[xckonakeith]

Hey folks,

Had my first race a few weeks back - great experience!. Got 5th in Senior Sport which I was happy with for my first time out and I learned a lot for next time.

Anyways, I currently have a riser bar (a pretty big rise too - Truvative Team Xc-DH - I think it might be 1.5 - 2.0 inch rise).

Pros: comfortable, good on descents
Cons: hate it for climbing, not in "agressive" body position on flats, heavy

I am seriously thinking about going to a flat bar (with bar ends - fashion faux pas or not) but am a bit hesitant cause I have never ridden flats before.

I have read some prevous articles on this but am looking for more info / input.

Any thought / suggestions / comments / experiences / input?

K

 

[mtbfool]

I rode flat bars for a long time. Went to a riser last year, and back to a flat bar this year (weight trimming). I like it better. I feel like I'm better technically with it. Not sure why, but maybe because that is just what I'm used to riding.

No fashion faux pas to put bar ends on a flat bar.

 

[used2Bhard]

Flat

A flat bar makes me feel alot more stable on downhills and fast twisty sections. On the climbs I move my hands around so much that it really doesn't matter what I use as long as my seat/bar drop is corrrect.

 

[ashwinearl]

A bar is a bar

There are several specifications for handlebars

Width
Sweepback
Position relative to the saddle
-reach (distance from saddle to grips position)
-drop (distance from level saddle to the grips)

Flat or riser, it doesn't matter. What matters are the above dimensions.

in GENERAL, riser bars tend to be wider, and have greater sweepback. There are some flat bars on the market that have similar width/sweepback of typical riser bars.

Typically it requires a longer fork steerer tube and a bunch of spacers (or a high rise stem) to get a flat bar in the same position as a riser bar)

conversely it might require removing a bunch of spacers or using a negative rise stem to get a riser bar in the same place that a flat bar would go.

Regardless you can get either kind of bar in to the same exact position and you wouldn't know the difference.

Two things to consider are there is a limit to how narrow a bar you can go with a riser because the bends in the bar impact how far inboard your brake levers and shifters can go.

The other is the fasion police and their stance on using bar ends on riser bars.

 

[Duckman]

Typically, flats are considered easier to get forward with when climbing. Lighter and narrower on average. Some of the best risers run 130gms tho(MaxM, Extralite, EC90SL), and then I cut'm to 24".

I've tried to like flat bars, but just hate the way they feel(lack of sweep), feeling more like a static bar then being a part of the bike like a riser does. Maybe its my MX roots. Thats just me tho.

 

[schwing_ding]

Flats are usually limited in sweep and width.

One limitation I have found with flat bars is the width. I am used to a 25.5" low riser. Salsa has a flat bar with a wider stance and you can get it in two sweeps. I believe 7 and 11 degrees or so. If you find either of these two to be a limiter of most flat bars, the salsa might be an option. You will have to scan their site to find it, and it only comes in aluminum, but it is another option.

 

[Cyco-Dude]

5 or 11 degrees, and they make them in carbon as well. syntace has some wide, high-sweep flat bars as well.

 

[Sideknob]

Risers or flat - doesn't really matter as long as you get the height and cockpit length right for effective climbing and acceptable descending ability. You can trim a riser to be narrower if need be.

Being just under average height, I prefer flat bars to get the height right - I like to climb and find risers too high for me - and the front end flops around everywhere.

As such I prefer fat bars.

I also like the lighter weight of flat bars in general. I also think they look better - risers make an XC bike look too cruisy for my tastes.

As for fashion - check out how many people have risers on a negative rise stem - now THERE'S a faux pas!!

 

[mtn hack]

One limitation I have found with flat bars is the width. I am used to a 25.5" low riser. Salsa has a flat bar with a wider stance and you can get it in two sweeps. I believe 7 and 11 degrees or so. If you find either of these two to be a limiter of most flat bars, the salsa might be an option. You will have to scan their site to find it, and it only comes in aluminum, but it is another option.

I have the Salsa 26" 11 degree and freaken love it. I have had a couple of carbon bars in the past few years, and never got over the irrational fear of dinging it and causing a potential fatal defect.

My last xc carbon bar was a 3 degree, 110 g (listed as 98g) 23.5" flat.

The Salsa is 11 degree, 178g, 26". IMO the extra control is well worth the extra 2.4oz.

 

[hogwash]

i, like sideknob, feel like with riser bars the front end just flops around too much. i had some on my bike and even trimmed them down in hopes of giving me more control but had no luck. once i put my flat bar on i felt as if i had tons more control both climbing and descending. but as stated in previous posts, it's probably more the height and sweep than the actual shape of the bars. but when i first got into mtb'ing in the late '80s it was all flat bars and since that's what i learned on, that's what i'm more comfortable with.

 

[xckonakeith]

pdate

Hey everyone, thanks for the great input!

I put the flat bar (Easton Ea 50) on yesterday with some Serfas bar ends and went for a long ride. I absolutely loved the more areodynamic and agressive position it put me in. Dont know if it was a placebo effect, but my legs felt like they had more juice. It was one of my better rides in a few weeks. Overall, I was really impressed with it.

I'll find out if it really made a difference in my race next week. I'll let you know.

K

 

[johndcurtis]

Two points that I don't think have been mentioned yet:
1) flat bars get more weight over the front tire, so can help with cornering
2) riser bars can relieve stress on your lower back, so if you have back pain, borrow a riser bar and see if that helps at all

 

[johndcurtis]

Oh, and congrats on your great finish in your first race!

 

[xckonakeith]

Thanks John! I was really happy with the placing. I learened a whole lot and am pretty stoked about the next one.

Again, I'll let you know how it goes.

K

 

[Cyco-Dude]

Dont know if it was a placebo effect, but my legs felt like they had more juice. It was one of my better rides in a few weeks. Overall, I was really impressed with it.

probably. nothing like some new bike stuff to make you want to get out and ride!

 

[Mark M13]

If you go with a flat bar, you'll probably want a higher rise stem and/or more spacers if your steerer tube will allow. Most stems these days are 6º due to the proliferation of risers. You will feel significantly lower if you just plop on a flat (note the post, "A bar is a bar"). My race bike has a flat with a 15º stem, my "Do Everything" 5" travel bike has a 1" riser with a 6º stem The riser is more comfortable as it's a bit higher and has a nice 8º sweep. I do notice it makes up hill technical climbing more of a challenge as the front lifts too easily.

One thing that folks haven't mentioned is to try a Ti. bar if you're going to a flat. They are way more durable than carbon and you don't have to worry about what type of bar end you can use. I've been using a TiTec 118g bar on and off for 10 years now!!! The bike it came on has long since been retired (it's my beater) but the bar is still going strong. Ti bars are far from cheap but, it's the last one you'll buy.

Good luck,
M

 

[glagola1]

I battled back pains for what seemed like forever while trying different length stems with different rises all the while I was using some riser bars thinking that they would help. Well, the day I installed some flats again, the pain seemed to disappear. I think that by putting more weight over the bars I was able to use the weight of my upper body to act against the pedaling up hills instead of using my trunk to pedal against.

I was pretty surprised that by going lower I was able to help the back pain thing. A side benefit was the extra control and agressive feeling I got from putting more weight over the front wheel.

matt

 

[I-S]

5 or 11 degrees, and they make them in carbon as well. syntace has some wide, high-sweep flat bars as well.

As do Titec (hellbent flat)

 

[eric]

I had the exact same experience initially. It depends on wether your back pain is a result of over-extension (hence a riser might help) or over-exertion (where a flat bar is better). It's a fine balance between being bent double enough to pedal efficiently, but not being bent so double that it causes you pain or handles poorly. ;-)

 

[hamachi]

as previous posters pointed out, focus not so much on the bar/stem you are using but rather where your hands are (vertical height difference from seat, horizontal distance from seat, width) and how they are oriented (sweep)...

when Seven does their frame customization, they begin with the seat position (calculated by your inseam measurement) and then they position your hands according to your upper torso and arm measurements as well as your riding style/comfort needs... so focus on getting your hands in a position that suits your style and comfort and then work on getting a stem/handlebar combo that allows your hands to be there -- I believe there is almost an infinite combination of stem lengths, rises, and handlebars that can do this

i personally ride a Seven with a 0-degree stem and flat handlebars