Difference Between these 2 Handlebars - Adjustability
 

Trying to visualize the range of adjustability between these 2 bars. Having trouble doing so (the rotation of ?)
I've never replaced handlebars (or the stem for that matter before.)
Any insight will be appreciated.

Thanks
"don't even know what I don't know" :D
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...171e414649.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9498b71f1d.jpg

Difference Between these 2 Handlebars - Adjustability
 

Trying to visualize the range of adjustability between these 2 bars. Having trouble doing so (the rotation of ?)
I've never replaced handlebars (or the stem for that matter before.)
Any insight will be appreciated.

Thanks
"don't even know what I don't know" https://www.bikeforums.net/images/smilies/biggrin.gif
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...02b8b37882.jpg

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3db51c2d2f.jpg

Adjustability? Close to zero for those bars. One of them needs a shorter stem than the other to get the same riding position, otherwise they are essentially the same. Generally, adjustments are made by changing the stem for height or reach adjustments, or by changing the bars themselves to adjust the sweep angle. Personally, I don't like straight or slightly curved bars like those for anything than grocery-getter/beach boardwalk riding because they only have one hand position, which can be very fatiguing.

The question is what are you trying to achieve? Are you going from drops to flat bars or do you currently have flat bars?

I'm going from flat with almost no back sweep (5-6) to something with about 15 degrees sweep. Don't know if that will be enough for relieving some wrist discomfort.
Like I said I've never changed the handlebars before.

Thanks

That is just going from worst to not much better.
All mine are 75/ 80d. Seldom get numbness and never a tired back. Mine have 2.5 to 3.25" rise as well.
I do 100+ mile rides with ease. Never used bar tape. My top tubes are all 23 1/2" or more.
Damn I'm still wishing for another pair of these grips off a 70s Raleigh.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...17e50971c5.jpg

The main difference between the two is that the black one has some rise to it as well as being swept back, so you'll probably be sitting a bit more upright with it.
What kind of riding do you do and on what kind of bike ?
My personal preference is for the black (comfort) bars which is what I have on my bike. I find them perfect in allowing my wrists to be perfectly straight.
I have a feeling that they also offer more adjustability for a comfortable hand/wrist position compared to the flat silver bars, but I may be wrong.

That is helpful. I ride about an hour a day. I have a Miyata Quick Cross hybrid bike (1990)
Wrist discomfort isn't horrible but plenty of room (angle) for improvement.
I was thinking 15 degrees of back sweep would help, maybe 20.
And yeah, some rise might be good. Take some pressure off the hands(?).

THANKS
Just came across this: Painful hands – SQlab (sqlab-usa.com)

Your setup looks eminently sensible AND comfortable,

Have you tried bar ends? Ergon grips with the bar ends are very good.

I also like trekking bars. My understanding is that they're popular in Europe but not so much in the US. I just installed a set on a 1993 Trek 750 (lugged, full chrome moly frame built in Wisconsin hybrid) I rebuilt a little over a week ago. I already have more than a 100 miles on the bike. Sometimes you build a bike and it just comes out great. This is one of those times. If I do another cross country, I'd think about taking this bike (it is more or less the same frame as a Trek 520 which was Trek's top end touring bike).

I find the contact points on the bike are working great (Brooks B 17 saddle, platform pedals, and trekking bar). The neat thing about the trekking bars is that they give me multiple comfortable hand positions. I think of them as a drop bar squished sort of flat. The flats mimic the tops of my drop bars which I use a lot when riding a drop bar road bike. The curved portions let me stretch out. They're great for cruising and climbing (since I can pull up on the tops). I took these pics on a 50 mile ride with around 1800 ft of climbing I did last Saturday. There were gravel portions on the ride, a few 10 percent climbs, and more than a few twisty rollers so a good test for the bike and the bars.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...cb44fdb826.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...167bce29f2.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c093110245.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...96cf45bc83.jpg

Interesting site. Made me remember to mention that I also have Ergon GP1 grips which also contribute a lot to comfort.
SQlab above have similar grips which I haven't tried.

Before you put the bars on your bike, hold them with both hands in front of you, with arms in roughly riding position, and check to see that there's a position in which your wrists are comfortable and perfectly straight, and your arms are also at a comfortable width. Holding them like that will give you an idea of the amount of rotation that you'll want on your bike. Trying this out in a store saves you from buying the wrong bars. If you buy online you may have to send some back until you get the bars you want. Once on the bike, sit in riding position and rotate the bars into their ideal position then tighten them down.

With your handlebar fixed into position, rotate your brake levers so that the tops of your hands are inline with your forearms, everything nice and straight. If your brake levers have an adjustment for travel, set them so that your fingers fall comfortably onto them and all you have to do to brake is squeeze.

Rise can be achieved by different means - bars, stem, spacers - so it's a bit more complicated than handlebar back sweep to get what's perfect for you.

That is some helpful stuff.
Thank you for that.
(I use the same grips)

Very Cool bike. :thumb:
I do have the Ergon grips.

Thanks for the great reply.
Appreciate it.

Honestly, the best bars and stem height/length depend primarily on how one wants to position themselves when riding. Upright, forward leaning, aero (or recumbent). Then finding the right angle(s) and grip get addressed. For road bikes that's why I see so many raised stems on drop bars.

if not obvious, find the right saddle and position of comfort for back, arms, wrists, hands, before picking bars.
Heck you haven't even said what type of bike it is. Or the stem being used.


Personally, @ 73 - on a road ride of more than a couple of miles, there is no one position of comfort for my hands (or other parts). I have to move mine around and change the angles. Which also helps keep me from over-gripping. So I ride drops. Shorter stem on some maybe, short and shallow bars on some, shorter cranks too, during some overhauls. But I always move my hands throughout every ride, leading to different back, shoulder, arm angles. So everything moves and adapts to the stresses within a certain (limited by fit) range of motion. If I come home tired, hopefully it is that tired-all-over feeling. Same with saddles = gosh do I move around and ride light and get out of the saddle even on relatively flat rides. Doesn't everybody do that on the road? Mountain bikers sure move around a huuuge amount on their machines!

Merged duplicate threads. Please do not cross post.

I ride for about an hour a day pretty vigorously and I'm pretty comfortable in general except my wrists and considerable numbness in my fingers (index, middle and thumb mostly).
My nephew, who rides, said maybe I'm putting too much pressure/weight on my hands, which is a logical suggestion.
I noticed one day from just looking at my wrist (the angle of) in relation to the, about a 6 degree back sweep, flat handlebar that it just didn't seem to.....well.....look right.
Found this, which is interesting: Painful hands – SQlab (sqlab-usa.com)

So since I'm not that uncomfortable during and after the ride everyday, I thought it a good idea just to get that back sweep angle changed, and maybe I should consider a little upsweep as well.
I wasn't considering the upsweep at first but the more I think about it, that may be a good idea as well.

Thanks for the great reply, Wildwood. Very helpful. :thumb:
(note: I did get around to mentioning the type of bike but not until post #8)

I have another suggestion, if you decide that the Trekking or Butterfly handlebars aren't for you:
https://jonesbikes.com/h-bars/
When I first tried the stereotypical flat and wide mtb bars, my wrists were extremely uncomfortable. A 25 degree backsweep on my Trek 1120 was an improvement, but I found the 45 degree backsweep on the Jones H-bars was even better. They have a model with some rise, if you want that.
However, I had great riding hand positions with the Trekking bars on my gravel bike. Some Grab On Grips, wrapped with bar tape, gives you a wider surface area to lean on and completely solved my hand and wrist soreness for 4-5 hours on the bike.

When you notice your hands getting numb, are your wrists bent? Are you also resting on the rear half of the palm of your hand? Those too things will have to be solved for any bars you use or else you will always get numb hands. Those are not the only reasons you get numb hands. Though I think they are common reasons.

I'd go for the more backswept bars that are pointed toward the rear as shown by GamblerGORD53 , or some of the other odd and less common bar shapes if you don't want to consider drop bars. Me, I use drop bars. I had some that were too wide and found that I tended to bend my wrist both when on the hoods and on the drops. Getting a narrower set of drops eliminated that bending of the wrists.

I have Cane Creek bar ends and I'm probably on those most of the time. I have noticed the silver part of the Ergon grip hits the middle bottom of my palm. Maybe that's at least part of the problem, I don't know.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2e0a132501.jpg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...68ce1eb912.jpg
.

Interesting that you adopt a drop-bar hand position on a flat bar.
It seems awkward to brake or shift from this position.
Your wrist doesn't look particularly straight.
The back of my hands are inline with my forearms and my wrists are not bent sideways. And I don't have to move my hands at all to brake or shift.

How are bar ends usually used on flat bars?

The bottom one has rise, meaning vertical orientation of the handgrips to the stem clamp, and more sweep, meaning the handgrips reach back a little more. The rotation of bars like this should be that when you look at the bike head-on at handlebar level, the handlebar should smile back at you. Naturally, you can roll it back and make it frown, but then your wrists get uncomfortably cocked and the grips ten to slide off if they're not screwed on. Or you can roll it forward and turn the sweep into an even bigger grin. Somewhere in the middle is preferable.

If that's your favored hand position, adding a backward sweep to the bars may angle your wrist more, not less. I wonder if a wider bar is what you need? Also, do you grip loosely or tightly?

It would angle wrist more when on the bar ends, but should be less when using the grips, yes?

I had thought of that. Maybe with a new (more back sweep) handlebar I might want to ditch the bar ends.
Loosely or tightly, it's hard to say. Don't know what to compare it to. I'm riding on pavement so shouldn't be too tightly.
When I choose and get a new bar I thought of widening the space between the Ergon grips.
A new bar will be longer than what is on there now I believe.

Thanks for the reply.

As a general rule, you should be as relaxed as possible everywhere in your body that isn't actively doing something. If your bike fit is good there's no need to grip the bars tightly, just rest your hands there.
A longer bar might make things worse since your wrists are already bent outward. I'd look at how your arms and elbows are positioned (maybe move them outward), you want your wrists as straight as possible.

I don't think I'm over-tightly gripping. I'm going to intentionally try to be aware of it to see what I think.
I've had the thought that maybe I'm leaning on to the handlebars with too much force/weight, but I'm able to release holding the handlebar (for several seconds at least) without falling forward. I have to lean up/back just a little, but that's telling me I'm not putting too much weight forward. (but I'm not a "bike fitter" :D)

Your statement "you want your wrists as straight as possible" brings me back to this link: Painful hands – SQlab (sqlab-usa.com), specifically the too straight bar part. (I like those grips they show on that page)

I'm going to order a bar with more back sweep and maybe I will discontinue using the bar ends and see how that goes. I may even (later if needed) replace the stem so I can raise the height up some, taking pressure off my hands of course.

Thanks for all the replies. :thumb:

The problem is where the pressure accumulates. If it's in the middle over the carpal tunnel, then you WILL get numbness. This happens with straight bars.
The place for your weight is the outside corner of your palm and lesser on the thumb.

Swept "flat bars" can often be rotated in the stem for pretty substantial adjustment of hand position.

To the OP, the second bar will allow you to rotate the handlebar to change your hand position without substantially changing your hand locations. The first bar's grips will change location if the bar is rotated.