that seemed to workout pretty good). Biomechanically if the human body is in a more optimized position the human body will perform better. Question everything, kudos fellas

esc8engn
esc8engn
10 years ago

“the aerobar compatible bars…” could really add a position that is taken away by most fixed elbow supports. there’s your market. (in aluminum.)

bls
bls
10 years ago

Hashajahahahaha!!!! The Freds say ‘non’ until Le Sagan is riding!! Nice!!!

Cody
10 years ago

Hey 1PRO, have you ridden the handlebars yet? No you have not. When you have, you will have a sound platform for an educated decision to share with others. Until then, silence is golden. Cheers

Velo
Velo
10 years ago

Is it compatible with the AeroWedge? This might just help him reach 60 mph.

The Goats
10 years ago

Takes a minute to figure out exactly what’s going on here but it is so exceedingly simple (and brilliant). If we can wade out of the depths of a shallow mindset and cosmetics we see nothing lost but simply an extra (better) hand position provided close in either side of the stem.

Excited to see where this goes!

Goats

t.s.
t.s.
10 years ago

When your stem is slammed and pointed down and you need to get lower…

Jeb
Jeb
10 years ago

First, what’s with all the BP4 shills on here, comedy. Second, WTF, they are just moving the Hood position down to the drop position and making the drop and top positions unusable, brilliant [rolleyes]. If you need this bar to get lower you are on too big of a frame.

rich
10 years ago

Hello everyone, I am the founder and inventor of BP4 Design. I am happy to see so much feedback on our design good and not so good. We have done extensive wind tunnel, VO2 lab testing and thousands of miles on the road, no other handlebar manufacturer can prove what we have proved (see our performance white paper @ http://www.bp4.bike). The BP4 handlebar will be ready to ship by early to mid December 2014, we will be offering a 30 day money back guarantee that if you are not completely satisfied with our handlebar you may return it for a full refund. We know there is a bit of uncertainty out there so this is the least we can do:) Please tune into NBC Universal Sports this Saturday 9/27 to view BP4 Design as a featured product @ Interbike 2014. Again, thank you all for your comments. Sincerely, Rich LaPorte

PsychoMike
PsychoMike
10 years ago

I won’t pass judgement on these until I’ve tried them…the mtb community has had alternative bars for years (like the Mary “H” bars) so I think there is lots of room for innovation in road cycling. I agree there is a lot of push back on new ideas….just look at disc brakes and the initial reactions to electronic shifting.

John
John
10 years ago

Sad thing is… these might make a lot of the regular Fred commenters on here faster, but they’re too busy being experts.

adanpinto
adanpinto
10 years ago

It looks like nobody can express their opinion…those bar are ugly and they seem uncomfortable unless you use a +25°, 80 mm stem. And the extra position on the “new” drops is as illegal as the spinaci bars are. IMHO.

mateo
mateo
10 years ago

Wow.. awesome comments so far. I think a lot of people are missing the point (or I am).

This doesn’t seem to be about lowering position (in fact they mention swapping to a positive angle stem). The point is putting your arms in a neutral position (grasping that “drop” area of the tops), which has the side effect of bringing your elbows in, which moves them out of air flow, and into a more aero position.

So…
1) more aero (regardless of height) by bringing elbows in
2) more comfortable due to a more neutral position

Maybe great, maybe not, but interesting.

Francisco
Francisco
10 years ago

I searched the BP4 site and ‘paper’ and didn’t find drop and reach data. Sorry, but how serious are these people if they neglect to give essential fitting information?

1Pro
1Pro
10 years ago

Cody, i dont need the bloody thing cause my bike with a normal road bar fits just fine. in the current market, folks are trying to raise their reach to the tops without a massive HT., ,that was mine and IFbikes point.

therefor if one has no need to drop their reach 3″ then who the freak cares?

(deleted)

1Pro
1Pro
10 years ago

rich, wind tunnel testing? relative to what? the bar itself is like less than 5% of the frontal area of a bike+rider so what you tested was your subjects position on a given bike? i mean c’mon man.

pathetic claims.

Cody
10 years ago

Here you go Fransisco.http://bp4.bike/BP4-Whit-Paper.pdf

Cody
10 years ago

bmanx…serious? The biggest challenge for a rider is making himself/herself more aerodynamic. The bar surface area are of little significance in that matter. If we decrease surface area to the wind, we reduce drag, right? If you are in a more neutral and biomechanically aligned position, can you not deliver more power to the pedals? Answer-yes you can.

Tomi
Tomi
10 years ago

I’m not sure I understand the relevance of the wind tunnel test at the top of the bars. This is a typical climbing or chilling out position where aero is not such a big deal.

I’d prefer a bar with some sort of lightweight aero extensions. I miss the Cinelli spinaci on modern bars.

quickgeezer
quickgeezer
10 years ago

Blah, blah, blah … overboard vehemence from the “this is new I haven’t tried it but it sucks” team, as usual.

Meanwhile: “both aerodynamics, performance, and comfort” — I’ll copy edit for $15/hour BR.

BG
BG
10 years ago

I am lucky enough to have gotten a bar to ride for a couple of months here in Boulder. While everyone has different needs, different preferences and different styles of riding, this is my experience of riding them. It took me about 4 rides of an hour or more miles to get used to the drop, but once I did i really enjoyed them. I tested four of my usual routes: flats, rolling hills, flagstaff, and a 3 hour ride and rode faster on all of them. Yes it could be that I was trying to be faster on them and skew the results, yes all the conditions weren’t the same and maybe i might have been getting fitter, but for me, I enjoyed the comfort for my overall position on the bike. It felt a bit easier breathing, pedaling, and staying in a power riding position. But again, nothing scientific, just my personal preference and needs. I like them and enjoy riding with them. As with anything in our sport, let’s give new products and ideas a chance and get more people riding.

bayoukyle
bayoukyle
9 years ago

ugly as sin but look like the extra bend for a better hand spot looks great

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