# Do riser bars increase reach?



## NW-Rider (Apr 1, 2010)

I'm riding a 17.5 GF Tasajara and have about 2-3" standover clearance. When I bought it it came with a Easton EA70 riser bar instead of the original flat one . I feel that after I have adjusted my seat to where I am in the optimal pedaling position I am over extended in my reach. I don't remember feeling this way when test riding the new model at the store. Does having the riser bars increase the reach? Is it because of the wider bars? Should I buy a flat bar or just a shorter stem? The stem already seems short as it is "Bontrager SSR, 10d rise, 31.8mm". Thanks for the advice,

Original handles bars (that I don't have):
Bontrager Race riser, 25mm rise, 630mm width, 6d backsweep, 3d upsweep, 31.8mm

Current handle bars:
Easton EA70 9deg bend, 5deg upsweep


----------



## mainlane (Mar 28, 2007)

What length is your stem?


----------



## Bail_Monkey (May 8, 2007)

Riser bars will give you a slightly taller riding position. I have the Easton Monkeylite risers on my bike and a 50mm Thomson stem and like it. It shouldn't increase your reach...


----------



## berry79 (Jun 10, 2010)

I believe the stem has more of an impact on reach.


----------



## theMeat (Jan 5, 2010)

Either higher bars, shorter stem, or stem with more rise will shorten reach. Just a matter of where you want the grips, higher or closer. The advantage to riser bars would be that you can adjust (the higher the rise the greater the adjustment) by rotating the bars were as a stem can only be adjusted by flipping it, and if it has no rise than flipping it doesn't change anything. Unless you have a really small build with narrow shoulders than the bars being a little wider wont change much as far as reach.


----------



## NW-Rider (Apr 1, 2010)

theMeat said:


> Either higher bars, shorter stem, or stem with more rise will shorten reach. Just a matter of where you want the grips, higher or closer. The advantage to riser bars would be that you can adjust (the higher the rise the greater the adjustment) by rotating the bars were as a stem can only be adjusted by flipping it, and if it has no rise than flipping it doesn't change anything. Unless you have a really small build with narrow shoulders than the bars being a little wider wont change much as far as reach.


So you are saying that if I flip the riser bars that it will decrease my reach?

I was thinking that if mathematically you follow an arch with the center point being the saddle, then raising the handlebar grips would thus pull them out of the imaginary arch, and without compensating or shortening the stem, then raising the bars will thus extend your reach further from the saddle.


----------



## theMeat (Jan 5, 2010)

It's the other way around. Higher bars less reach, lower bars more reach.

The lower the bars or the longer the stem the longer the reach and vise verse. 

What I'm saying is that if you get riser bars you can adjust the height and reach alittle by rotating the bars as if twisting throttle on motorcycle. 

You could flip the stem, it if it has rise, to adjust height. Or you could put a spacer under stem to rise the whole stem a bit if your fork is long enough.

So if your 10 deg rise stem is pointing up, that's as much as you can shorten reach, unless you can fit a spacer, because flipping it so it points down will increase reach.

Think of it like this. If your shoulders are in the position that you find comfy with your hands on the bars, than lower, or further bars will make you reach further.

Get it?


----------



## Squash (Jul 20, 2003)

*It may seem counterintuative, but....*

a riser bar can actually increase your reach and forward lean angle. If it is wider than the original bar that is. Think about it this way, if you are in the pushup position with your hands shoullder width apart and elbows locked, your chest would be at the furthest from the floor that your physique would allow. Now if you were to move your hands six inches further apart, elblows still locked your chest would move closer to the floor. Same principle with a riser bar. However things like back sweep, rise and stem length will affect the amount of foward lean. As little as an inch increase in width can be noticeable. So my guess is that the EA70 bar even though it has a bit more backsweep and a tad more upsweep is also a bit longer. If the rise is the same or close to it, then yes you are leaning forward a bit more even though your hand position may have moved rearward a bit. You can compensate for a wider bar by going with a higher rise bar than original and/or decreasing stem length or increasing stem rise, or all three. The other posters would be correct if the only factor in determining reach was the reward or forward position of the bar and how much you extended your arms was the only thing that affected how far forward you had to lean to reach the grips. But bar width and height also play a big roll in it as well.

So, bottom line, yes you could actually be "reaching" further with a differnt riser bar than you were with the stock bar. As we perceive reach not only as arm extension, but also how far we are bending forward at the waist as well.

Your stock bar was 25" wide with a 25mm rise. The EA70 is 26" uncut. If you went with the 20mm rise bar, that would be why you feel a bit more streched out. 1" more width and 5mm less rise. Even if you went with the 40mm rise EA you could still feel a bit more streched, but you'd simply need to compensate a bit less. You could cut the bar a bit and it would help. Or go with a stem of the same length with about a 15 to 17 degree rise and it should put back to stock riding position or very close. In most cases the higher rise stem is the way to go as it has more effect.

Good Dirt


----------



## theMeat (Jan 5, 2010)

Yes, agreed as i did in my previous post. Wider will make reach longer but not too much unless your smallish. The bars can also be shortened. If you do get new bars I'd ride them abit before cutting to see what works. 
I went with wider riser bars and a shorter stem on a build i did over the winter and at first felt out of place. But now when I ride my older bike i realize how much more i like it.


----------



## NW-Rider (Apr 1, 2010)

*cut bar or increase rise?*



Squash said:


> a riser bar can actually increase your reach and forward lean angle. If it is wider than the original bar that is. Think about it this way, if you are in the pushup position with your hands shoullder width apart and elbows locked, your chest would be at the furthest from the floor that your physique would allow. Now if you were to move your hands six inches further apart, elblows still locked your chest would move closer to the floor. Same principle with a riser bar. However things like back sweep, rise and stem length will affect the amount of foward lean. As little as an inch increase in width can be noticeable. So my guess is that the EA70 bar even though it has a bit more backsweep and a tad more upsweep is also a bit longer. If the rise is the same or close to it, then yes you are leaning forward a bit more even though your hand position may have moved rearward a bit. You can compensate for a wider bar by going with a higher rise bar than original and/or decreasing stem length or increasing stem rise, or all three. The other posters would be correct if the only factor in determining reach was the reward or forward position of the bar and how much you extended your arms was the only thing that affected how far forward you had to lean to reach the grips. But bar width and height also play a big roll in it as well.
> 
> So, bottom line, yes you could actually be "reaching" further with a differnt riser bar than you were with the stock bar. As we perceive reach not only as arm extension, but also how far we are bending forward at the waist as well.
> 
> ...


Great explanations, thanks. It does seem my bar is much wider than the original. Is there any way to determine the proper width for your handle bar grips? I know alot is subjective which is hard for me to determine these things as I am a more numbers cruncher guy.

I currently have a 90mm stem with a 10d rise. So it sounds like my 2 options are shorten the handle bar width (any recommendations how much to cut?). Or to increase the rise in my stem (what would be a noticeable rise?) Should I cut my bar first?

Bontrager Race riser (original), 25mm rise, 630mm width, 6d backsweep, 3d upsweep,

EA70 (current), 30mm rise, 685mm width, 9deg bend, 5deg upsweep,


----------



## theMeat (Jan 5, 2010)

Before you cut the bars move shifters and levers, grips if posible, in as far as you can to see what works and how short you can go.
Your arms straight down from shoulders to grips is the shortest or closest reach. That is why wider bars for smaller people makes more difference. The wider your hands from the shoulders the longer the reach.


----------



## NW-Rider (Apr 1, 2010)

theMeat said:


> Before you cut the bars move shifters and levers, grips if posible, in as far as you can to see what works and how short you can go.
> Your arms straight down from shoulders to grips is the shortest or closest reach. That is why wider bars for smaller people makes more difference. The wider your hands from the shoulders the longer the reach.


When I am riding I am always at the farthest point in on the grips. My shifters/ brakes are moved farther in than the end of the grips. Sounds like its time to start cutting.


----------



## knottshore (Jan 23, 2008)

NW-Rider said:


> When I am riding I am always at the farthest point in on the grips. My shifters/ brakes are moved farther in than the end of the grips. Sounds like its time to start cutting.


Sounds like you have a plan- cutting them is best with a hacksaw and a Guide but a pipe cutter will do the trick as well (if your only trimming a bit off it can be challenging as the rollers need a surface to follow on both sides of the cutting wheel)

Good Luck


----------

