ARRRRGHH!!!! This winds me up so much I actually go up and tell people to lower their bar ends if I see them up.

The only function for having them straight up is to cut the blood supply to the hands, prevent you operating the brakes and increase the likelihood of impaling yourself if you go over the handle bars. if I go over the bars I don't want to catch the bars with my stomach and take the bike with me too. I want a clean exit!

I've used bar ends on mountain bikes for years, if set right, (low so you can hit the brake and shifters with the top finger), they make a a really comfortable cruising riding position and obviously give another 2 hand positions that helps with the limitations of a flat or riser bar. I also can't stand MB snobs who don't think they have a place on MB bars.

They help with climbing too obviously.