# ENVE M9 50mm Rise bar for tall riders



## bonedale (May 27, 2020)

So I am looking to dial in my handlebar height. I am 6'3" and my saddle to handlebar drop is significant on my Ripmo XL even with all the spacers below the stem. So I was thinking of grabbing the M9 bars, 1. they work with 31.8, 2, they are light so I am not adding weight, 3. they allow for adjustment. If they are too tall, I can move spacers around.

Any other tall riders use 50mm bars on an all-mountain bike?


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## codahale (Oct 6, 2018)

I have this exact bar for this exact reason. I’ve got 40mm of spacers and this bar on my Megatower and it’s great. I rode a new trail yesterday which has a bunch of long, sketchy descents —*it gets steeper than 30% grade for long stretches with a few spots that are 50% hills, all on dry, loose-over-hard dirt —*and while I can’t say I made great time or even cleaned all the switchbacks, I can definitely say I felt totally secure the entire time. I never once felt like I was getting bucked off, always felt planted with plenty of room to push into drops or pull up over stuff.

That ride also had a few pretty steep climbs (~20%) and having higher bars doesn’t make me feel I’m about to loop out or anything. (I do wish the STA was a little steeper on the MT, but whatever.) The limiting factor wasn’t my position on the bike, it was my metabolism.

My only gripe about those bars is that I wish they were a little wider. They’re 810mm, which is probably long enough for 99% of people, but I’ve got some wide-ass shoulders and would prefer 825mm+. That said, narrower and higher has turned out to be way better for me than wider and lower (e.g. running 825/38mm risers on a bike with 35mm less stack).


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## forealz (Dec 12, 2016)

codahale said:


> I have this exact bar for this exact reason. I've got 40mm of spacers and this bar on my Megatower and it's great. I rode a new trail yesterday which has a bunch of long, sketchy descents -*it gets steeper than 30% .


Whats your inseam? Got a pic of your setup? Is your front end higher than your saddle?

I've been considering getting riser bars with 35mm or 40mm rise since I'm maxed out on spacers, but I've got short legs. (32" inseam) so potentially, my handlebars would be higher than my saddle.


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## codahale (Oct 6, 2018)

forealz said:


> Whats your inseam? Got a pic of your setup? Is your front end higher than your saddle?
> 
> I've been considering getting riser bars with 35mm or 40mm rise since I'm maxed out on spacers, but I've got short legs. (32" inseam) so potentially, my handlebars would be higher than my saddle.


I wear 34" pants, but that's not a great point for comparison. My handlebars are about the same height as my saddle, which is what I was shooting for.


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## bonedale (May 27, 2020)

Just an update.

Bought the M9 bars with 50mm rise. Seat still way higher than the bars (I can get an accurate measurement if anyone is interested), but that is because I have a 35" inseam. But it feels better. Went on my first ride and noticed it felt better on the hands and I didn't notice any downsides climbing steeps. I also added Ergon Fat Grips.

Now I have to decide width. 810mm feels ok, but I need more time to evaluate. I can add a stem with rise, since stock it 2º or something. Getting a 6º would be the final frontier I assume.


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## wayold (Nov 25, 2017)

bonedale said:


> I can add a stem with rise, since stock it 2º or something. Getting a 6º would be the final frontier I assume.


Why would 6º be the final frontier? Stems with rise angles up to 30 degrees are pretty common. If you need to get your bars higher this seems like the obvious next step.


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## @[email protected] (Aug 25, 2017)

wayold said:


> Why would 6º be the final frontier? Stems with rise angles up to 30 degrees are pretty common. If you need to get your bars higher this seems like the obvious next step.


Yeah, I got a 13 that I really like


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## masonmoa (Jul 11, 2011)

Realize is this kind of an old thread. I hardly come on here anymore, but for the past few years, at 6'5" tall I have found the Enve 50mm riser bars to be the bomb. I have the older version, the HDR I think, and I run them with 35mm spacers under with a 10 degree rise Thomson stem. It's the only way I can get comfortable cuz I have a bad neck and need to sit as upright at possible. And I love the full 810mm width. Just feels right. Good choice.


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## bingemtbr (Apr 1, 2004)

I'd never use CF for handlebars and seatposts. My wife has had 2 CF seatposts and 1 CF handlebar fail without any warning. I'm ~245lbs, my wife is about 1/2 my weight for reference.


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## chomxxo (Oct 15, 2008)

Enve M9 bars here, love them, cut to 770mm. I'm 6'4", 195 lbs. Before that I had a 740mm Enve flat bar, which had more vibration damping. The M9s are pretty stiff but they're pretty strong.

Some people will never be convinced about carbon fiber, but with good stuff from Enve and Santa Cruz, it's proven stronger than aluminum.


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## geofharries (Jun 2, 2006)

I run these high rise bars on my XXL Trek Fuel at uncut width (800mm). They are comfortable and well worth the money, combined with a Chromag Ranger stem.

Even with the XXL frame and these ENVE bars, my saddle is higher than my grips, but I’ve never known any different since I started mountain biking in the early 90s.


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## Sasquatch1413 (Nov 6, 2008)

Not carbon but good bars, run them on my fat bike. Will give you an inch over the Enve's









ProTaper Aluminum 3in Rise Handlebar


Made from 7050 Aluminum with a 31.8mm clamp diameter, cut marks providing a range of width options from 810mm to 740mm, 4° Up Sweep, 8° Back Sweep, 3in (76.2mm) mm rise and a weight of 335g, this ProTaper mtb handlebar is a perfect blend of fit, strength and weight.




hayesbicycle.com


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## Tjaard (Aug 17, 2007)

bingemtbr said:


> I'd never use CF for handlebars and seatposts. My wife has had 2 CF seatposts and 1 CF handlebar fail without any warning. I'm ~245lbs, my wife is about 1/2 my weight for reference.


That is cetainly scary.
On the other hand, in the toughest tests run by German bike magazines, the strongest bars were carbon.
SQlab and Syntace. Not only lasted the longest in the test cycle, but also had low variability between samples, which can be a problem with carbon products.

The final point is carbon more susceptible to damage from improper installation, so does need more attention on that front.


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## Tjaard (Aug 17, 2007)

@[email protected] said:


> Yeah, I got a 13 degree stem that I really like


The problem with modern mtb‘s is, they use short stems, ~60mm max, 45mm is more common. At those lengths, rise angle makes almost no difference. (A couple of millimeters at most)
In fact, clamp (or stack) height of the stem matters more.

@geofharries , like you, I have never been able to get grips level with saddle.

As a Bikefitter and tall rider myself (36” pant inseam, 98.4cm saddle-pedal) this has really become a problem. I used to be able to compensate by using a riser stem, since tall people needed super long stems, you could get some serious rise out of the stem.

I fit a 6’2 client on an enduro bike he wanted to use for bikepark and big mountain descending. Even with the tallest Enve bar, and all the spacers under the stem, the grips were still several inches below the bar, creating an XC cockpit position.

Similar for my new Stumpy Evo S6 size. I have been looking for a riser stem that is short, butputs the bars higher the the clamp, and finally found one:

Ergotec High Bass
31.8, 40mm actual length and 40mm actual height gain!
Rated for heavy loads/hard use and nicely made, this is no iffy ‘trekking bike’ stem.






High Bass 31,8 - Ergotec







www.ergotec.de





The only place that I could find it for sale was at bike inn.


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## keen (Jan 13, 2004)

Tjaard said:


> The problem with modern mtb‘s is, they use short stems, ~60mm max, 45mm is more common. At those lengths, rise angle makes almost no difference. (A couple of millimeters at most)
> In fact, clamp (or stack) height of the stem matters more.
> 
> @geofharries , like you, I have never been able to get grips level with saddle.
> ...


DM stem adapter & 30mm reach Spank DM stem.


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## Tall BMX'r (Jan 11, 2021)

I have a cheap WAKE I flipped upside down. Works fine.


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## bigjp (Nov 7, 2008)

I run the 50mm M9’s with a 35mm M6 stem and love them. They are tall wide and noticeably cut down on trail chatter.


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## Brules (Jul 10, 2021)

Question for you all - how do you know if you need a higher rise bar? I have short legs, Tyrannosaurus rex arms, but an obscenely long torso (6’0”). On a L Hightower and I kinda feel like when I’m seated position and pedaling I am hunched forward - but I’m too inexperienced to know if that’s normal and I’m not used to it or if I need a higher rise bar.

How do you know?


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## Tall BMX'r (Jan 11, 2021)

Brules said:


> Question for you all - how do you know if you need a higher rise bar? I have short legs, Tyrannosaurus rex arms, but an obscenely long torso (6’0”). On a L Hightower and I kinda feel like when I’m seated position and pedaling I am hunched forward - but I’m too inexperienced to know if that’s normal and I’m not used to it or if I need a higher rise bar.
> 
> How do you know?


It's all relative. I'm a similar build, just a scale up. I don't look tall if no one is standing by me, because I too have a long torso and shorter arms. I'm 6'7 with a 34" inseam. My head is pinned against the ceiling in cars and trucks that I can even fit in, but I don't have to necessarily move the seat all the way back. One of my best friends is 3" shorter than me, but we wear the same size pants. 
Feeling hunched over is part of cycling, it's the kind of cycling that defines how hunched over you want to be. On my old road bikes (which I don't own anymore) I was pretty hunched over. It's more aerodynamic in that position and you want to maintain your glide or draft as long as possible. On the extreme opposite spectrum would be a Townie Beach Cruiser. Low seat, legs forward, handle bars high and back. In between is mountain biking. XC is closer to road biking, Down Hill is closer to the cruiser. My first mountain bike was a beach cruiser with motocross handlebars and a coaster brake. They evolved from there. I had back problems in my twenties and the road bike just aggravated it. Around that time mountain bikes were just becoming a thing. The more upright position didn't aggravate my back. I was sold on mountain bikes. 
With my latest mtb, I went through a process of raising my bars higher and higher. I got to a point where they felt awkwardly too high and the bike didn't handle well. I started lower it back down till I found the perfect height. It's comfortable on steep drops. I don't feel like I'm going over the bars (stink bugging) and I don't feel hunched over with a lot of weight on my handle bars when riding flat trails. I do have to sit right on the tip of my seat on really steep climbs, but I'm able to keep the front tire down. Just barely


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## Brules (Jul 10, 2021)

Holy crap 6’7” and 34” inseam! I totally know why you mean about cars, I have a super hard time getting in passenger side doors of compacts. I have to fold myself over to fit in and then my heads nearly into the headliner lol.


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## malucky (Mar 7, 2015)

I'm only 6'3", but with an almost 36-inch inseam, short torso and regular arms...... fitting any bike has always been a pain in the @ss

Shims, riser bar, short stem and long cranks are how I made my Talboy 3 fit. A lot of work had to go into getting there. I understand that tall riders are a very small percentage of most bike sales (bell curve and all), but I dream that someday, some tall guys will open a frame shop catering to taller guys (6' tall minimum)


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## Swolie74 (11 mo ago)

malucky said:


> I'm only 6'3", but with an almost 36-inch inseam, short torso and regular arms...... fitting any bike has always been a pain in the @ss
> 
> Shims, riser bar, short stem and long cranks are how I made my Talboy 3 fit. A lot of work had to go into getting there. I understand that tall riders are a very small percentage of most bike sales (bell curve and all), but I dream that someday, some tall guys will open a frame shop catering to taller guys (6' tall minimum)


There's a brand called "Clydesdale bikes".


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## malucky (Mar 7, 2015)

Swolie74 said:


> There's a brand called "Clydesdale bikes".


Thanks! Never seen them before. Just took a look at their site and I also noticed that they use Driveline cranks. Those are sized from 120mm to 230mm depending on customer request. Glad that someone realizes that there are plenty of taller riders out there.


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## geofharries (Jun 2, 2006)

I've had a few crashes this summer - minor stuff, just slow-speed hits into trees and rocks - and these bars are scuffed and showing some wear. No gouges, just scratches.










I've been riding them for 2 years.

How often should carbon bars like these be replaced?


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## Tall BMX'r (Jan 11, 2021)

geofharries said:


> I've had a few crashes this summer - minor stuff, just slow-speed hits into trees and rocks - and these bars are scuffed and showing some wear. No gouges, just scratches.
> 
> View attachment 2000501
> 
> ...


It's just scuffed paint or color coat, not structural. CF will crack and you'll be able to see the crack, or it will just completely brake off. UV exposure will brake down the epoxy used to bind the CF fabric, but it takes a long time and if it's painted like my CF bike frame it won't be an issue. It's fine, just ride.


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## Kristian94568 (Sep 6, 2016)

Any reason why there's not a 35mm stem w. a 50mm rise in CF? I only see the 50mm rise w. 31.8 stems.


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