Gravel handlebars with flared drops keep multiplying, but the question worth asking is whether you actually need flare for how you ride. The Ritchey WCS Butano takes a different approach—zero flare in the drops, zero backsweep at the hoods—creating a handlebar that handles like a traditional road bar while still accommodating the wider tires and rougher terrain that define gravel riding. This makes sense if your mixed-surface routes lean more toward pavement and hardpack than technical singletrack, or if you've found that flared drops put your wrists at awkward angles during long days in the saddle.

The Butano's geometry centers on a 70mm reach and 115mm drop, measurements that fall squarely in classic road territory. Width options span from 40cm through 48cm in 2cm increments, letting you match the bar to your shoulder width without the complication of calculating effective hood width versus drop width that flared bars introduce. The 31.8mm clamp diameter works with standard road and gravel stems, and the entire bar is constructed from double-butted 7050 aluminum that Ritchey heat treats for strength at the stress points while keeping overall weight reasonable.

What you're getting here is a bar that doesn't fight you when you want to ride in the drops for extended periods. Flared designs push your hands outward as you move down the bar, which provides stability on descents but can feel less natural for sustained drop-position efforts on smoother terrain. The Butano keeps your hand position consistent from hoods to drops, which some riders find more comfortable for the kind of gravel riding that's really just road riding on unpaved surfaces.... Read More