When did mountain biking become so specialized!

[MTVR]

In my case, with the single speed drivetrain, the 750mm bar that my bike came with is very helpful. I do need to stand and hammer at times.

It's also good to remember that wide bars are a major component of modern mountain geometry, along with the longer top tube, shorter stem, and slacker head angle. It's going to feel different at first, but those things are all designed to work together.

Just arbitrarily taking a hacksaw to a modern bicycle to try to make it feel more like a 1990 bicycle when standing over it, especially without the assistance of a bicycle fit professional, is ill-advised.

 

[workerdrone]

Why did bar ends go out of style? I've got the new super wide bars on my 29er but do sort of miss the extra hand positions to change it up when grinding

 

[MTVR]

Why did bar ends go out of style? I've got the new super wide bars on my 29er but do sort of miss the extra hand positions to change it up when grinding

If you like that hand position, or lots of hand positions for that matter, try some dirt drops...

 

[Christian P.]

If you like that hand position, or lots of hand positions for that matter, try some dirt drops...

What is a dirt drop?

 

[Christian P.]

Cinelli Hobootleg Geo. Steel, dirt drops, 1x drivetrain, disc brakes, boost spacing, clearance for tires up to 29x3.0", Daddy like...

View attachment 586647

I don't understand how you can go downhill on a mountain train with these handles. It seems like it would put all my weight forward, which is kind of the opposite I want.

As an example, here is another trail near my house that we usually do a couple times every summer. This is the type of riding I love to do.

 

[DaveInDenver]

In my case, with the single speed drivetrain, the 750mm bar that my bike came with is very helpful. I do need to stand and hammer at times.

I run a 710 mm wide, 9° sweep, +/- 5 mm drop bar (it's a Niner RDO flat top). If I run them with bar ends those put my palms at roughly 730 mm. I ride only single speed MTB. I don't find the extra width with my hands turned knuckles forward as useful and it's actually painful over time at the base of my neck to pull on such wide bars. My stem length is 100 mm, 0° rise with IIRC 30 mm of spacers on my size large REEB Dikyelous, which had a fairly modern geometry for 2012, running a 130 mm fork. But I was fit by a team doctor some years ago so I know my baseline numbers for bike setup and have only applied small variations on a lot of bikes so my body is also just used to a particular geometry.

Why did bar ends go out of style? I've got the new super wide bars on my 29er but do sort of miss the extra hand positions to change it up when grinding

I use Cane Creek Ergo bar ends, they brought them back a couple of years ago.

 

[MTVR]

I don't understand how you can go downhill on a mountain train with these handles. It seems like it would put all my weight forward, which is kind of the opposite I want.

Like this:

 

[DaveInDenver]

I don't understand how you can go downhill on a mountain train with these handles. It seems like it would put all my weight forward, which is kind of the opposite I want.

People have been riding drop bars on mountain bikes since the clunker days. Technical is the reason flat bars exist, not a lot different than dirt bikes in a sense. Multiple hand positions is the advantage for drops. But you'll see on cyclcrocross and gravel some people have mid levers to get an upright position, like I had on my old CX bike. With hydraulic brakes this isn't as easy to rig up. On that bike I also ran 44 cm Salsa Bell Lap bar which were kind of too wide for comfort in the slightly flared drops but gave a nice flat on top. Now drops can be flared much more and shaped to work even better in technical. This bike was a 1999 one size too big using very old school long torso fitting with a back so flat you could use it for a coffee table and arms pushed forward for stability.

 

[Christian P.]

Like this:

As I mentioned before, this seems horrible. May as well just take my Burning Man beach cruiser down that trail.




Edit: Looks like some did already...

 

[MTVR]

What is a dirt drop?

Road Handlebars | Parts & Accessories | Salsa Cycles

Browse Road Handlebars in Salsa parts & accessories

salsacycles.com

 

[MTVR]

The Cowchipper comes in widths up to 52cm. I wonder how that would do on my bike. I'd need to buy a set of gravel brakes...

 

[MTVR]

You don't want "Mary Poppins" ergonomics on a bicycle...

 

[Christian P.]

Just came across this great videos. This is really helping - and has great sceneries too.

 

[villaphoto]

I rode 29 for a few years but recently went down to 27.5 a few weeks ago after testing several bikes. I don't notice much of a difference on the climbs but I can noticeably feel my bike handles much better on the descents. That being said, modern trail bike geometry is really helpful for both climbing and descending.

 

[calicamper]

After decades with a 26 I recently made the move to a 29. Loved everything except the long handlebars. I cut an inch and a quarter off of each side and am very happy with the results.

Lol I did the same on my 29er. The wide handle bar thing is strange. The shop kid at the bike shop looked at me like I was crazy when I told him to take an inch off both sides of the bars. I told him bombing down fire escapes requires narrower bars. He was possibly high or thought I was actually bombing down fire escapes. Lol