Handlebar

Handlebars usually refer to the steering mechanism for bicycles and motorcycles; the equivalent of a steering wheel, though used in conjunction with the rider's balance or centre of gravity to steer. There are two major categories of bicycle handlebar:

• drop handlebars, as used on road and track bicycles
• flat or upright handlebars, as used on mountain, utility bicycles and hybrid bicycles.

Additional types include:

• triathlon bars

Handlebar design is a trade-off between several desirable qualities:

• Enabling the rider to assume an aerodynamic position.
• Enabling the rider to change body positions during long rides, preventing fatigue.
• Providing necessary leverage to steer the bicycle.

A handlebar moustache is a man's upper-lip facial hair grown long and waxed, with the overall shape of a bicycle's handlebar.