Should i use bar ends

Every catalog from mayor brands would feature mountain bikes with bar ends. And in every section dedicated to parts, bicycle bar ends would be incorporated as well. Somewhere along the line, bike catalogs would feature less and less mountain bikes sporting bar ends. It was in the first decade of the new millenium that pro riders would use bigger wheels , from And their bikes would also significantly increase the size of the handlebars. If you compare that to my CODA expert handlebars, which are a mere mm excluding the length of the bar ends, the difference is beyond astounding.

And everybody still used them moving into the new millennium. At the end of the first decade into the new millennium only a few riders would use bar ends. The time of bar ends was definitely over.

To understand why the usage of bar ends died we have to look at the competition level. I believe you can still design a cross-country course with long enough climbs to warrant the use of something resembling bar ends.

Where you could win a downhill competition and cross-country course on the same bike in , that will be impossible today. Mountain biking has evolved in several distinct disciplines. If you like this article please share it. If you have any questions or suggestions for new articles, let me know in the Facebook Group. I often ride in places where. The Shark Fin is an elongated. Join Facebook Group. Table of Contents. You might also like.

Thanks to the angled, upright position, bar ends lift the handlebars off the ground, providing a relief or space underneath to protect computers or other electronic devices on your handlebars. Bar ends add stability to the bike while you change the tire, helping prevent the bike from tipping while you work. Bar ends keep cables, hand grips and the handlebars themselves from getting beat up or scratched on rough ground or pavement.

Keeping your handlebars off the ground is particularly important if you have carbon handlebars. Bar ends can't help to stop a bike in motion. Bar ends don't typically have brake handles. When your hands are on the bar ends the bike is free-wheeling. For this reason alone, bar ends should be restricted to climbing or cruising.

Always keep two hands on the handlebars when riding downhill and remember the rule -- two up and two down -- meaning at least two fingers on the handlebars and two fingers on the brakes.

Skip the bars when riding downhill. Specializing in hardwood furniture, trim carpentry, cabinets, home improvement and architectural millwork, Wade Shaddy has worked in homebuilding since Shaddy has also worked as a newspaper reporter and writer, and as a contributing writer for Bicycling Magazine.

By: Wade Shaddy. The days of standing and hammering on the pedals taken from roadies was quickly falling by the wayside as mountain bikes particularly full suspension enabled riders to sit and spin up even challenging climbs. On the flip side though, as a mechanic I have installed hundreds of bar ends on everything from flat bar road bikes to mountain bikes to hybrids and high risers, so I understand people still find them useful. What do you think about bar ends?

Do you like the extra hand positions and climbing power or do you think your grips are the best and only place for your hands? Let us know in the comments below. Home Features Over to you: Bar ends — yay or nay? Russell Eich. Daily Deals. Compare cycling insurance deals.