MTB Handlebar Setups: What's Your Preference?

[ColonelJLloyd]

The XC handlebar width thread got me thinking more about how more experienced MTB riders have their cockpits setup. I just built up my first MTB last year, but am really enjoying it. I do feel, though, that my handlebar setup could be refined.

Please share what shape and width of bar you like. I'd love to hear details about grip type and length preference, lever and dropper remote setup preference and anything else on your bar (bells, bags, bar ends, etc).

Details about your HTA, stem length and the type of terrain you ride would be great to know as well. And pics!

My bike is fully rigid with 71d HTA, 29x2.35 rear and 29x3.0 front. I started with a 70mm Thomson stem, Thomson bar (the downhill I think), ESI XL Chunky grips, XT 800 levers, Spurcycle bell and Revelate Feedbag on the left side of the stem. The bar does feel very wide and because I'm new to trail riding the super wide bars having me riding pretty cautiously when trees are around. The grips are nice at first, but my hands start to get fatigued later into rides and even though the grip is long I often feel another hand position would be nice.

[d_douglas]

Its all about personal preference. From what you've described, the setup sounds like all nicely chosen components, so it depends on the type of riding you do.

I just recently switched from a 720 to a 760mm bar and was chastised for not going wider, but this is my personal limit. I ride in technical trails with some steep stuff and have only once or twice cringed as I whizzed past a tree, thinking about what would happen if I clipped it.

I personally think the all around sweet spot for bars is 700-720mm - anyone could deal with a bar of that width unless theyre either 6'8" or 5'0" tall.

The biggest thing for me is to differentiate how the setup feels when rolling around on the street in front of my house vs hurtling down a trail. My Chromag hardtail feels and measures quite small to me at first, but when REAL trail riding, it feels just right.

[JAGI410]

Surly Wednesday (steel hardtail fat bike): 757mm Carbon On-Ome Knuckleball bar, 20mm rise, with 70mm stem. Race face love handle grips. ~68 HTA.

Santa Cruz Tallboy (Carbon FS 27.5+ bike): 760mm Carbon Race Face Next 35mm bar with 10mm rise, 50mm stem. ESI chunky grips. 67.8 HTA

Brake levers moved inwards for one-finger braking. Left thumb dropper post levers on both. 1x shifters on right side.

[d_douglas]

ooops, data points like JAG are:

Chromag Rootdown: (67.5 deg)
Handlebar: 730mm flat Chromag Acute (this could be wider)
Stem: Chromag Ranger 80mm x 0 deg
Brakes: XTR M980
Shifters: XT 1x11 shifter (not I-spec, but wished it was)
Grips: Bontrager something
Dropper: Fox Transfer trigger in place of left shifter mount

Banshee Phantom: (68.0 deg)
Handlebar: 760mm Chromag OSX 25mm rise
Stem: Chromag Ranger 80mm x 0 deg
Brakes: SLX M675
Shifters: SLX 1x10 shifter (not I-spec, but wished it was)
Grips: Chromag something
Dropper: Specialized push trigger in place of left shifter mount (the older type that doesn't work all that well.

[RudAwkning]

I swear up and down by Chromag Squarewave 142mm locking grips. They have a nice center bulge that feels just right in the palm.
Whether I'm on a Sram or Shimano drivetrains, I run Shimano brakes because I like the 1 finger lever shape better than Sram's offerings and bleeding the brakes is 100x simpler and you can top off on the fly without syringes (I keep a bleed funnel in my car).
RaceFace Turbine 1x Remote lever on both of my bikes with droppers. I had the KS Southpaw but it's mounting mechanism is fussier (3 piece clamping system can slip on carbon bars so you have to use rubber shims or electrical tape) and the lever actuation isn't as nice. I wanted to try the Wolftooth remote but they were out of stock at the time.
50mm Chromag Ranger stem and carbon Thomson XC 730s with 5mm rise with 9 degree sweep on my BMC FS02 with 610 top tube.
70mm Chromag Ranger V2 stem and alloy Answer ProTaper 750s with 1/2" rise and 8 sweep on my Woodsmoke with 591 top tube.
60mm Deda stem and Answer 720 AMs with 1/2" rise and 8 sweep on my Retrotec singlespeed with a 590 top tube.

My Pugsley has castaways and experiments that didn't work out on the other bikes. Answer Stein grips and Spank Oozy Vibrocore 760 bars.

[Matthew]

I am old school for the most part. 2002 Rigormootis. No idea the width of my bars but I know I trimmed them down some!! Ritchey Comps I think. With Tomac stubby bar ends!!!!!! And flat to boot. 110 stem. Long and low for me!!

[Mr Cabletwitch]

Sounds like you've got it pretty nailed down except for grips, I've used the ESIs before and never liked them on any ride that lasted more than an hour, at this point I swear by ergons. I've been using the GE1 on my bikes lately but used to use the older ergons with good results as well. Key things for me is to have the bar rotated properly for my wrists and get the brakes in the right place, with all the new brakes one finger braking is the way to go so I have my brake levers moved in pretty far, my shifters just fall where they fall and I deal. I run only 1x setups so my dropper post is in the position my left shifter would be.

[sandyrs]

Kona Hei Hei DL Trail: (68 deg HTA)
Handlebar: 750mm stock aluminum Kona bar with a bit of rise and 35mm clamp
Stem: Stock 70mm x -6 degree Kona stem
Brakes: XT M8000
Shifters: XT M8000 1x11 shifter I-spec
Grips: Ergon GA2 (cannot recommend highly enough)
Dropper: Fox Transfer trigger in place of left shifter mount

I'm considering getting carbon bars, and I'd go with the same width but probably get flat bars to try them out. I could certainly go lower and am interested to see if it would improve handling or make it worse.

[ofcounsel]

I have two MTBs. My first one sees about 70% of the action.

Bike 1
Pivot Mach 429SL: (69.3 Head Angle)
Handlebar: Easton Haven, 740mm, 20mm rise, 9degree backsweep, 5 degree upsweep
Stem: Sytnace Force 109, 75mm 6 degree rise

I run ESI Chunky grips, Sram Guide RSC brakes, Sram XX1 shifter, KS Lev dropper post with the Southpaw dropper lever on the left. I have spurcycle bell on the right hand side, squeezed in between the grip and the brake.

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s81/ofcounsel/FullSizeRender8_zps48suecro.jpg

This is my XC/Marathon bike. I take this bike on anything that isn't generally going to involve serious rock gardens or significant drops. I also take it if the riding is going to be 3+ hours, even if there is rock gardens or drops. At that point, I'll take the efficiency of the Mach 429SL over the burliness of my second bike. For rims/tires, I run a 26mm width (internal) rim with a 29x2.35 Schwalbe Nobby Nic and a 29x2.25 Schwalbe Racing Ralph in the rear.

Bike 2

Stumpjumper FSR Carbon EVO 29 (67.5 head angle w/150mm fork)
Handlebar: Enve Riser Bar, 760mm, 23mm rise, 9 degree backsweep and 5 degree upsweep
Stem: Raceface Turbine, 60mm, 6 degree rise

This one is set up Shimano XT brakes, XO1 shifter, ODI Rouge Lock-on grips and a Specialized SRL dropper post lever (ergonomically, lookss and feels just like a Sram shifter)
The dropper post has a 25mm setback.

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s81/ofcounsel/1CE737D7-958A-420E-B3C2-629B239A1EDE_zpsmopttbgu.jpg
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s81/ofcounsel/D0DB2B7E-72A1-4FD1-97CD-A535609D6EF3_zpst4wytfdn.jpg


This is my "Trail/All Mountain" bike. I use this one if I'm planning on doing "black diamond" trials or if I'm traveling someplace I've never been, and I choose to sacrifice efficiency for being prepared for anything. I run 29mm wide (internal) rims. Currently, upfront I run 29x3.5 Schwalbe Magic Mary up front for lots of grip (at the expense of light weight and efficiency). Out back I run a Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.35 in the rear.

For me, I've tried wider bars, but 740-760mm range is what feels most comfortable to me. Going much beyond 760mm just feels too wide to me, and I don't want to get to the point where I'm banging bars against trees.