Adaptability of the Taïga EXP: Flat Bar or Drop Bar
One of the most common questions we’ve received in recent years is this: can you run a flat handlebar on the Taïga EXP?
To answer that, Simon Bergeron, co-founder and owner of Panorama Cycles, and the mind behind the engineering of all our frames, shares his thoughts on what makes the Taïga EXP unique and which handlebar setup suits it best.
It helps to understand that a frame designed for drop bars is typically shorter than one intended for flat bars. This comes down to hand position. On a drop bar setup, your hands rest on the brake hoods, which sit further forward from the stem compared to a flat bar configuration.
With the Taïga EXP, we set out to design a frame that would deliver a balanced and comfortable riding position in both setups, whether equipped with a flat bar or drop bar.
So what’s the trick behind making a bike adaptable to both?
The key lies in carefully balancing the bike’s length proportions (top tube length, reach, and handlebar reach), along with selecting the right stem length and handlebar shapes for each configuration.
First, the top tube length and reach were slightly increased compared to a geometry designed strictly around drop bars. To compensate for that added length, the drop bar setup uses a shorter 45 mm stem. This is paired with a drop handlebar that features a very short reach to the hoods, which is crucial. Without this, switching to a flat bar would require an excessively long stem to achieve a proper fit.
When switching to a flat bar, the goal is to position the rider’s hands roughly where they would sit just behind the brake hoods on a drop bar setup, somewhere between the tops and the hoods.
Taking into account the three key factors for drop bar positioning (frame reach/top tube length, stem length, and handlebar reach to the hoods), installing a 70 mm stem along with a flat bar featuring about 10 degrees of backsweep places the rider in a position that is well suited for long-distance, off-road riding.
In short, a thoughtful combination of frame geometry, carefully selected handlebar shapes, and appropriate stem lengths allows the Taïga EXP to perform equally well with both cockpit styles.
Drop bar setup:
- Uses a 45 mm stem and a drop bar with minimized reach to the hoods, delivering a position similar to the Taïga EXP 2;
- A slight rise in the handlebar, similar to that of a flat bar, helps maintain a consistent stack height;
- The shorter stem results in quicker, more responsive steering, ideal for a sportier ride feel.
Flat bar setup:
- With a 70 mm stem, the handlebar reach matches that of the Taïga, our versatile trail bike;
- The longer stem slightly slows down steering response compared to the 45 mm setup, which provides better control and stability on rough terrain.
