nacho99

I have a Cannondale F5 mountain bike that I really enjoy. I recently had back surgery, and when I returned to using my bike, I noticed that my lower back was in an uncomfortable position. In short, I think the current handlebar is too low for me. The guy at the dealer store is suggesting switching out the current one with this curvie one which would involve changing out all the component cables and such. I assume the performance of the bike could potentially change some; could anybody tell me if this would totally ruin the performance of the bike? or any feedback on changing the handlebar. Thanks!

Mr IGH

I've got FU bars on my rigid, they're good for XC, I wouldn't use them on a real mountain bike. I've got a set of Titec Jones, again, I wouldn't use them on a real mtb, XC/fireroads, yes. Have you considered a set of riser bars (2"~3") and a shorter/riser stem?

kenhill3

What's a 'real MTB' ?

Mr IGH

MTB with suspension for riding on big technical drops that heat up your discs.

kenhill3

I guess that means people like Gary Fisher, Charlie Kelley, Jacquie Phelan, etc., etc., etc., and hordes of Repack riders are to be disqualified as 'mountain bikers', as well as the bikes they rode.

ed 

Oh you didn't...

Mr IGH

I have a Jabberwocky with FU bars, I wouldn't take it on extreme downhills, I have my miSSfit for that

I consider my JW my real XC bike and my miSSfit my real MTB, YMMV

The guy asked, I have experience and gave my opinion. If you've ridden a Jabber down some tough stuff with alternative bars, tell us about it.

Esteban32696

I have neck & lower back pain, also. I installed a " good quality ' adjustable stem & kept making adjustments to it, raising the handlebars, til i got a more comfortable angle. Didn't have to change any cables, etc. I could now buy a stem to match that angle, but I have just left the adjustable stem on there. Also, a more comfortable seat was added & a few # less air pressure in tires, too. Made a lot of difference . Take it easy & don't overdo it.

Hot Rod Lincoln

I have a IndyFab29erSS that has Jones H-Bars on it and I take it anywhere I would take my Titus Motolite. I think they are both real MTB's....

Mr IGH

- I do actully own the products I commented on and have tried them in various circumstances. Sorry if my wording was offensive to some, let me re-state my opinion more clearly:

I don't like alternative bars on MY real mtb. I do like them on MY real XC bike.

YMMV

- Sometimes these forums are dominated by a few waxer types, they always have a smarmy comment, esp related to equipment. Yet somehow they never post any pictures of themselves riding their bike...just pictures of it in a city park or their backyard....

joetronic

So I guess I'm not a real "MTBer" either. I do some drops, ride fast downhills, shred the gnar, and all next to buddies with duallys and whatnot. And I keep up, all on a rigid SS. And on a leather saddle (thats for you doug...lol)

joetronic

Some of us don't feel the need to prove to you that we ride our bikes. And if I'm out on the trail, I'd rather be riding then stopping every few minuets to ask someone to take a picture of me so I can go show everyone on the internet that I can ride.

BTW, if anyone was smarmy, it was you. If you don't like the responses you get, don't post things you know are gonna get a rise. Telling someone that their fake, or how or what they ride isn't real is grounds for a good smarmying.

We all ride, thats all the matters. Now what, how, or anything like that. Your no better than me, I'm no better than you.

Mr IGH

Joe and Hod Rod, Try not to take it so personal, just because I don't ride what you ride doesn't mean you're wrong, or me. BTW, the smarmy stuff didn't come from you, I respect your experince, there is one nut job is always chipping, never riding, he knows who he is....

kenhill3

Are you referring to me?

I don't ride as often or race anymore or in the way I did when I was younger (I'm 56 now), but believe me I have done a lot of it.

MY problem (and I'm sure some others here will share this with me), is when people come on here and try to say that one is not a 'real' mountainbiker if they don't ride 'the gnar'. That seems to me to contain an air of arrogance.

I have messed my body up (even lost an eye) enough in the years I have been riding MTB that I am not willing to take the chances that I once did. Call me a wuss, call me cautious, whatever, that's the way it stands for me now.

This particular forum is dedicated to mountain biking. That means bikes that are ridden offroad- on trails, off trails, on rocks, on mud, up hill, downhill- I'm sure you get the idea. The equipment and bikes for this are wide ranging in their purpose and setup. When John Tomac rode an MTB with drop bars, would you have called him and his bike 'not real MTB'? I think not.

You certainly must have things to offer here on this forum- look how you were able to jump in with experience with those handlebars. That's great, please continue to offer you own advice.

On this forum, arrogance and mis-information will almost always be challenged. And it helps to be respectful and polite. It also helps to have a healthy sense of humor, especially when you feel a need to give mods like Chelboed and Dminor a hard time!

Cheers.

ed 

Well, I'm really serious about YMMV...I haven't got a clue b/c when you google it, there are several answers.

So...YMMV?





Ando no Ken...he couldn't be referring to you. You've given more of yourself to mountain biking that any of us could ever be capable. Besides...you're much more mature than me.


I think that term has been loosely thrown our direction

easyperson

Keep in mind that another way to change the height of your handlebars is to get a new stem with a different length and/or angle of inclination.

ed 

+1...I googled "right triangle" to try to figure out how much the HTA and deg. of stem rise would effect the actual bar height. I got some "Right Triangle" thingy where I could plug in the angle and the length of the hypotenuse b/c I can't for the life of me remember how to do all that crap.

It was helpful in ordering my EA30 90mmx6deg stem on the SS.

Dannihilator

Wait, xc bikes aren't mtb's?

kenhill3

Word.