Mountain Biking - Ok... this is gonna sound weird!

Ok, as you all know, I'm not too familiar with the biking lingo... I just bike. Anyways, some bikes come with this, but some bikes don't. Ok, you know those "extra" handle bars that go on the side of your handle bars? They kinda stick up and out... and if you ask me, they kinda look like antlers! Well... I took them off of my bike, basically on the sole reason of, they just look funny. But I was over my friend's house and he was like, "Where are you side handle bars?" (or whatever you call them, I forget.) And I was just like, "I took em off cause they looked funny." And he went on further and told me that those are what you use for when you're going up hill. You pull yourself up with that. Well is that true? Or are the "extra" handle bars just there for your own personal comfort preference?

Those are called "bar-ends". Some people like them, some people don't. I took mine off too, the amount they helped me on climbs was not very much, and they kept getting caught on trees.

They do give you more leverage on the handlebars; that is it's easier to pull the bars up with your thumbs up rather than the back of your hand up. I only use them to get the front up when jumping. I've never used them climbing, couldn't see how they'd be useful.

Somebody makes pretty cute little egg shaped things that serve the same purpose but are smaller. Never tried them but they seem like a good idea.

My old bike had them; new one doesn't. I prefer it without. The best thing I found about them is that you have another hand position on long rides.

I never used them, and never had a need for them, but I guess if you had a racier style stem (with 0 to 10 degrees) then you might want them for another hand position (for comfort or climbing) but I get by just find without them.

:)

I don't have any, though have thought of getting them several times. I always found a good reason not to.

But I loved your post. It was the best post I've read in about a month. Seriously. :beer: Thanks.

Hahaa, woo, was my post THAT interesting Jon R? Ha, yes, I'm glad that it was one of the best posts in months! LoL... well at least I hope you were talking to me cause otherwise... I'd just feel dumb. Eh don't worry, wouldn't of been the first time.

Ooh all right then. I was just wondering what those side bars were. Now that I have the answer... I guess I should go because I still have the whole background information part to do on my biology lab... and well, the other people in my class, their background information is like a page long... and uh, I was thinking mine was gonna be about a paragraph so I gotta go work on that. Considering that it's 9 PM! C-ya.

Well I like mine and they're staying put. So there. ;)

I still think about getting some, Weasel... I think they look very nice, usually (that's one reason I consider getting them, frankly). (Another is to see if they help me on some of these urban hills.)

As for liking that post so much, maybe I should explain it's the style that grabbed me. My main thing is writing (principally journal writing) and I'm a style nut. Sometimes a passage will be like a breath of fresh air, and that one was--at least to me.

Now to price some bar ends on the Web...:rolleyes: Where's that PayPal password...

I like to put mine on and take them off every now and again to make a change.
They're back on at the moment, but I guess They'll be off before too long.

Cheers

Rich

My understanding was that "bar-ends" were to give additional hand positions for longer rides on a mtn bike or such. Road bikes have at least three (some say four) different hand positions to give your hand and wrist a break. Traditional "straight-bar" mtn bikes have just one position.

I used mine when doing a 7 day Ride the Rockies on my mtn bike, and have never taken them off. The only problem I have is going through gates where I have to be careful that they don't get caught in the steel supports.

Hey JonR, I've got a couple sets I don't use anymore. I know one pair is a set of CODA in decent shape. I can go thru my junk box and pick out the best pair.

If you want them, you pay shipping and they're yours!

Interested?

PM me.

L8R

Just one little bit of advice and information on these...I have read and been told to NEVER use bar ends on riser bars. Not only does it look stupid/odd it poses a risk of breaking the handlebars. The reason is this, riser bars have a bend in them (duh) therefore making a weak point in them. The added leverage and stress of bar ends can cause the risers to crack and possibly break at the bends/rise. I am not saying riser bars are weak and should not be used, just that a flat bar is able to take the stress of bar ends more easily.

In case someone doesn't quite understand I am going to put in one more example. Its like standing on a pop can, It will hold your weight, but if you put the slightest dent in it you will crush it. The dent represents the rise in the handlebar, its a "weak" spot and it can't take the added pressure.

Thats my 2 cents...be gratefu for them I don't have much cents(sense) to be giving away:lol:

Thanks for the info on the riser bar bit. Now I have an excuse to pick up a straight bar.
I love my bar ends. They face directly forward and curl around to point at my neck. I swear, if nothing else, they've saved my brake levers and, more importantly, my fingers at one time or another when slamming into varous steel structures (Signs, railings, etc.). Tough little things. I still have scars on my hand from when I was a kid and sideswiped a parked car and put my hand through the mirror. Bar ends would have been nice then.
What I want but can never find are those plastic shields that go on the handlebars. I think I've seen them on downhill bikes. I think they'd work nicely to keep the wind and snow off my hands in winter.

Originally posted by MadCat
What I want but can never find are those plastic shields that go on the handlebars. I think I've seen them on downhill bikes. I think they'd work nicely to keep the wind and snow off my hands in winter.

Try a moto cross shop. You should be able to find them there.

Originally posted by midwestmntnbkr
Just one little bit of advice and information on these...I have read and been told to NEVER use bar ends on riser bars. Not only does it look stupid/odd it poses a risk of breaking the handlebars.



Thanks for the info, I was quite tempted to add them to my risers, in another vain attempt to improve my chances of getting up some of the local hills, but I think I'll pass on that idea.

Richard

I've just heard and read that bar ends on risers is poser, I didn't know it was a safety issue.

Originally posted by fubar5
I've just heard and read that bar ends on risers is poser, I didn't know it was a safety issue.

Being a poser is, is not being to make up your OWN mind. If it works for you use it. I have had and not had them. The best use I have found for them is relieving fatigue with different hand positions on long rides.

Originally posted by fubar5
I've just heard and read that bar ends on risers is poser, I didn't know it was a safety issue.

Have you seen the North Shore Extreme 4 video. There is an old guy(like early 60's) riding a Cove Ti hardtail with a 3" travel fork. He has risers with those really long bar-ends and he is riding the Shore trails. He is not doing any super huge drops, but he is riding down super steep rock faces and all the really skinny logs and bridges. If bar ends on risers are for posers then I want to be a Hardcore Poser like that old dude.
BTW way he is wearing a Giro Switchblade and arm/leg armour. Man I hope that is me at that age!!:D

Good call on stressing out rise bars. I would have never done it, but just because it looks stupid.

Now I've got a decision to make. I had bar ends on the flat bar on my old bike. Picked up my new bike yesterday and it has 1" rise bars. I think I'd like to have bar ends so I'll have to put my old flat bars on, but the geometry feels pretty good right now. Oh well, I guess 1" won't make too much difference. Not too hard to put the rise bars back on either, if I made the wrong decision.

I have "bar-ends" on my mtn. bike, and I like 'em. They help me, by giving me an extra hand position, they help in climbing... especially in wooded mountain areas (they WILL catch a tree or two if you're not careful), but best of all...
they're great for spearing those pesky pedestrians that step in front of you, in the concrete jungle.:thumbup:

Out of my way !... mere mortal.:fight:

Hahaa thanks guys! Yeah, I'm still debating on if I should put them on or not... see, sometimes my forearms start to get tired and hurt after I've gone up hills and stuff like that... so I was thinking that maybe if I put my bar ends on... then it'll relieve some of the stress that I put on my arms. I mean, no doubt I'm going to be using my arms to pull myself up when I go on hills and stuff like that, but it kinda just seems more stressful when you're just using your regular handlebars... like... you know how your arm sort of curls downward because of the way your arms are grabbed onto the handlebars? Well with bar ends... it's more towards the side and not so much fatigue... you know? Eh who knows... I don't know, I've gone this far without them. We'll see I guess. Man, I never knew this could cause so much debate! Oh by the way tomorrow it's gonna be in like the 60s! Wooo get out the short sleeves!