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Riser bars or bar ends for more upright posture in old mtn bike commuter?

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Riser bars or bar ends for more upright posture in old mtn bike commuter?

Old 11-16-13, 06:09 PM
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nonlinear
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Riser bars or bar ends for more upright posture in old mtn bike commuter?

Hello all,

I use a 1999 trek 6000 for my short (15 min) daily commute. However, it has straight flat handlebars, and sometimes I feel like I'm bending over a bit too much. On longer rides, my hands also get tired of staying in the same position. I'm considering either a riser bar, bar ends, or both (?) to address these problems. Can you guys comment on those as solutions? Which would be better, and where would be a cheap place to get these parts? Need new handgrips too! This is just a durable commuter that gets locked, so I don't need anything fancy but it should be durable.

Thanks!
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Old 11-16-13, 07:42 PM
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Bar ends would move your hands farther away from the brakes, which is a bad idea on a commuter bike. Can you get a taller stem?
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Old 11-16-13, 07:56 PM
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Bar ends are good for multiple hand positions, but when properly set up to provide them, they do not help you achieve a more upright posture; quite the opposite, in fact, since they stretch your reach and effectively lower your position.

Therefor, if you want to get more upright, you'll need to raise your bars. Risers will work somewhat, but it's probably just as easy and cheap to get a higher rise stem to replace your current one; you can probably get more height that way.

Try Nashbar.com for parts on the cheap.
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Old 11-16-13, 08:17 PM
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My vote is for a new stem as well.

As for the grips- Ergon GP-1. Come in different sizes and trigger or grip shift variants. I'm a bit biased, though, as I have a set that replaced the stock rubber grips that started falling apart after I cut them down in order to install bar ends.
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Old 11-17-13, 12:26 AM
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Originally Posted by no1mad
My vote is for a new stem as well.

As for the grips- Ergon GP-1. Come in different sizes and trigger or grip shift variants. I'm a bit biased, though, as I have a set that replaced the stock rubber grips that started falling apart after I cut them down in order to install bar ends.
I've been wanting to try those Ergons; maybe soon, as I'm scheduling the commuter for an overhaul late winter.
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Old 11-17-13, 05:08 AM
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I would simply get some North Road handlebars
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Old 11-17-13, 08:23 AM
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Don't know where the o.p. is but I have risers aplenty to sell, swap or just swan off into that good night. The nicest riser bars I have (Truvativ) have Ergon GP3's still attached, along with Avid long pull brake levers. They are 31.8mm though. North Road bars don't come much more reasonable than the one's by Velo Orange. Not parting with those... yet.

H

P.S. The above notwithstanding, the real solution to the issues raised (nyuk) in the o.p. is drop bars. If you think you are bending over too much, you probably are not bending over enough. Eliminating potato chips and fast food can't hurt either...<running, ducking..>
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Old 11-17-13, 11:24 AM
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Originally Posted by Leisesturm
Don't know where the o.p. is but I have risers aplenty to sell, swap or just swan off into that good night. The nicest riser bars I have (Truvativ) have Ergon GP3's still attached, along with Avid long pull brake levers. They are 31.8mm though. North Road bars don't come much more reasonable than the one's by Velo Orange. Not parting with those... yet.

H

P.S. The above notwithstanding, the real solution to the issues raised (nyuk) in the o.p. is drop bars. If you think you are bending over too much, you probably are not bending over enough. Eliminating potato chips and fast food can't hurt either...<running, ducking..>
Hey I love potato chips as much as the next guy, but I'm actually very lean so that's not the problem. Why would you say I'm not bending over enough? It was so bad I was getting a tingly willy on longer rides (), I lowered my seat a bit and that helped but I still feel more comfortable sitting up a bit.
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Old 11-18-13, 12:50 AM
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I got these bars from amazon for $13. Makes for a much nicer ride.

They either went up in price, or I got the initial price wrong, they're $16

https://www.amazon.com/Wald-5-25-Inch...nch+riser+bars
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Old 11-18-13, 01:27 PM
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Originally Posted by nonlinear
Hey I love potato chips as much as the next guy, but I'm actually very lean so that's not the problem. Why would you say I'm not bending over enough? It was so bad I was getting a tingly willy on longer rides (), I lowered my seat a bit and that helped but I still feel more comfortable sitting up a bit.
There is another thread, a poll actually, that breaks down the distribution of different kinds of handlebars in use by the forum at large. Personally I thought the percentage of flat/riser bar users would be much higher. I'm just one guy, my experiences don't count for much. But have a look at that poll. Now what do you think when a whole lot of guys think that drops on road bikes is a better way to go?

I'll save you some time and expense and tell you now that raising your bars will not provide as much relief as you hope. When you get into Dutch Workbike territory with the bars 6" higher than your saddle, maybe. But... are you going to change your saddle too? Probably not, but you should, you know. All of a sudden you are now putting your entire weight on a 145mm wide saddle. Is that a good idea? Since going to drops I am bent over without any tingles either below the waist or above. You have much more power to apply to the pedals. FWIW.

H
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Old 11-18-13, 01:36 PM
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I did both riser and adjustable stem 4 years ago. I'm still on them today and i'm pretty happy with my saddle on a more upright position . Medically speaking it is better to be more upright to put all the pressure on your sitbones. That's why 100% perineal pressure relieve medical saddles require from people to ride in a more upright position

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Old 11-18-13, 02:07 PM
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If your riding style is upright, an adjustable stem ($27) riser bars ($19) and bar ends, I use the shorty style ($20)
should work fine. I have two bikes set up this now. My Raleigh MTB is shown.
The other is my Giant Cypress which has travelled 8000km (5000miles) with a similar setup.

I would love to actually have the "weight on the bars theory" verified some day. I don't think its as significant as most believe.




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Old 11-18-13, 02:15 PM
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I use Trekking bars , they are higher than my saddle. figure 8 bend in grip shift friendly 7/8" tube.

Ergons on my Brompton M3L.
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Old 11-18-13, 02:28 PM
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I think with any upright bar (defined by having grips at the ends) is safe enough. I wouldn't worry about moving your hands to the brake levers to brake. I move my right foot to reach the brake in my car. It doesn't take too long.

While most of the advice above is probably all you need, it seems to me that you just might be able to put bar ends on backwards so they reach back. If you like that, then you could consider a North Road type of bend, which sweeps back towards you.
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Old 11-18-13, 04:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Leisesturm
There is another thread, a poll actually, that breaks down the distribution of different kinds of handlebars in use by the forum at large. Personally I thought the percentage of flat/riser bar users would be much higher. I'm just one guy, my experiences don't count for much. But have a look at that poll. Now what do you think when a whole lot of guys think that drops on road bikes is a better way to go?

I'll save you some time and expense and tell you now that raising your bars will not provide as much relief as you hope. When you get into Dutch Workbike territory with the bars 6" higher than your saddle, maybe. But... are you going to change your saddle too? Probably not, but you should, you know. All of a sudden you are now putting your entire weight on a 145mm wide saddle. Is that a good idea? Since going to drops I am bent over without any tingles either below the waist or above. You have much more power to apply to the pedals. FWIW.

H
That's laughable logic! Lots of people like some really dumb sh*t!
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Old 11-18-13, 05:03 PM
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Most of commutes, errands, and social functions are 15 min-25min rides, and my flatbar/bar end setup is awesome for that. I've ridden on 20 mile trips without problem, and would probably ride it any distance. Your experience may vary, but 15 minutes is brief enough that one could ride anything, I think.

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