[D Bone]

10mm difference is enormous, and 5mm is huge.......... To me at least.

 

[kapusta]

5mm is huge to me. If you don't have the skills to feel that difference...well, that's on you.

Well, i guess we can be whatever we like on the internet. I can can feel the difference taking the stickers off my fork. That's how skilled i am.

 

[Impetus]

I think 'feels different' is a subjective thing. Even the definition is up for interpretation. I went from a 90mm to an 80mm stem. I couldn't tell the difference in the driveway. I left it but didn't get to ride the bike for about a week and half forgot that I had swapped stems with my road bike. After the first downhill section on the first ride I thought to myself "damn my bike feels dialed today! I'm in the zone!" but I didn't make the connection until halfway through the ride. Out of curiosity I swapped back to a 90 and it felt off again. Maybe real, maybe confirmation bias.
Moving to a 50mm was immediately apparent in the driveway and the bike climbed like crap, but was amazing on the descents. Sadly I just couldn't get my cockpit sorted enough to keep the short stem. I think feeling 5mm is atypically sensitive, but in inclined to believe that 10mm is discernible to most.

 

[Axe]

Given that typical frame sizing is in 20 mm increments or around that, I would guess 10mm is about as fine grained as most people would care. On the same bike, I would distinguish 10mm. 5mm - unlikely.

 

[kapusta]

Given that typical frame sizing is in 20 mm increments or around that, I would guess 10mm is about as fine grained as most people would care. On the same bike, I would distinguish 10mm. 5mm - unlikely.

Yeah, I guess I could just tell 10mm. When playing with stems I can definitely tell practical differences between stems 15mm apart. 5mm, no way (I have a 45 and a 50 that I have swapped). I guess 10mm is around the smallest that I could see making a difference.

 

[djjohnr]

I currently own stems ranging from 40mm to 55mm in 5mm increments. 5mm can make a very large impact, especially on a downhill bike. 2.5mm of stem spacer can make all the difference when you're at the limit of acceptable range. If you don't know what you're looking for when you're adjusting you may not notice. The differences are felt most at the limits of your handling capabilities.

 

[turbodog]

Still run 27" riser bars with about a 1.5" rise. Easton carbon. Considering I used to run 22" bars with barends back in the day, and swapping to 24" XC rider bars was a big change, these are pretty wide. I'd try out wider but we have a bunch of trees around here that I don't feel like smashing my hand into.

 

[fsrxc]

5mm is huge to me. If you don't have the skills to feel that difference...well, that's on you.

A small rotation of the bars can change reach by several mms either way, so there's another way to fine tune.

 

[gpgalanis]

Well as far as I am concerned I love my riser bars!

 

[_rich_]

I'm uncomfy on low-rise or flat bars....plus the high rise is much easier on my back

I have high rise on all my bikes....

 

[DriverB]

Old thread, but +1.

Hi/low rise handlebars are just one tool to help you get the optimal bar height/reach for a particular frame/fork/wheel/body geometry combination. The same person may have one bike that requires a high rise bar and another that requires a low rise bar.

Also, there is a misconception stated here in a few places that any desired higher grip position / bar height can simply be achieved by adding stem spacers. Thus some earlier in the thread argue there is no point to riser bars (why not just get flat bars and put in spacers?)

This is only true to an extent because at some point you run out of steerer tube. The top of your stem should technically sit 3-5 mm above your steerer tube to allow for enough stem purchase to be safe while giving enough room for the top cap to preload the headset bearings property. Thus your bar height adjustment is capped by the length of your steerer tube, and some bikes (older geo trail bikes) may then be left with bar rise as the final adjustable variable to get a higher grip position (assuming you don't want to run a long, angle CC stem). Older trail geo seems to favor a forward cross country style position where the grips are well below the seat at average for a given frame size. You may need spacers AND bar rise just to get the bars up to seat height if running a modern short 0 degree stem.

 

[kapusta]

Old thread, but +1.



Also, there is a misconception stated here in a few places that any desired higher grip position / bar height can simply be achieved by adding stem spacers. Thus some earlier in the thread argue there is no point to riser bars (why not just get flat bars and put in spacers?)

This is only true to an extent because at some point you run out of steerer tube. The top of your stem should technically sit 3-5 mm above your steerer tube to allow for enough stem purchase to be safe while giving enough room for the top cap to preload the headset bearings property. Thus your bar height adjustment is capped by the length of your steerer tube, and some bikes (older geo trail bikes) may then be left with bar rise as the final adjustable variable to get a higher grip position (assuming you don't want to run a long, angle CC stem). Older trail geo seems to favor a forward cross country style position where the grips are well below the seat at average for a given frame size. You may need spacers AND bar rise just to get the bars up to seat height if running a modern short 0 degree stem.

I think it goes without saying that The recommend option to add more spacers comes with the condition that there is enough steer tube to do so.

 

[DriverB]

I think it goes without saying that The recommend option to add more spacers comes with the condition that there is enough steer tube to do so.

it doesn't appear that is common knowledge reading the thread. Thus wanted to add to the record to clarify for future readers. Leaving the correct amount of stem above the steerer tube is crucial.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk

 

[kapusta]

why no love for high (2&quot riser bars?

it doesn't appear that is common knowledge reading the thread. Thus wanted to add to the record to clarify for future readers. Leaving the correct amount of stem above the steerer tube is crucial.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk

Keep in mind that a lot of people have spacers above their stems as well, thus allowing for more adjustment this way.

And when the bike is new, you can make the steerer however long you want before you get the fit dialed in.

 

[DriverB]

Keep in mind that a lot of people have spacers above their stems as well, thus allowing for more adjustment this way.

And when the bike is new, you can make the steerer however long you want before you get the fit dialed in.

Yes that is of course true, the point again is there is an upper limit that is a cap on how high you can go.

Of course you can buy a new fork and steerer tube to go higher but most would simply opt for bar rise when spacers and stem are maxed out. Unless you love a flat bar.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk

 

[2DIE]

I picked up some black 50mm Deity Bars today, they are from 2014 but are still brand new in the packaging.

They are a negative of my old white Deity bars on a bike I had a few months ago.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

 

[cmc4130]

https://www.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=170526

STOUT 4-piece:

 

[2DIE]

My old DMR wingbars.. sold them a few weeks ago. They were nice bars but I they didn't suit any of my bikes.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

 

[vernondozier]

As you see, some say handling reasons, others say they look weird. For me 2 inch riser Spank bars made my cockpit perfect. So comfortable and same control over technical or high speeds. I hate feeling too forward.

 

[@[email protected]]

The bar looks fine, but pls take off the boot of your GD, it will look alot better. I run my GD without the boot for 2yrs now, with no problem.

I love the boots. I made a boot out of an old inner tube. All I've read on the webz is that muddy grit will destroy a dropper post, so I keep that sh!t off mine.

It's as pertinent today as it was 5 years ago!