Bicycle handlebar a steep U-shape from the base, so that the rider's hands rest above waist-level. This style of bicycle handlebar became very popular in the 1960s after the introduction of wheelie bikes such as the Schwinn "Sting-Ray", Raleigh Chopper, and other highly stylized youth bicycles that imitated the appearance of drag-racing or chopper motorcycles of the day. Legislation in the United States introduced during the 1970s limited the maximum height of manufacturer-installed handlebars to 16 inches above the lowest seat setting; European Union safety regulations use a similar limit of 400mm. The apehanger style remained common in the US through the
Chicago Bicycle Company of Champion Cycles, also in Vermont, to design a marketable bicycle concept that would appeal to commuters and people wishing to have a practical alternative to the mountain bike and road bike without the complication of derailleurs, and above all, made in the U.S. The bicycles sold for $500– $1000, depending on hubs, and options chosen by the customer. They used internal gear hubs from Sachs, with drum, or internal brakes, to avoid the complications of vulnerable external mechanisms. The bikes would later become known as "comfort cruisers", and though CBC was unsuccessful in marketing, famed bicycle maker and MTB