Anyone still running bar ends out there?

Wormishere1

Bar ends? Anyone still use them? I am seriously considering a pair again to get a bit more of an advantage on climbs and to give my hands a different option on long rides (I quite like the look of the Cane Creek Ergo Grip II Bar Ends).

I was thinking of seeing if the anodised blue pair of Trans X bar ends are still at my parents house. Pretty sure I drilled a pair of them once too to save weight (another brilliant 1990s idea).

How much

Still see some about but I don't know about improving your climbing never see any one with them pass me going up a hill !
More likely just going to give you a different place to hold the bars And a bit more weight. core or leg exercise is the best way to improve you climbing ability in my opinion .

miceden

Can't recall the last time I saw a set out on the trail.. but then again most people run risers. Doesn't matter, if you want a pair get some.

Wormishere1

How much wrote:

Still see some about but I don't know about improving your climbing never see any one with them pass me going up a hill !
More likely just going to give you a different place to hold the bars And a bit more weight. core or leg exercise is the best way to improve you climbing ability in my opinion .

I think you might have misunderstood my post. I am aware that it will not 'improve' my hill climbing but will give me an advantage over my current setup (opening up lungs etc etc), and as so far as the weight goes a PRS would soon sort that out.

My questions was more of a General question, hence this section not Buying Advice. I was just wondering how many people on here ride with them still, especially those who like the ups (I am a bit of a mountain goat and like my climbs - 1800m on a 64k ride yesterday )

mattham

I still use bar ends and like you, mine are a hang up from the 90's. I still like changing hand positions every so often. My 'learned' behavior from the late 80's and 90's for climbs is still to use them, and I find them useful for road sections as well.....didn't drill mine though, even my 90's x-lite purple ones....

darkspirit

Ive been toying with the idea of getting some as well... maybe

See what she rides like on some new riser bars first.

Soggz

yeah,great ergonomics and give your wrists a rest.

gazcarsf1

Yip still use them on my carbon xc bike, use them all the time on climbs, roads etc. m8 just got a new radley hardtail and he's missing his, as the new bike doesn't have them.

Wormishere1

Gazcarsf1 wrote:

Yip still use them on my carbon xc bike, use them all the time on climbs, roads etc. m8 just got a new radley hardtail and he's missing his, as the new bike doesn't have them.

Which ones are you using?

rockmonkeysc

There's still quite a lot of people using them on xc bikes. I see the advantages but don't think they are going to work on my extra wide bars.

plasma_man

Still use bar ends, as without them on long xc stuff my hands suffer from numbness, so they are a must for me. I don't really like the look of a bike with them but comfort is priority. Is uses ergon GP2, they are fairly conservative and do the trick.

mcnultycop

I just found a pair in the shed this afternoon. I ended up chucking them out.

kirby700

I've just added some to my giant xtc. Just want a different hand position on these longer xcwinter rides were I'm just doing miles - quite a lot on the road as well (just far too boggy)

Looks quite old fashioned but who gives a stuff I'm comfy. (Xlites)

kajjal

Had some on my 1990's mountain bike. They were good if you spend a long time riding and wanted more hand positions. I took them off as they just got in the way for me.

gazcarsf1

Wormishere1 wrote:

Gazcarsf1 wrote:

Yip still use them on my carbon xc bike, use them all the time on climbs, roads etc. m8 just got a new radley hardtail and he's missing his, as the new bike doesn't have them.

Which ones are you using?

Cube ones, came with the bike

njee20

IMO they have a place on narrow (ie <600mm) flat bars, but not on wider bars/risers.

They're pretty rare even on XC race bikes these days, most folk are going wider. Mt Zoom do really nice light ones for not much money!

PerformingMonkey

No personal comment on their usefulness on the trails but did see this on an article my friend forwarded to me:

http://dirt.mpora.com/featured/the-15-w ... ver.html/8

njee20

Well they're really stupid at that angle - should be the same as the stem. Does undoubtedly give a better position for climbing, particularly out of the saddle IMO, but as I said, wider bars mitigate the need/benefit.

Long_Time_Lurker

I have them on my commuter bike - I find that it does help when climbing (and gives my hands/wrists a break on long rides).
Not on my local trails though, there are too many trees. It's just asking for a bar end to get hooked up on a stray branch.

njee20

Got one caught in the orange netting they used to use periodically at races many years ago. It was a lesson in how fast you can hit the deck!

Penylope

Run a pair on my flat bar roadie, only short stubby's, not the cow horns i used 'back in t'day'.

They do help a lot for comfort on the road, changing hand positions. not really been an issue on the mtb's though, so havent gone down that route. It does look a bit naff with bar ends on riser bars though

.blitz

Have got some USE carbon bar ends on the Proflex but it's a dinosaur from 1996 with a flat 640 mm X-lite titanium bar. Tried it briefly with a low riser (limited choice for a 25.4 clamp) but it just didn't work esp with the 130 mm (lol) stem

veronese68

I stuck some on before doing the London to Brighton off road last year. Long ride so I wanted options to change hand positions, also I was getting tingly fingers so alternate positions seemed like a good idea. I went with some shaped Specialized ones, they seem alright to me. I still have some on my 90s Marin, but that's always had them and it just gets used as a hack now.

Angus Young

Veronese68 wrote:

... also I was getting tingly fingers so alternate positions seemed like a good idea.

Ah ha! I thought I was the only one. Is that common, then?

Northwind

I used to swear by them but it turns out most of the benefit was just due to handlebars being too narrow. These days I still fit 'em occasionally just as above, to vary the riding position on long rides. They feel a bit weird on wide bars though- might try fitting a set inbound of the controls, like tiny tribars

darkspirit

Northwind wrote:

...might try fitting a set inbound of the controls, like tiny tribars

That's not a bad idea that...

batmo

The missus and I like all-day rides and we both use bar ends, although mine are stubby ones and hers are larger with a right-angle bend in them. I find that just being able to have your hands in a different position (and particularly wrist angle) for even a couple of minutes noticably reduces fatigue. I suppose we are both a bit old-school at heart too...

veronese68

Angus Young wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

... also I was getting tingly fingers so alternate positions seemed like a good idea.

Ah ha! I thought I was the only one. Is that common, then?

I don't think it's that uncommon. I started looking at various things and think the main issue for me was the angle of the bars, as they put too much pressure on the outside of my hands this seemed to make it worse. Flatter bars helped more, I went for carbon to see if that made a difference as well. I don't think the carbon made much, any, difference. Changing grips may help. Next time you ride think about your hands and if one area seems to have more pressure on it than anywhere else. Might help. Good luck.

Angus Young

Veronese68 wrote:

I don't think it's that uncommon. I started looking at various things and think the main issue for me was the angle of the bars, as they put too much pressure on the outside of my hands this seemed to make it worse. Flatter bars helped more, I went for carbon to see if that made a difference as well. I don't think the carbon made much, any, difference. Changing grips may help. Next time you ride think about your hands and if one area seems to have more pressure on it than anywhere else. Might help. Good luck.

It's usually just my left hand and after an hour or so. You might be right about the grips - the ones I've got on at the moment are cheap as chips and it's only gloves that make them ridable for any length of time.

welshkev

Angus Young wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

I don't think it's that uncommon. I started looking at various things and think the main issue for me was the angle of the bars, as they put too much pressure on the outside of my hands this seemed to make it worse. Flatter bars helped more, I went for carbon to see if that made a difference as well. I don't think the carbon made much, any, difference. Changing grips may help. Next time you ride think about your hands and if one area seems to have more pressure on it than anywhere else. Might help. Good luck.

It's usually just my left hand and after and hour or so. You might be right about the grips - the ones I've got on at the moment are cheap as chips and it's only gloves that make them ridable for any length of time.

a mate of mine used to get it quite badly and he changed to some of the ergon (?) grips. the ones with the sticky out bit on them:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/erg ... tAodCnwAOw

and now he doesn't get it at all

Angus Young

Actually, I think I've thrown a bit of a red herring in here. I should have clarified that I ride a fully ridgid at the moment so that gets to be pretty tough going off road.