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my Stumpjumper has Easton EA50 bars - 685mm wide, low rise with 9 degree back-sweep, stem is a 90mm, grips are thinnish.
when going along the flat and climbing I feel inclined to change grip position and put my thumbs on top of the bars whilst maintaining an otherwise normal hand grip.
I think part of this is that the top tube is a bit short for optimum climbing so I'm leaning forward and pushing my elbows out - putting my thumbs on top of the bar allows me to bring my elbows in.
is there are particular bar rise/ sweep that will allow me to keep my thumbs under the bars?
I can't help but thinking bar-ends would be a good idea! 😕
I used to get lots of problems with my hands going numb and having to shift position on the bars. when I switched to a shorter 50mm stem and wider 750mm bars with a high rise this all went away:)
Sounds like first option would be to rotate your bars forward.
bar ends are always a good idea 😀
and sometimes so are longer stems - prob even beneficial on a xc bike compared to super short ones
Sounds like first option would be to rotate your bars forward.
what would that do?
Bar ends would be the answer, but unfortunately the style police would make your life hell.
bar ends are ok with flattish bars aren't they?
brakes -
Sounds like first option would be to rotate your bars forward.
what would that do?
Or backwards maybe.
It is just another position adjustment, same with saddle angle and setback.
It is not possible for 9 Degree back sweep flat bar to fit everyone, this is just the general best fit for the average person.
Rotating the bars gives you adjust to suit your hand position relative to shoulder width, arm length, frame and stem size.
Once you have a rise and up sweep involved too, it further increases the eccentricity of the rotation, which gives an even larger range of positions.
Personally I like to have my bars turned more forward than most people, up to you.
thanks - I'll give that a whirl.
it seems counter-intuitive but when I think about it, it seems that more sweep would be better.
I've got some 20 degree sweep bars you could have a go on if you like?
I also feel inclined to put my thumbs on top of the bars when climbing - same as you, to get elbows down, weight down and over the front. change is as good as rest sort of thing.
Never occured to me to be a problem though? Just put them back under if I need a bit more control again.
Bar ends are no longer popular for good practical reasons, not just fashion. It's nice to have an extra hand position on long climbs, but your bike handles much better everywhere else without them!
My Stumpy also felt a bit short in the top tube for climbing with the stock bars. Popped some wider bars on and no longer have any such problems. Try some 740mm+ and see if it helps.
what would that do?
Think of it as adjusting the sweep, moving them forward will give you less back sweep and more up sweep, moving them back gives you more back and less up.
I've got Easton bars on one bike and Race Face on another and in both cases I like them rotated just a little forward so that the main rise of the bar either side of the stem is just a little forward of vertical. This gives me a bit less back and a bit more up, which I like as it encourages me to keep my elbows up and out. Riding with my elbows in and dropped tend to make me too fixed on the bike and inhibits moving around to get the bike leant into corners.
" but your bike handles much better everywhere else without them!"
what magazine gave you that nugget of falseness?
Never occurred to me to be a problem though? Just put them back under if I need a bit more control again.
it gives me blisters on my thumbs where there's a flange on my grips, and on some steep long climbs I need my opposable thumbs to hang on with.
Popped some wider bars on and no longer have any such problems. Try some 740mm+ and see if it helps.
I've been reluctant to go for wider bars on this bike but do have some that are about 710mm so could try them to see if it makes a difference. I can see that I'll just end up climbing with my hands inboard of the brakes though...
You could put little divots underneath your bars to make room for your thumbs? Hacksaw, or just knock it in with a ball-peen hammer if it's ally.
You could certainly cut teh flange off the top of the grip. not doing anything there anyway (unless it's locking).
whilst I'm doing that I could just increase the sweep of the bars by smacking them against a wall?
the flanges are part of the lockring so they can't come off. I love those grips as well.
Thumbs definitely better under grips, you only have to catch a little rut and end up wearing your bike.
Try rotating your bars first, best to change only one thing at a time.
If you sit on the bike with a [u]gentle[/u] grip on the bars, are there spaces/uneven pressure between your hands and the grips.
If there is a void or pressure point, you need to imagine which way rotating the bars will improve this.
Loosen off your stem clamp to just allow the bars to turn, get comfortable, move bars so the grip fills your hand across the palm. Nip up, double check, tighten clamp.
Reset your controls, take a spin round the block, repeat until you either find a better position or decide you need some new gear.
Thanks neilwheel. Good advice.
" but your bike handles much better everywhere else without them!"what magazine gave you that nugget of falseness?
No magazine.
Rode bike with bar ends on for many years.
Rode bike without bar ends for many years.
Compared the two 🙂