# Bar Ends on a Singlespeed



## jcave216 (Feb 23, 2010)

I have had a set of Singletrack Solutions bar ends laying around and decided to give them a try. I have not had bar ends on a bike since my very first mountain bike back in 1992. Thought the bar ends would come in handy for out of the saddle climbing. Anyone running bar ends on their singlespeed? If so let me know what you think about them. 

I will be giving mine a try on Friday weather permitting.


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## TampaDave (Mar 20, 2015)

You're gonna punch a hole in your liver


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## man.cave (Nov 8, 2014)

I was on mine today and I was thinking that some short ones would be nice.


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## Ptor (Jan 29, 2004)

Bar ends make my single speed a double speed -- I have so much more power when climbing out of the saddle when using bar ends it's like I have a second gear. I believe my perceived advantage with bar ends is about both having my hands in a preferred position (palms facing in instead of back) and being able to get forward more easily with bar ends as compared to just being on the handle bar. The only single speed I've owned that doesn't have bar ends is the townie...


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## jcave216 (Feb 23, 2010)

PeT said:


> Bar ends make my single speed a double speed -- I have so much more power when climbing out of the saddle when using bar ends it's like I have a second gear. I believe my perceived advantage with bar ends is about both having my hands in a preferred position (palms facing in instead of back) and being able to get forward more easily with bar ends as compared to just being on the handle bar. The only single speed I've owned that doesn't have bar ends is the townie...


Great feedback thanks! I gave them a go on the road and just the couple of hills I climbed it felt really good using the bar ends. Can not wait to give them a go on Friday.


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## eness215 (Jul 22, 2010)

I use the ergon grips with the little stubby bar ends built in. I love them. I absolutely think they help when climbing. I don't think I would ride an xc bike without them


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## a29rider (Sep 16, 2014)

Ditto on the ergons. Love them. They are a tremendous help in climbing and great if riding fire roads for another hand position. 
Have not punctured a liver yet.


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## mtnbikej (Sep 6, 2001)

Haven't really found a need for bar ends.....used to run them back in the day.

With 780mm bars I can get plenty of leverage.

But it is your bike....run it however YOU want to.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

I do!

Worst case you don't like them and toss them back into the parts bin.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

The only time my hands aren't touching the bar ends is when I'm descending.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

I too recently picked up some Singletrack Solutions bar ends but I have not had a chance to ride them yet. I have 28" risers, so that bar ends will make my bars effectively 27" wide. will report back when I get a chance to actually try them out.


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## cbrossman (Mar 23, 2004)

a29rider said:


> Ditto on the ergons. Love them. They are a tremendous help in climbing and great if riding fire roads for another hand position.
> Have not punctured a liver yet.


+3. Ergons. I'm on the bar ends all the time if I don't need the brakes. More comfortable for me.
Just be careful not to get caught on the ends when you need the brakes ... but you get pretty good at switching fast.


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## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

One SS I bought came with bar ends. Tried 'em for a couple of rides and thought they got in the way and didn't provide any additional climbing power for me.

I run ~700mm bars shifted a bit forward and they provide plenty of mash 'n climb leverage for me to negotiate uphill efforts better than mere mortals with easier gearing


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## Thor29 (May 12, 2005)

I ran Cane Creek ergo bar ends for years and swore that they were the bee's knees. But now that I am using much wider bars, I don't really see the need for them.


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## jcave216 (Feb 23, 2010)

Loved having the bar ends I really felt a difference in the out of the saddle climbing with them.


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## Brad906 (Dec 20, 2014)

jcave216 said:


> Loved having the bar ends I really felt a difference in the out of the saddle climbing with them.


What brand/model are those? I want a set with some "behind the bar" surface area and those look like they have some. Thanks!


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## MMS (Apr 11, 2011)

I dug bar ends until I hooked a tree and face planted into another...now they scare the poo outta me.

I realize it wasn't the bar ends "fault", and that the same thing might've happened without...but fear is an irrational biotch


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## frank daleview (Jan 23, 2004)

Sapling-hooks?


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## vindiggitydog (Aug 6, 2008)

Been SS rider exclusively for last 7 years, and I swear by bar ends!! Don't care about fashion vs function garbage...They do their job better than any other option..I use Ergon grips as well, but don't like "bar end" options...I prefer adding a profile design bar end separately...Guaranteed, you will improve your climbing prowess instantly!


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## eness215 (Jul 22, 2010)

Brad906 said:


> What brand/model are those? I want a set with some "behind the bar" surface area and those look like they have some. Thanks!


Cane Creek makes some that go "behind the bar" a little bit. Also, Serfas makes some. They are cheaper, but look like they may not be as comfortable.


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## jcave216 (Feb 23, 2010)

Brad906 said:


> What brand/model are those? I want a set with some "behind the bar" surface area and those look like they have some. Thanks!


They are Singletrack Solutions ST Lite bar ends


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## Brad906 (Dec 20, 2014)

Thanks for the info y'all. That will give me a direction to start. I have Ergons now but can't quite get them "right."


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## SeaBass_ (Apr 7, 2006)

The Ergons with the bar ends take a bit of fiddling to get them just right. Every time you adjust the grip the bar end angle changes and vice versa. Got to grip the hell out of the end you're not adjusting so it doesn't move. Or else I'm just doing it wrong!


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

I had bar ends for a few years on my SS. The problem I ran in to is on a bar with a lot of sweep (12 degrees) they put my hands in a weird position, too far back I felt. Now I run a 740mm bar (previously 690mm) with a pair of Ergon GE1 grips, I much prefer this setup now.


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## jmctav23 (Oct 16, 2010)

have em, use em, love em...might go to dirt drops though. Not using super wide bars that are all the rage now though.


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## serious (Jan 25, 2005)

I used the Singletrack Solutions bar ends for many years. They were excellent. But I no longer use bar ends because I went from 590mm to 710mm bars.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

I use bar ends on my 720's but the 750's were too wide for ends as well.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

serious said:


> I used the Singletrack Solutions bar ends for many years. They were excellent. But I no longer use bar ends because I went from 590mm to 710mm bars.





NordieBoy said:


> I use bar ends on my 720's but the 750's were too wide for ends as well.


Same here. They felt a little ungainly on my 670's to me, no way would I consider them on the 740mm bars I have now.

I really believe that bar ends offer a superior climbing position for hands and wrists, similar to riding the drops on a road bike, but they work best paired with old school narrow bars.


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## RajunCajun44 (Aug 12, 2012)

I have ergon grips... I used to have the ergon grip/bar-end combos... but I kept spinning out the bar ends... Guess I was grabbing too hard for too many rides... 

So I use normal stubby aluminum bar ends with the ergon grips... that works for me !


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

At the 6hr on Sunday, there were only 3 places on the track you could spend time on the ends to relieve hand pressure and only 5 spots where the ends got used for climbing.
The climbs were also so short and bumpy the fork compression damping was left about 1/3 open for the whole race.

After riding in the local hills for 4 months, I can't believe I did a race without really using the bar ends or suspension lockout...


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## c8stom (May 19, 2015)

I've just seen these Ergon GP3 grips for the first time and like the look so much I will order a pair. Question is, Small or Large ? This website gives some idea of size but as I only have their photo to base my decision on, I really do not know.

At present, I am using these ODIs which I really like the size of.

Would you agree Large would be the closest match ? Thanks


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## brianW. (Nov 15, 2010)

I have Ergon GP3 grips on my ss and ht. Love them. Lots of hand positions for long rides.


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## c8stom (May 19, 2015)

brianW. said:


> I have Ergon GP3 grips on my ss and ht. Love them. Lots of hand positions for long rides.


large or small ?


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## SeaBass_ (Apr 7, 2006)

c8stom said:


> large or small ?


You should try them for size at the lbs. The packaging allows you to hold one grip in your hand. Large for me.


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## arphaxhad (Apr 17, 2008)

Used the Cane Creek bar ends, ditched them when I went to my 800mm Kore Torsion bars.


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## c8stom (May 19, 2015)

SeaBass_ said:


> You should try them for size at the lbs. The packaging allows you to hold one grip in your hand. Large for me.


Thanks for sharing. Unfortunately, all the bike stores I know have never heard of them. It seems Ergon does not distribute to my country ( HK ) yet.


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## algs911 (Aug 5, 2014)

I have an opinion on this! I had a steel single speed (just sold it) and experimented with bar ends. I had a long-ish stem, flat bars and bar ends. I found them VERY useful on the climbs and for long days in the saddle. However, I had two pretty large get-offs because the hooked bushes (not a branch or tree, just bushes!). both times I got pulled down while going pretty fast.

I ran bar ends for years while racing in the late '80s and through the 1990s, FYI.

I decided to take them off and go with a shorter stem/wider bar combo. This is the set up I enjoyed most (and it more closely matched my trail bike). I missed the multiple hand positions every once in a while, but this set up made the bike handle better and I still had great leverage on the bars for climbing. I also no longer hooked the bar ends.

If you can try out both solutions and see what you like best.

Al


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## c8stom (May 19, 2015)

algs911 said:


> I have an opinion on this! I had a steel single speed (just sold it) and experimented with bar ends. I had a long-ish stem, flat bars and bar ends. I found them VERY useful on the climbs and for long days in the saddle. However, I had two pretty large get-offs because the hooked bushes (not a branch or tree, just bushes!). both times I got pulled down while going pretty fast.
> 
> I ran bar ends for years while racing in the late '80s and through the 1990s, FYI.
> 
> ...


I have really nice OnZa bar ends on my old bike which also use to race. On my latest custom bike which I ride 80% of the time, I do miss bar ends and want a smaller but functional set. I had considered reusing my OnZa but they just don't match. I will try the ergons as they tick all the boxes


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## SS29erRigid (Nov 11, 2016)

Just a theory. Think of bar ends in the context of pull ups vs chin ups. When climbing, bar ends allow for chin up like strength vs wo bar ends - it’s like a pull up. For me, bar ends allow for greater strength when mashing.


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## waltaz (Oct 14, 2004)

SS29erRigid said:


> Just a theory. Think of bar ends in the context of pull ups vs chin ups. When climbing, bar ends allow for chin up like strength vs wo bar ends - it's like a pull up. For me, bar ends allow for greater strength when mashing.


^^This. Bar ends allow you to recruit more of your pecs (a big muscle) when climbing. Helps to power and muscle up stuff. I have always used them on my SS, and am currently on Ergon GS3's.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## ethierjung (May 30, 2017)

I will never ride a bike with tree hooks. I did once, hooked a small tree and don't remember much after that. .


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## mr_chrome (Jan 17, 2005)

- not a deal on the trails I ride so I use 'em......really does help on the climbs.......


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## Impetus (Aug 10, 2014)

waltaz said:


> ^^This. Bar ends allow you to recruit more of your pecs (a big muscle) when climbing. Helps to power and muscle up stuff. I have always used them on my SS, and am currently on Ergon GS3's.


Not only pecs, but biceps too. The 'elbow' end actually wraps into between your forearm bones, so the muscle is inhibited when palm-down, or it would force you to turn palm up.

I'm a big fan of the stubby Serfas bar ends. Moving my hands from grips to bar ends is like adding a tooth to my cog in terms of climbing ability.


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## sfgiantsfan (Dec 20, 2010)

ARandomBiker said:


> Not only pecs, but biceps too. The 'elbow' end actually wraps into between your forearm bones, so the muscle is inhibited when palm-down, or it would force you to turn palm up.
> 
> I'm a big fan of the stubby Serfas bar ends. Moving my hands from grips to bar ends is like adding a tooth to my cog in terms of climbing ability.
> 
> View attachment 1188179


Post some pics of that bike

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

Parallel grips do seem to help when it's time to get the power down, eg when climbing.

Drop bars do the same job if properly set up. Worth trying.


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## Impetus (Aug 10, 2014)

sfgiantsfan said:


> Post some pics of that bike


Lol. Well, if you're going to twist my arm...
Suspension mode:







Rigid mode: (just installed my new Enve post)


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