Flak

Something perked my interest in the new bike thread about bar ends. It occures to me that not many people seem to run bar ends anymore. So im curious. How many of you have them, and why/why not?

Personally speaking i like being able to change my grip if i want, especially while im climbing. Its pretty much a "must have" for me and ill be swapping out the riser bar for a flat and adding bar ends apon purchase of my new bike.

TwinCam

I've loved my bar ends for a long time, but I just switched to a riser and I seem to have given up very little in all out climbing ability. On the other hand, after 2.5 hours on the trails today, I notice my biceps and back are speaking to me.

It's tempting to mate up my bar ends to my riser, but it looks so dorky.

And I will mention for like the 15th time that I used 2 layers of roadie tape on my bar ends. Why I never see others do this is beyond me.

Al.canoe

Apparently the main purpose of bar-ends is to gain additional leverage for climbing when you're off the seat. At least that's what Ned Overend states in his book. I used some aluminum Cheepees for a few years. I tried without bar-ends for a year and really missed them on steep climbs. I now use a pair of carbon LP's.

I use the long curved ones that recurve over about half of the grips. Instead of catching brush or trees, you tend to bounce off as they actually provide protection.

I've been told by several folks that people get hurt with them in crashes. I figure the carbon ones are a lot safer since they don't have the sharp edges of the Aluminum ones and they are much more comfortable when you're pulling hard on them.

I use mine on 1" riser bars.
Al

Stevenyg

i dont see the reason why "nearly " everyone seems to think that risers and bar ends dont fit. If there is something wrong please enlighten me with what it is please

LowCel 

A lot of the carbon riser bars are not designed to be used with bar ends. The ends of the bars are not reinforced in the clamping zones which can cause the bar to break. On top of that as another poster mentioned, it just looks goofy.

I use a carbon flat bar with risers on my hardtail and I love them. I really like the extra hand position. When I use the bar ends it reminds me a lot of the position I am in on the road bike when I am on the hoods. It just feels natural. I am planning on removing my riser bar from my fully in the near future and going with a flat bar with bar ends on it as well.

Indy_Rider

After hooking mine on a few trees I gave them up. I think part of the reason for the decline is better fitting bikes to begin with. With all of the different makes out there now you can find a bike that fits you and then you don't need them as badly. Bar ends help the most on a poor fitting bike, but on a good fitting bike the benefits of them do not out weight the disadvantages of them.

Also good aluminum ones should not have sharp edges and would actually be safer than carbon because you don't have to worry about them breaking in a wreck leaving lots of sharp shards.

Old Dirt Hill

Pictures? I'd like to see some of said goofiness.

LowCel 

You will see them out on the trails, you decide. Just keep in mind though, just because some screen name on the internet thinks something looks goofy doesn't mean that it doesn't work or that other people don't like how it looks.

scrublover

used to use them with my flat bars, but once i made the switch to honkin' wide riser bars, i found that i liked the position way out on the risers, even when climbing way more. never used the bar ends any longer, so ditched them. i

with wide riser bars, the sweep on them for me is the best part. if i were to swap back to a flat bar, i'd more than likely run bar ends again. i know quite a few people who run them on their riser bars though, and like them. it's all in what you like for how you ride.

if you have a bar with a big back sweep, your bar ends could be pointing in some odd directions, depending on what kind you run. less of an issue with flats, since they generally have less backsweep.

i think the main reason they aren't big any longer, especially on risers is due to the bike "fashion police" and the magazines. once you see a piece of equipment disappear from the mags and the pro bikes, it loses favor in the mtb fashion world, even if it's practical. risers look great, but the avarage 15 year old grom isn't gonna' put them on his bike, since they just don't look gnarcore enough...... look what a lot of the ads and mags are selling: freeride and DH stuff. bar ends on those bikes they are trying to sell aren't going to happen.

Al.canoe

I don't think the shards are all that sharp and the danger is really non-existant. I've crunced some canoes and have worked with Kevlar and Glass most of my adult life so I'm familiar with the stuff. I would bet that my LP's are fiber rich/resin poor meaning the strength is maximized per gram, the weight minimized and the material more flexible after shredding than otherwise. That's how the space industry uses the material for most applications I believe. That kind of layup is also more expensive to make.

There are instances of folks getting hurt by aluminum ones, I'm not aware of any reported carbon injuries, at least not yet.

On riser bars and bar-ends..... risers take up handlebar space forcing the grips closer together. Closer grips makes the handling a little quicker and on my bike (Stumjumper FSR), it's a little too quick (actually it's probably the reaction of the bike to rocks/roots) on rough downhills. My risers, being wider plus they don't sweep back as much as others, puts my grips where they were on my old flat bar.

Al

btadlock

I have used bar ends on each of the 4 mtn bikes that I have had since '90, the two earlier ones with flat bars, the last two with riser bars. last two bikes, had the profile boxers.
I have come to really rely upon the bar ends for climbing, not sure if I could go with out them.

gromitz49948

I love my bar ends, it gives me another position to put my hands in. my hands get tired in the same position.

BryanW

For years I've run bar-ends on my Stumpy's flat bars, and found them really useful, not just for climbing, but for variety of position and also, as someone said, they're like riding on the hoods on my road bike, so they're good for cruising along on roads or firetrack. I'm just about to go over to risers to get a higher position, and I'm going to try them without bar-ends, because I do think bar-ends look "wrong" with risers for some reason ... can't put my finger on why, they just do. Maybe because risers are more swept and this makes the bar-ends stick out at a funny angle, maybe it just makes the whole bar set-up too complicated a shape. Anyway, it'll be interesting to see if I miss the bar-ends. I think I will. A friend told me he still misses his, but refuses to use them because of the look, which is kinda pathetic, but I can see myself going the same way - or going back to flat bars and putting up with the lower position.

free_pizza

i love my cane creek ergo bar ends, however, they werent cheap!!

I just like having extra position to put my hands, and they are nice when climbing.

LowCel 

Those cane creeks are cool. I have been using the Single Track Solutions ST-lite bar ends. They are pretty comfortable and very light.

BryanW

Strewth! You're not wrong about them not being cheap!

But the main question ... do they look OK with risers?

dminor 

Of course they look goofy on riser bars! I think they look goofy. But who has decided that anyway? And who cares if other people think they 'look goofy' if they work for you? Are we all hung up on that much on what other people think not to do what works for you on your bike?

BryanW

Sadly, yes. Why else are we all wearing baggies over our lycra? To protect us from squirrels?

free_pizza

ive seen those before, or some like them anyway, and they just looked and felt pretty flimsy.

Im not too concerned with weight, plus the Cane Creek ones are compatible with odi grips (the bar end itself acts as a jaws) which makes it look like the grips and barends are as one.

LowCel 

Have you ever tried them (ST-lites) on a bike? They are not flimsy at all, they are as solid as anything I have ever used.

Some of us aren't embarassed to wear spandex when on the bike. Personally I can't stand the idea of riding in anything but lycra.

never

I have bar ends...sitting in a box beside all of my bikes. I used to use them a long time ago but now I find I can climb just as well without them and I don't feel the need for alternate hand positions. I tried them out again on my hardtail last summer and never wanted to use them...so they came off.

free_pizza

i havent seen them on any bikes, so i havent had a chance to ride with them, i just saw them at the LBS in their package. If i ever get around to building up a single speed i might try those then.

TwinCam

I 'll get you some pics up in a bit. My roomate put them on his Norco Bigfoot because climbing on it was such a chore.

Also, my other friend put them on his bike becaseu he got a longer fork that tipped the bike back and he doesn't always get a chance to wind down the travel adjust before the trail goes back uphill.

And my other other friend used bar ends on his risers because... just because.

Honestly, I don't care if anyone thinks my bike looks goofy. I care if my bike looks goofy TO ME.

More about the Riser:
Bar ends serve a few different purposes. Let's see where the wide, swept, riser overlaps. B will stand for bar ends with a flat bar and R will be wide risers.

Extends rider forwards over the bike- B

Position opens chest cavity for easier breathing- B R

Gives leverage to manipulate bike- B R

No need to change hand position- R

Hold plastic grocery bags securely- B

Goes better with your pathetic plastic moto fenders- R

It's a wash.

willtsmith_nwi

If you're out there to look cool, you should probably find another hobby where you'll be noticed by more people.

I run bar ends on risers and I could care less what other people think it looks like. I also have a funky thudbuster seat and I say you can go to hell if you don't like the way it looks.

I run L-bar ends. The advantage to them follows:
a) They provide 3-4 additional hand positions.
b) They provide a "deflection zone" that will allow the end of your bar to "slide" off of a tree instead of digging in and twisting you around.
c) They create a protective cage for your hands.
d) They create an "exclusion zone" over the front of your bars that will protect any goodies mounted there (like lights and shifters (brake levers run below, so they are still exposed)).

There is a trend towards running "stubby" bar ends. Personally I don't understand these as there is no deflection zone, no hand protection and virtually no bar protection. Plus they only add ONE additional hand position.

The risk with bar ends is hooking trees. But I will argue with L-bars you are actually LESS likely to have a collision with a tree that will send you off the bike. Any strike that would hit the L-Bar would hit your hands without it, and rather than being able to "slide", you would be immediately be twisted sideways.

Having said that, on a few occasion I have actually hooked trees when I was WAY off. But any collision so far into your center will end up twisting your bars anyway.

The functional MTBer cares very little for what people think of his appearance (beyond basic hygiene). The components on his bike are there for FUNCTIONAL rather aesthetic purposes. Often they will be riding beat up hand me down equipment that has no bling, but does the job. Often, they will be riding Gripshifts while guys with less skill will bust their chops for riding "beginner" equipment.

Finally, lets not forget that there is NOTHING wrong with flat bars. If I built a bike today I would use a flat bar and a higher stem despite it "looking like a comfy bike." The reason is that reisers allow little space for mounting additional equipment like lights and cyclocomputers. It's purely functional.

BTW, I don't own a jersey. I bike in cheapo $10 x-mart polyester shirts. If you don't think I'm cool, we can talk about that somewhere in the middle of the woods.

TwinCam

Whoa, hey there tiger. I don't care what your bike looks like. I care what my bike looks like. I've allready tried to clarify this.

And I use Gripshifts.