Bar Ends

mgkaplan said:

I am considering adding bar ends to my Easton Monkey Lite XC. I have never used bar ends before. I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations as to bar end. Also, should I be worried about bar ends interfering with access to the handlebar.

a good bar end is designed to help you shift your weight forward particularly when climbing. they are also good at offering alternative hand positions if you get sore hands after a while. I would go for relatively short ones that had a straight profile and would put them at an angle of about 20-30degrees from the horizontal so that they were comfortable to lean on when you were out of the saddle. bar ends can sometiems have a tendency to catch branches but if your hands are not on them at the time they help protect your hands, but you should be wearing gloves anyway..

davebee said:

a good bar end is designed to help you shift your weight forward particularly when climbing. they are also good at offering alternative hand positions if you get sore hands after a while. I would go for relatively short ones that had a straight profile and would put them at an angle of about 20-30degrees from the horizontal so that they were comfortable to lean on when you were out of the saddle. bar ends can sometiems have a tendency to catch branches but if your hands are not on them at the time they help protect your hands, but you should be wearing gloves anyway..

Thanks.

By the way, do you have any input as to the appropriate width for the bar. I am beginning to think that my 660mm bar is too wide.

mgkaplan said:

Thanks.

By the way, do you have any input as to the appropriate width for the bar. I am beginning to think that my 660mm bar is too wide.

basically whatever is comfortable. i like to try and get the width of the bar such that when my hands are comfortably on the grips (which are obviously at the end of the bar) my arm is extending naturally from my shoulder. (if you put bar ends on you will ened to have the bar slightly wider to achieve this. if you take too much off your arms will be inverted and just as bad as too wide.

[font=Comic Sans MS]I’ve snagged my bar ends on branches occasionally but the benefits of bar ends far out way the negatives, as to handle bar width I adhere to the shoulder width theory the bar should be roughly the width of your shoulders.[/font]

[font='Times New Roman'][font=Comic Sans MS]I wrap my bar ends with handlebar tape, it makes for a more comfortable ride, although i see the new stubby bar end’s are rubberised.[/font][/font]

The Monkey Lite is a riser bar, correct? You don't see too many people with bar ends on riser bars. That's not to say that you can't do it, it's just not common practice.
Also, with a carbon bar only certain types of bar ends are reccomended. It's all in how they clamp to the bar.
Check the link below for instructions and diagrams from the Easton site.
You will need Adobe acrobat to view it.

eastonbike.combarends.pdfOpen ↗

Scottyluck said:

The Monkey Lite is a riser bar, correct? You don't see too many people with bar ends on riser bars. That's not to say that you can't do it, it's just not common practice.
Also, with a carbon bar only certain types of bar ends are reccomended. It's all in how they clamp to the bar.
Check the link below for instructions and diagrams from the Easton site.
You will need Adobe acrobat to view it.

eastonbike.combarends.pdfOpen ↗

Yes the Monkey Lite is a riser bar. This small rise brings the bar up to my preferred riding level without my having to use a stem of awkward length.

It is compatible with certain bar ends which my LBS has. I will be installing the Titec Pluto Carbon bar ends. They should work well.

Here they are: titec.compdmain.phpOpen ↗

I used to have bar ends on my ol' DiamondBack and i loved em...untill i stacked pretty bad and they went straight into my chest...:eek: i kind of went off them when i got my Giant...but reading this, i might reopen my interest in them!
Thanks!
(Even though i really didnt help there!)

I guess it depends on where you ride, but in Va, I found that the damn things kept catching vines and saplings. I caught a small tree going downhill once, and it threw me 10 feet. I'm old might break my hip:eek: so I took the off!

I have the Easton EC70 bar, which is a flat bar, but is structurally the same on the ends as your Easton carbon riser bar. I have been using Control Tech Carbon Stubbys on them for the last year and they work great! I have had no problems with the bar cracking or with the bar ends slipping. Just make sure you tighten to the correct torque specifications so as not to crack the bar. The stubbys are small, shaped great for your hand, light, and provide that little extra leverage and multiple hand positions.