Do Bar Ends giva a performance advantage ??

twedspeed

Hi, will fitting a set of Bar Ends to my MTB give me a performance advantage when climbing ? - I remember reading something about Bar Ends utilising the upper arm muscles more ??
Ive recently bought a new bike with a wider flater bar set up , and it climbs great - But I feel that a set of Bar Ends would make it even better, if theres any competion racers or anyone with performance figures to prove this Id be very interested to hear it - Thanks

Chunkers1980

If it works for you it works for you. There won't be any meaningful data out there.

njee20

On narrow flat bars I'd say they have a place, on risers or wider flats the hand position they offer just doesn't work IMO.

Man Of Lard

Obviously they allow a different hand/arm position - and a change is as good as a rest - so perhaps you can go (on average) harder for longer?

I've thought about bar ends (or climber stubs) - but ultimately went CX dropbar

cooldad

Maybe if the bars are roughly shoulder width, but other wise you would be in a really funny position with properly wide bars.

mattyfez

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19622096#p19622096]cooldad[/url] wrote:

Maybe if the bars are roughly shoulder width, but other wise you would be in a really funny position with properly wide bars.

I agree with this, in my very limited experience they allow for a different grip angle, which can be nice but it's surprising how little grip you need on the bars, my issue is gripping to tight, which limits movement and wastes energy.

I have fairly flat bars and have to be conscious to lean forward on climbs, or my weight is enough to lift the front wheel up and an up hill wheelie is never going to end well!

The Rookie

I've never had an issue climbing on narrow flat bars by adopting the right body position (tuck your elbows in and it automatically bends them and pulls your body forward) but for longer rides they can offer a different had grip position (well 2, half and fully on the bar ends) which may be useful depending how comfy you are on the normal position.

rockmonkeysc

I think wide bars give more advantage than bar ends. Better stability, better steering, more comfortable And think a better position for climbing.
I have read that wide bars help open up the rib cage and allow easier breathing when things get tough. It was on the Internet so must be true.

cooldad

If you want your rib cage opened up I have a hammer and a chisel.

kajjal

Bar ends were popular in the 1990's and just give you another position for riding. I had them then but soon got a wider riser bar and removed them.

paul.skibum

You don't see them on pro xc riders bikes which suggests to me they dont provide an advantage. I personally never saw the "another position" argument and I dont believe in the tuck elbows in I believe in elbows out to bring weight forward, especially for tech climbing.

And on wider bars adding anything extra to hook around the trees is a fools idea.

njee20

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19622502#p19622502]cyd190468[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19622500#p19622500]paul.skibum[/url] wrote:

You don't see them on pro xc riders bikes which suggests to me they dont provide an advantage. I personally never saw the "another position" argument and I dont believe in the tuck elbows in I believe in elbows out to bring weight forward, especially for tech climbing.

And on wider bars adding anything extra to hook around the trees is a fools idea.

Ahem Absalon

Old photo. They've died a death now, as I said, with wider bars they don't offer an advantage.

PXR5

Tried to use them a few times, mainly just to give the old hands a rest on longer rides, but the problem was always the same, if you're on some nice open track then you'll have no problem, but the minute you disappear off down some narrow forest path with overgrowing/hanging branches etc i guarantee that sooner or later they'll catch on something and you'll be off for a little flight before hitting the deck - so i guess its depends on your riding, i love the narrow forest tracks with tight switch backs etc so bar ends are now a definate no no...

Angus Young

They came on my old bike. Used them for a few months then took them off and the bike was all the better for it.

Thewaylander

Depends where you put them

rockmonkeysc

Ergon grips are even worse than bar ends.

paul.skibum

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19623369#p19623369]cyd190468[/url] wrote:

It's a trade off though. I would say I've crashed because of bar ends maybe four of five times but to balance that there have been many occasions where I've clipped a tree and the bar end has protected my pinky. Now that most brakes come with single digit levers, your outside two fingers are very exposed in a crash. They also protect brake levers and gear selectors.

If this were actually a real problem there would be a market for the hand guards used by moto riders for mtbers and there isnt so it isnt. I have not once bent a brake lever or smashed a finger on a tree.

The Rookie

Indeed as most bar ends are straight or provide minimal wrap in front of the grip area, it would have to have been quite a substantial overlap to help, that's just covering up for poor riding.

cooldad

I thought you were a teacher?

rockmonkeysc

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19625546#p19625546]cooldad[/url] wrote:

I thought you were a teacher?

Maybe he teaches groupies to use protection next time?

cooldad

Nope, real musicians have sex and drugs in the daytime, the bit they are awake anyway.

nferrar

I still use them on my rigid single-speed, I like the leverage it gives on steep climbs, it's also just nice to have another hand position when trail buzz starts to take it's toll. Agree they're pointless on most bikes these days though. I would also add I've mashed my little finger a couple of times riding in narrow tree lined trails and have never hooked a tree when using bar ends, plenty of bar ends out there angle or curve in (and at no point extend outwards of the bar) but personally I'd say they'd be overkill just to use as hand guards.