Bar ends for MTB risers?

[XXtwindad]

It seemed like bar ends were a relic of the early 90s along with "Full House."
But now (just like that erstwhile show) they're staging a comeback. Cane Creek has reissued some ergo ones that seem to be popular.
I'm not crazy about the aesthetics, but for the type of riding I enjoy (the endless fire roads and rough double track near my house) they might really help to alleviate the hand discomfort I always feel.

Anyone else using them? (I'm also on a rigid 29er FWIW...)

[Ken Robb]

I use them for upright cruising on easy terrain between more technical/challenging terrain.

[AngryScientist]

i dont really mtb, so i cant really comment, but just looked; i guess, i figure that if you're having some hand discomfort, these are so cheap that it cant hurt to just grab a par and see if they help. worst case is you're out 30 bucks if you dont find you like them. They do at least look a little more modern than the ones of yesteryear!

https://www.canecreek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSCF0349.jpg

[XXtwindad]

True. And if you can get past the aesthetics (which means me) the reviews are pretty stellar. People seem to love them.

[AngryScientist]

True. And if you can get past the aesthetics (which means me) the reviews are pretty stellar. People seem to love them.

i say give them a shot then. i dont think they look too bad or obtrusive. especially if your grips are black, so they dont stand out too much.

[pdmtong]

Give the Ergon grips a try, The wing gives a nice palm support and the little bar end is just enough to change hand position. Just make sure you angle the wing a bit downward so it isnt keeping your wrists from rotating rear when you are clmibing

https://cdn.ergonbike.com/img/png/583/42410028_detail_1.png

If you want to go full retro, I have various bar ends from back in the day...pm me. Unless you are riding in really tight single track, i think its great to have an extra hand position for climbing.

[kingpin75s]

Give the Ergon grips a try, The wing gives a nice palm support and the little bar end is just enough to change hand position. Just make sure you angle the wing a bit downward so it isnt keeping your wrists from rotating rear when you are clmibing


If you are having hand discomfort, the Ergon grips do work well. Per above positioning is important.

For hand issue also make sure your saddle is not tilted forward/tip-down at all and take a look at your saddle to bar drop to minimize if you are weighting your wrists and front end too much.

More sweep on the bars is a plus for me as well. I have wrist issues so I generally run dirt drops for an open loose grip in the hooks of the drops, but when I do run flat/riser bars, weight distribution and all touch points must be dialed or I will suffer.

I sure hope bar ends do not make a comeback in my area. With all the wide bars these days and tight midwest track, I would expect a lot of hooked trees. :bike:

[chunkylover53]

You never, and I mean never, run bar ends on riser bars. If you have to, flat bar only. I say this as a mountain biker, and with a bit of a smile... It’s like a roadie seeing a bike with a few inches of headset spacers...

[jtakeda]

If you want bespoke.
https://huntercycles.bigcartel.com/product/hunter-honkey-handles-bar-ends

[charliedid]

You never, and I mean never, run bar ends on riser bars. If you have to, flat bar only. I say this as a mountain biker, and with a bit of a smile... It’s like a roadie seeing a bike with a few inches of headset spacers...

I like your style :)

[Dino Suegiù]

I use them for upright cruising on easy terrain between more technical/challenging terrain.

Yes, same here. I use them on a flat-bar commuter bicycle, because the extra positions are useful and relaxing over the easy, familiar, mildly undulating route.

On a true mtb on trails, I found I never used them at all; in fact the ones on the commuter are the same old ones I took off the mtb years ago.


XXtwindad: Regardless of bicycle or bar type, or number of spacers, give some economical ones a try and see how they feel for you. Especially on "endless fire roads" you might like them a lot, fashion be damned.

[Matthew]

I actually never stopped using them since the early 90's. I have the stubbie John Tomac model. Just enough to use as leverage on climbs and different hand position when hands tend to go numb. And I like the fact they help keep my hands on the bars during rough descents. But then I still ride a 26er too.

[charliedid]

It's a slippery slope my friend. :p

[ntb1001]

I’m curious...I’m not a mountain biker...but I do have hardtail...straight bars, and I have the bar ends. I just like the extra positions.

Why have they dropped out of favour for current bikes??




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[Cat3roadracer]

You never, and I mean never, run bar ends on riser bars. If you have to, flat bar only. I say this as a mountain biker, and with a bit of a smile... It’s like a roadie seeing a bike with a few inches of headset spacers...


Right here.

[Peter P.]

You never, and I mean never, run bar ends on riser bars. If you have to, flat bar only.

"Never" should have been capitalized. You can't emphasize this enough; just say NO to bar ends and riser bars!

[HenryA]

+1 for the Ergons.

I have them on my bike with riser bars. I don’t like the look so much but my back likes the feel. And they are really nice for a bit of gravel or two track grinding.

[CunegoFan]

I’m curious...I’m not a mountain biker...but I do have hardtail...straight bars, and I have the bar ends. I just like the extra positions.

Why have they dropped out of favour for current bikes??


Some of it is style. The initial riser bars had quite a lot of rise. Bar ends looked stupid on them. Many current bars tend to have a slight rise, more angled up than a curved rise. Bar ends don't look bad on those, but the belief continues.

Bars these days are really wide. Up to double the width of road bars. Bar ends are not as comfortable as they were when people ran cut down flat bars.

XC riding has fallen out of favor. All the marketing is about downhill, enduro, flow trails, jump lines, etc. No one seems to care about multiple hand positions when climbing and riding long distance. Although a lot of this is more aspiration than reality. You could easily make one of those meme pics that has images for this is what I think I do, this is what my family thinks I do, this is what I actually do.

[peanutgallery]

You will catch them on stuff in the woods and then flop on the ground. Especially with wide bars

things happen fast

I’m curious...I’m not a mountain biker...but I do have hardtail...straight bars, and I have the bar ends. I just like the extra positions.

Why have they dropped out of favour for current bikes??




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[Ronsonic]

My last experience with bar-ends was many years ago when I caught one on a vine hanging down by a Florida trail.

Inner bar-ends have my attention. I'm thinking to try a set, sorta like aero bars for a MTB. It's another position on bars that don't have many to begin with.

[colker]

I’m curious...I’m not a mountain biker...but I do have hardtail...straight bars, and I have the bar ends. I just like the extra positions.

Why have they dropped out of favour for current bikes??




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Because bars got wiiide. Bar ends mimic the hoods on your drop bars and you want bars in the 22-23in for that to happen. Bars went crazy wide and stems crazy short because travel went from 2in to 4in: you don´t want to be 135mm awat from your fork axis when those 4in compress.
Bar ends are still great when climbing and i still ride a 90s 26in hardtail so it works for me.

[pbarry]

Besides offering unlimited hand positions, those crazy Scott bars at least had you covered when riding through brush.

[konaman]

I love those cane creek ergo bar ends. I have the original version and they are fantastic for climbing.

Flat bars only

[charliedid]

Besides offering unlimited hand positions, those crazy Scott bars at least had you covered when riding through brush.

Must be the reason LeMond ended up beating me that year at Chequamegon.

I knew it has to be something because I was totally on form. Or mushrooms...

[charliedid]

This Co. makes really interesting products. I only test rode them on a track indoors at a trade show but really liked the concept.

https://www.sq-lab.com/en/products/innerbarends/

[tombtfslpk]

You will catch them on stuff in the woods and then flop on the ground. Especially with wide bars

things happen fast
This....and for some reason....I don't bounce like I used to.

OP says he is riding a rigid 29er on fire roads and double track. I could see those Cane Creek or Ergon ends for that. Some of the MTB trails we ride are separated by sections of gravel/double track, and I often rotate my hands and grip the bar tips if conditions allow.
I still ride in the woods enough that most of my MTB grips contain bark nicks, so bar ends are "no bueno".

[colker]

This....and for some reason....I don't bounce like I used to.

OP says he is riding a rigid 29er on fire roads and double track. I could see those Cane Creek or Ergon ends for that. Some of the MTB trails we ride are separated by sections of gravel/double track, and I often rotate my hands and grip the bar tips if conditions allow.
I still ride in the woods enough that most of my MTB grips contain bark nicks, so bar ends are "no bueno".

Some ride on desert trails. Technical, rocky singletrack.

[tombtfslpk]

Some ride on desert trails. Technical, rocky singletrack.

Yep, pick the equipment that best suits your conditions.

[HenryA]

Besides offering unlimited hand positions, those crazy Scott bars at least had you covered when riding through brush.

I had those in a Nishiki MTB about 1989 or so. All the hand positions you could want. That bike was a forerunner of todays gravel bikes. But back then no one knew that. I rode it everywhere. Road, gravel, singletrack.

[Mark McM]

You will catch them on stuff in the woods and then flop on the ground.

Only if you're using the wrong barends. L-Bend barends not only deflect things away (instead of catching on them), but they protect your hands as well.

[Mark McM]

You never, and I mean never, run bar ends on riser bars. If you have to, flat bar only.

And MTB'ers called roadies snobs.

Aside from which, I never understood riser bars. They seem more of a fashion statement than a practical component. And I'm not talking about raising the hand position - I'm fine with that. But instead of doing it the simple, practical way by using a higher angle stem, riser bars have destroy the useful straight section of the handlebar by adding funky bends. On flat bars, there is a straight section of the bar that allows easy mounting of useful accessories - lights, bags, computers, even horns and bells. As for ergonomics, there's no reason that a flat bar can't have an angled grip area.

[HenryA]

And MTB'ers called roadies snobs.

Aside from which, I never understood riser bars. They seem more of a fashion statement than a practical component. And I'm not talking about raising the hand position - I'm fine with that. But instead of doing it the simple, practical way by using a higher angle stem, riser bars have destroy the useful straight section of the handlebar by adding funky bends. On flat bars, there is a straight section of the bar that allows easy mounting of useful accessories - lights, bags, computers, even horns and bells. As for ergonomics, there's no reason that a flat bar can't have an angled grip area.

Like so much other, it started as a fashion thing. Gotta have something new to sell.

[Jaybee]

Riser bars started on downhill bikes, where you have double crown forks and super stubby stems, so you can't get significant rise there. Downhill/freeride has been kinda the trendsetter for Mtb fashion. Ironically, the same dudes who wanted to look more Moto in the 2000s definitely want e-bikes off their trails in 2019.

[Ken Robb]

As a side note: "ape-hanger handlebars that are so popular with motorcyclists (many on Harleys) started many years ago with riders participating in hill-climbs. To help keep the front wheel down and the bike from flipping over backwards the riders stand up on their foot pegs and lean forward to get more weight on the front wheel. Obviously raising the bars will help do that so High bars were ubiquitous on the hill climb bikes. So we all know lots of folks want to look like competition riders even if that screws up the handling/comfort of their bikes so we started seeing high bars on bikes that had never even seen a hillclimb. I haven't been to a hillclimb since 1969 but high bars are surely still used by many riders.