# Flat bar options with extra hand positions



## jbphilly (Feb 22, 2012)

I've got a Soma Double Cross (disc) that I got a nice deal on used last summer, and I've been using it for lots of 20-40 mile day (and night) rides, mixed pavement and dirt roads, plus some tours. It's serving me well. However, its setup with flat bars (Origin8 Off Road Space Bars) is the one weakness. The bars are fine for most rides, and for handling tricky terrain, but for long-distance or speedier riding, they aren't working out as well. My hands need multiple positions to keep from getting sore and unhappy over long distances.

I'm really not looking to switch to road-style bars, in part because I've just never been a big fan of drop bars, but also because even switching to mustache bars would involve new brakes, new brake levers, and new shifters, as well as the bars themselves - I could be looking at a very hefty price there. Otherwise, mustache bars seem like just the thing (I like a swept back main hand position but would also like the option of something that leans me more forward).

I've also tried Titec J-bars and am not crazy about them - I only find the "main" hand position useful and can't really do much at all with the forward positions. This is inclining me away from trying Jones Loop bars or similar, which are more or less the same design.

So I'm wondering - anyone have any suggestions beyond what I've mentioned for handlebars that would have typical MTB-handlebar diameter and thus work with my existing components, but that would offer a number of hand positions, hopefully including a more forward/aggressive one for when I'd like to push harder?

Thanks for all your thoughts!


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## big_papa_nuts (Mar 29, 2010)

Reading the first to paragraphs all I was thinking was "h-bars". I will say that the loops offer a much more usable forward position, and if set up correctly can offer 5 or more hand positions.

But if those are out, and your stuck on the Space bars you may try some barends inside you controls. I think breezer used to sell a bike set up like this (Long Term Test: Breezer Finesse ? The Alfine 8 Speed Super Commuter), and Ned Overend had some like this in his bike check in a recent MTBA.

I have experimented with some ALT bars, on my DCD actually, and found that it was either Jones' or flats/risers. With flats/risers you can add bar ends or tape the center. Bars like the Space just aren't shaped in a way I can figure out how to add usable hand positions.


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## jtanders (Apr 24, 2014)

Surly Open Bar is similar to a mustache bar but you can run Mtb shifters. I have the center section wrapped and use as alternative position.


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## jbphilly (Feb 22, 2012)

jtanders said:


> Surly Open Bar is similar to a mustache bar but you can run Mtb shifters. I have the center section wrapped and use as alternative position.


This one has been on my radar. Can you really get any use out of the forward curves? I'll have to find a shop that's got an old Troll in stock, or something, to try riding them again...when I first bought a Troll years ago, those bars came on it, but I had the shop swap them for a more traditional flat bar.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

jbphilly said:


> I've got a Soma Double Cross (disc) that I got a nice deal on used last summer, and I've been using it for lots of 20-40 mile day (and night) rides, mixed pavement and dirt roads, plus some tours. It's serving me well. However, its setup with flat bars (Origin8 Off Road Space Bars) is the one weakness. The bars are fine for most rides, and for handling tricky terrain, but for long-distance or speedier riding, they aren't working out as well. My hands need multiple positions to keep from getting sore and unhappy over long distances.
> 
> I'm really not looking to switch to road-style bars, in part because I've just never been a big fan of drop bars, but also because even switching to mustache bars would involve new brakes, new brake levers, and new shifters, as well as the bars themselves - I could be looking at a very hefty price there. Otherwise, mustache bars seem like just the thing (I like a swept back main hand position but would also like the option of something that leans me more forward).
> 
> ...












So the first step I'd take is to add bar ends. Pick carefully. I can get two different positions out of them.

1. slide hands sideways so they are resting mostly on the fleshy pads behind the thumbs.

-- this takes pressure off the main part of the hands and isn't super leaned over so it's comfortable for cruising

2. leaned over fwd position with hands wrapped around bar ends

-- good for aggressive climbing and reduced aero drag for headwinds or fast riding

If that's not enough options you can add clip on aero bars to your flat bar for a really low fast position that takes all the weight off your hands.










I'd also add that if you haven't tried Ergon Grips or something similar on your flat bar bike you should. I run them on all my bikes and find them essential to comfort for long hours of riding.


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## jbphilly (Feb 22, 2012)

vikb said:


>


Now there's a thought...thanks for the input!

Also I should have mentioned I do have Ergon grips - they're essential, without them I get not just sore hands but numbness and so on!


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

No problem. One nice thing with those clip on aero bars is you can add/remove them quickly so they aren't on your bike all the time if long rides are only an occasional thing.


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## jbphilly (Feb 22, 2012)

vikb said:


> No problem. One nice thing with those clip on aero bars is you can add/remove them quickly so they aren't on your bike all the time if long rides are only an occasional thing.


Are those your bikes - if so, what bars do you use?


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

No those are just examples I grabbed from Google Image Search.

The bars from my latest tour are above. This setup works good for techy riding, but I want something with more options for long dirt road rides.

I will either go with a Jones Loop bar which I've used before and liked for non-techy riding or I'll try a set of aero bars. For a one bike solution the areo bars are nice in that I can add and remove them as needed with minimal hassles. If I could have two bikepacking frames with one setup for singletrack and one setup for GDR-esque dirt roading I'd probably go with risers on one and Loop bars on the other.










Titec Jones Bar I used in the past and liked for long rides.


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## jbphilly (Feb 22, 2012)

It's funny that everyone else seems to love the J/Loop bars - I just haven't had that great of an experience with them (on my Pugsley). The regular hand position is a great one for touring, but I find the inner-bar position useless and the forward position next to useless - there just isn't enough space, what with the shifters, for me to find a comfortable hand position (plus my wrists are always resting on something uneven. Maybe a wider version of the bar would do better, though.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

Everyone is different. If you have tried them and don't like them it makes sense to look at other options.


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## Welnic (Feb 6, 2013)

They do make a 710mm loop bar now, along with the original 660mm.


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## Rob_E (Nov 22, 2010)

I'm going through this trying to figure out a bar to use on my Troll. I know I don't like flat bars for any extended period of time. I do like Vic's suggestions for turning a flat bar into a multi-position bar. I actually had something like that set up back when I was riding a hybrid with a flat bar, and I had forgotten about it.

I test road an Ogre with a Jones Loop bar, and I didn't think it looked like it would be comfortable to grab up at the loop, but I found that I liked it, and I liked the extra stretch I got from that position compared to the bolt upright position of the primary handhold. Of course that was only for 15 minutes or so cruising around the streets near the bike shop. Who knows how I would feel about it for an extended time.

One of my bikes has a trekking bar. Some days I like the trekking bar more than others. But it definitely has multiple, usable hand positions. One problem I have is that it my brake levers and shifters won't slide around the bends, so while there's more than one hand position, there's only one choice of hand positions when I want access to the shifters or brakes. That may be solvable with different equipment. And you can choose whether you want the brakes in the closest position or the more stretched position by flipping the bar over.

The other bar that's been on my radar for potentially having multiple positions that look like they might useful is Casey's Crazy Bars from Velo Orange. Right now that's at the top of my list, with Jones or Titech right behind. But I'll probably start out with something like Vic suggested because I think I have some of those parts on hand.

Also, ditto, the Ergons. I keep trying to work some bar-end brake levers into a set up and remember that it would mean losing the Ergons. Back in the box they go.


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## jbphilly (Feb 22, 2012)

Ah yeah, before my Troll was stolen I was also running a flat bar, but with Ergon grips that had small bar-ends - maybe the GR2 or something? This worked pretty well for mixed riding - singletrack, dirt roads, some pavement. For the Double Cross though, I'm looking for something that works better for mostly road riding. The Crazy Bars would sure be fun to try, if I could ever find a pair in a brick and mortar store...


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## TitanofChaos (Jun 13, 2011)

Rob_E said:


> The other bar that's been on my radar for potentially having multiple positions that look like they might useful is Casey's Crazy Bars from Velo Orange. Right now that's at the top of my list, with Jones or Titech right behind. But I'll probably start out with something like Vic suggested because I think I have some of those parts on hand.


I've run bar ends inside the controls a few times to get a similar position, it's worth trying, I like my aero bars now though


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## big_papa_nuts (Mar 29, 2010)

jbphilly said:


> It's funny that everyone else seems to love the J/Loop bars - I just haven't had that great of an experience with them (on my Pugsley). The regular hand position is a great one for touring, but I find the inner-bar position useless and the forward position next to useless - there just isn't enough space, what with the shifters, for me to find a comfortable hand position (plus my wrists are always resting on something uneven. Maybe a wider version of the bar would do better, though.


I feel like a lot of people underestimate the effect that control selection plays in the useability of the hand positions on Jones bars. I tend to see them with Avid levers and thumb shifters, or shifters with visual indicators, and this blocks 2 or 3 hand positions.

I much prefer Shimano brake levers and shifters with a svelte clamp and no indicator. Also Shimano dual release levers can make the shifters usable from some of the inner positions, which is nice.

Notice that I have "shaved" the fin off the shifter clamp to smooth things out.


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## jbphilly (Feb 22, 2012)

That's a good point - the shifters I have on the J-bar definitely do interfere with hand positions.


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## jtanders (Apr 24, 2014)

jbphilly said:


> This one has been on my radar. Can you really get any use out of the forward curves? I'll have to find a shop that's got an old Troll in stock, or something, to try riding them again...when I first bought a Troll years ago, those bars came on it, but I had the shop swap them for a more traditional flat bar.


When I use the forward curved portion, I typically use two methods. Grip similar to mustache bars with my thumb under the bar or hands sit on top. Some of this may have to do with shifters. Mine are underneath the bar with the indicator coming up in front. Top mount shifters would limit the usage a bit.


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## wahday (Mar 23, 2012)

I love my Jones bars. I have the extra wide version and shifters are below the bars (not thumbies) so its not crowded up around the loop area. I mainly use 4 positions: primary, out at the bar ends for descending, hooking my thumbs under the loop, and forward position to stretch out back and in headwinds. The only items I mount to the bars are GPS unit and light mount which I put in the middle on the forward bar. Everything else is hanging below the bar and is not in my way.

I did have to play with a few different stem lengths and because the bar is flat, I have quite a number of spacers on my steer tube. But now that I have it dialed in, I can get to every position easily and they feel great. For climbs that are not too steep or cranking out some gravel grinds, I really like the forward position with my thumbs hooked under the loop. I can really pull on those bars for some extra power. This is on a rigid El Mariachi and all of these variations in positioning make a big difference for me.


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## Tinman (Aug 18, 2013)

Ergon G5 Bio Cork - new for 2015


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