# What are those handlebar-end add on grips used for?



## Club Mud (Jan 31, 2011)

I see these on some bikes. I never see them being used. In what situation would they be used? They do seem to add protection to the bike during a fall.

Example:


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## bruce219 (Jul 9, 2012)

There great for bushes to grab and drag you off your bike.


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## Nods Dad (Jan 28, 2013)

Gives you a different hand placement. Some people use them while climbing. My first mountain bike had them and I took them off cause what Bruce219 said is true


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## bigpedaler (Jan 29, 2007)

They're just an updated version of the old 90's bar-ends; they're making a comeback due to the resurgence of flat-bar popularity, mainly with 29ers. The purpose is to give you another place to grip the bar, reducing hand fatigue and numbness.

They fell out of favor when riser bars came in, 'cause a lot of people thought risers with bar ends looked stupid. I never personally cared what others thought about the look of my bike, but I found them to be uncomfortable. My kids ALL run them, though! (Funny, 'cause my older neph and my daughter spend a LOT of time riding no-hands, and they run matching "white carbon" bar ends....)


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## wschruba (Apr 13, 2012)

If you don't use it, lose it. I still ride bar ends from when I was 13, and have yet to be dragged off the bike by them. If you do, I have a feeling it would have happened without the bar ends, too.


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

They're called climbing bars for a reason, try them and you will see why. They work best with not so wide bars with not too much sweep which is probably one reason they are not as popular as they used to be.


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## Club Mud (Jan 31, 2011)

Thanks everyone. My grips came with them (Specialized) but I haven't installed them yet. I might put them on for an upcoming trail climb. They might protect the ends of carbon flat bars from damage upon impact with rocks or the ground.


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## 411898 (Nov 5, 2008)

I swear by bar ends for sustained climbing. Holding on to them positions your body a little bit forward on your bike which helps you push harder on inclines.


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## OldZaskar (Oct 18, 2007)

One of the top-5 dumbest add-ons to a mountain bike. I don't know what the other 4 in that top list would be... but this one's definitely up there. Bar ends add weight, snag trees, branches, vines, etc. and if you need them to climb... you're doing it wrong. 

They were popular in the late 80s and early 90s. But so was Boy George and lots of other dumbsh!t. 

But hey, if you like them... ;-)


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## heyyall (Nov 10, 2011)

I don't like them; I love them. 

Variable hand positions is important on long rides. They help with climbing, too. 

Give them a try and see what you think.


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## limba (Jan 9, 2004)

OldZaskar said:


> They were popular in the late 80s and early 90s. But so were GT frames and their dumb frame design.


But hey, if you like them... ;-)


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## OldZaskar (Oct 18, 2007)

Okay ^that^ was funny ;-)


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## limba (Jan 9, 2004)

Ha.


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## theMeat (Jan 5, 2010)

I could never understand why people would say don't use em because of trees and bushes. I mean I'm more worried about squirrels in my spokes. You never know which way they're gonna go and they have legs.
I could see on a fr or dh bike, or even with wider bars not wanting them, but to say they're stupid or useless just tells me you don't know or understand, and if you get tangled in the woods and it makes you feel better, you can blame the bar ends.


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

theMeat said:


> I could never understand why people would say don't use em because of trees and bushes. I mean I'm more worried about squirrels in my spokes. You never know which way they're gonna go and they have legs.
> I could see on a fr or dh bike, or even with wider bars not wanting them, but to say they're stupid or useless just tells me you don't know or understand, and if you get tangled in the woods and it makes you feel better, you can blame the bar ends.


None of the people who say they get caught in bushes ever got their bar ends caught in bushes. They just heard it somewhere or assumed. People who use bar ends love them. People who don't use them don't like them.

Personally I'd trust the person with experience over the person with an opinion & no experience.


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## rockerc (Nov 22, 2010)

Trail Ninja said:


> Personally I'd trust the person with experience over the person with an opinion & no experience.


...about the wisest thing I have seen written on here in some time!


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## 411898 (Nov 5, 2008)

rockerc said:


> ...about the wisest thing I have seen written on here in some time!


Yes, TN is a wise old trail building wizard.


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## OldZaskar (Oct 18, 2007)

I used bar ends in the 90s (like everyone else did) and absolutely saw others and personally experienced the bar end vine/limb snag. 

That said, I'd agree that's not the primary reason not to use them. Even on my single speed (with that dumb GT frame), I've never felt like I needed more leverage/pulling power on the bar. I get that the bar ends provide another hand position... I just don't think those benefits out weight the downsides - like weight, hands out of position (shifters/brakes), snagging...


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## Learux (Jun 4, 2012)

There is some truth to getting snagged by a tree, I saw a friend of mine do it.

He did a 270 degree turn around this tree in a split second, I have seen a lot of funny crashes. This one is in the top 3.

I am thinking of getting a pair. I have a flat bar 29 and once on a while my hands are going numb. A different hand position would be nice.

I used them a lot in the 80's, for climbing they fantastic.

If you have never used them don't judge them. Try them first, you will be surprised.


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

OldZaskar said:


> One of the top-5 dumbest add-ons to a mountain bike. I don't know what the other 4 in that top list would be... but this one's definitely up there. Bar ends add weight, snag trees, branches, vines, etc. and if you need them to climb... you're doing it wrong.


I guess they do add weight- less than a tires worth of Stan's tire sealant though, and yes I suppose I've snagged them a time or two on a bush or something over the past 30 years but then again I've snagged a straight bar a few times as well.

Although I don't actually _need_ them to climb I like them a lot and as far as "doing it wrong" I beg to differ, but appreciate your concern. Most of my climbing is done out of the saddle and the hand and wrist position on bar ends is a kazillion times better and more ergonomic than if on the grips. Thats right, a _kazillion!_


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## 411898 (Nov 5, 2008)

Learux said:


> There is some truth to getting snagged by a tree, I saw a friend of mine do it.
> 
> He did a 270 degree turn around this tree in a split second, I have seen a lot of funny crashes. This one is in the top 3.
> 
> ...


I snag bushes on my bar ends regularly....

I also get dirt stuck to my drive train and to my shock stanchions, I momentarily lose traction with my tires, I strike my pedals and cranks on rocks, and I wear my brake pads down a little bit with every ride.

If you can guys resolve any of these issues, I'm all ears. Otherwise, it's the price we pay for having the proper tools for our own needs.


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## theMeat (Jan 5, 2010)

Hawg said:


> and I wear my brake pads down a little bit with every ride.
> 
> If you can guys resolve any of these issues, I'm all ears.


Brakes? What's the fun in that? They wear down, add weight and slow you down. For the 6-10 hours a day the tour d france guys ride, they only use em a fraction of the time so ?


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## BigRingGrinder (Jan 9, 2013)

Hawg said:


> I strike my pedals and cranks on rocks


You say that like its a bad thing. Thats an advanced technique only used by the best riders. Performed correctly you can force your bike to do amazing things like kick the rear tire 6" or more off the ground to clear obstacles or pivot on the front tire for sharper turning. Yea, yea, it DOES maul your pedals and may at times nearly wipe you out when you do it at high speeds...... but the style points are amazing.

Agree pls, ive been trying to convince my self this for years.


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## ElwoodT (Mar 13, 2011)

In my experience, bar ends are more likely to protect you hands from a tree/bush strike than to snag. They usually point inwards after all. When I have them I use them, but I don't seem too miss them when the come off.


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## Brewtality (Jul 25, 2007)

J.B. Weld said:


> I guess they do add weight- less than a tires worth of Stan's tire sealant though,


Not old school original clamp on bar ends. They weighed a ton!! 
These new ones molded into the grips seem kinda worthless to me. Only one extra hand position and they don't look all the sturdy. 
Give me a set of the old Onza clamp on bar ends. Two positions to grip from. 
Sturdy enough to withstand my bulk. 
The upper hand position helped avoid the dreaded bush snag. 
I wouldn't mind a new set of those for my SS.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Tone's (Nov 12, 2011)

They are to zip-tie long bladed rambo knives to so you can stab people out on the trails..


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

My son runs bars almost 8 inches wider than mine. There is one narrow spot between 2 trees that he never hits and I always do. We measured it and the space is 2 inches narrower than his bars (& 6 inches wider than mine). It's not the bar ends, it's the rider.

Again, this is just me. I've never wished I didn't have bar ends when I did, but there are lots of times I wished I did have them when I didn't.


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## 411898 (Nov 5, 2008)

BigRingGrinder said:


> You say that like its a bad thing. Thats an advanced technique only used by the best riders. Performed correctly you can force your bike to do amazing things like kick the rear tire 6" or more off the ground to clear obstacles or pivot on the front tire for sharper turning. Yea, yea, it DOES maul your pedals and may at times nearly wipe you out when you do it at high speeds...... but the style points are amazing.
> 
> Agree pls, ive been trying to convince my self this for years.


I understand you POV here but my point was that my pedals hit rocks just like to bar ends hit bushes...so then, whats the big deal with catching bushes with my bar ends??? Not directly pointing this at you it's at anyone who's grumbling about bar ends.


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## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

Club Mud said:


> I see these on some bikes. I never see them being used. In what situation would they be used? They do seem to add protection to the bike during a fall.
> 
> Example:


Blunt stabbing and fighting goats. Also, sometimes I remove this whole grip assembly and point it like a gun, and go "pew pew pew!" at the wild turkeys.


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## GRFSR (Jan 23, 2004)

I went back to bar-ends after a long hiatus, made a big difference climbing on my singlespeed, next up my geared bike. But don't just take my word on it...
“I’m surprised you don’t see more singlespeeders using bar ends, they give you way more leverage for the climbs.” Ned Overend, (MTB Hall of Famer & 2010 SS National Champion)
"I’m big on bar-ends—just pull on those as hard as you can to help leverage the cranks around". John "Fuzzy" Mylne (Uber succsesful SS rider and cool guy).


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

Club Mud said:


> I see these on some bikes. I never see them being used. In what situation would they be used? They do seem to add protection to the bike during a fall.


Great for climbing, gravel grinders, alternative hand position on long training rides/races, etc... . Road bikes allow you to have your hands on the flats, on the hoods or in the drops. Nothing wrong with having the option on a mountain bike to have at least the bar end option.

I prefer the Cane Creek Ergon bar ends and use them on my gravel grinder for training rides and gravel races...



Post 5+ hour gravel race where the alternative hand position came in very handy to grab on and grind it out...


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## PretendGentleman (May 24, 2011)

I feel like I could use bar ends closer to the stem than my grips rather than the outside. For super steep climbs that are fairly smooth, i find myself holding my brake levers near the cables rather than my bars, just so I can lean further forward to get that extra power from having my hamstrings taught. 

I've caught vines on my bars on many occasions, sometimes crashing because of it. But without bar ends I have the possibility of rotating the bars to let the vine slip off. I think the conservative approach is to assume that bar ends will make these crashes more likely and the burden of evidence is on the claim that this won't happen. My trails are wild and the vegetation reaches out to get you, so my worries about vines may be more severe than others' worries are.


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## Ricko (Jan 14, 2004)

Club Mud said:


> Thanks everyone. My grips came with them (Specialized) but I haven't installed them yet. I might put them on for an upcoming trail climb. They might protect the ends of carbon flat bars from damage upon impact with rocks or the ground.


Check with your carbon bar manufacturer before you clamp bar-ends to the end of them. Most carbon bar mfrs don't recomend bar ends because clamping them on could crush the ends of your bars.


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## Learux (Jun 4, 2012)

Just ordered Cane Creek Ergon bar II and some ODI rogue grips.

My bike will look slightly less cool, but I know I am going to enjoy these things immensely.

I will give an honest review later. Don't really have to though. On the whole internet there is not a negative review to find.


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## ghettocop (Jul 26, 2011)

I've been rocking, and will continue to rock flat bars and bar ends until the end of time. Don't care if they are not "cool". way too many benefits for me personally.

See............


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## Saul Lumikko (Oct 23, 2012)

Bar-end grips are nonsense, no-one in their right mind uses them!

Nino Schurter









Christoph Sauser









Julien Absalon









Of course some of these have switched to a wider bar without bar ends, but I think at the point where they have been they already know what they are doing and their choice of bikes and accessories has been quite well thought out.

They are an option you can take or leave. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.


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## rogerfromco (Jun 22, 2007)

I have them on my Ergon grips on wider riser bars (760mm with 1/2" rise). I have broad shoulders and am a big guy. When I get into a long climb they help me get a wider and more forward position to keep the weight shifted forward and the wider grip also helps me breath more freely. It's a personal choice just like most mods on a bike. I happen to like them.

NOTE: You said you have carbon bars. Most carbon bars are not made for installing bar ends, unless you insert a plug into the end to counteract the compression from the bar end clamp. Might want to check on that before installing them.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

If you notice a huge number of people that use them are people with many years of experience riding. That's because they started riding when "bar ends" were popular. Once you find a good thing you usually stick with it. Once the now popular "riser bars" came out the "bar ends" fell out of fashion and the "riser bar" bacame the new fashion. It was thought early on that bar ends shouldn't be used in conjunction with riser bars, only with the flat bars. That was soon proven wrong as many experienced bar end users started using them on riser bars.

As pointed out already they give different hand positioning for long rides. Hence less fatigue, plus a huge benefit in climbing. They allow you to suck your body up forward and close to the bike. For a better center of gravity while grinding up at steep climb. This in turn keeps your weight to the front of the bike and keeps the front wheel down and planted. This newer version of the old bolt on bar ends have an ergonomic shape to the grip to help in fatigue as well.


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## askibum02 (Jul 7, 2005)

rogerfromco said:


> I have them on my Ergon grips on wider riser bars (760mm with 1/2" rise). I have broad shoulders and am a big guy. When I get into a long climb they help me get a wider and more forward position to keep the weight shifted forward and the wider grip also helps me breath more freely. It's a personal choice just like most mods on a bike. I happen to like them.


This! I'm still using my flat bar and end grips from the mid 90s. I'm not a weight weenie, I'm a cheapskate. If it ain't broke....


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## Tystevens (Nov 2, 2011)

I used mine a lot for the 5 years that I had a HT w/ flat bar. I thought I would miss them when I got a FS w/ a wider riser bar. I did not.

Just put them on and see if you like them. Doesn't really matter what I like ... it is what works for you!

Good luck!


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## Levi707 (Nov 5, 2004)

I am using a set again after not using them since 1997. They feel great on my fat bike. The different hand position is welcome.


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## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

Saul Lumikko said:


> Bar-end grips are nonsense, no-one in their right mind uses them!
> 
> Nino Schurter
> 
> ...


I don't think bar ends is what's holding back my ability to ride like these guys.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

I got my first set of bar ends (Control Stix) in late 1990 and have been using bar ends ever since. Despite fashion advice to the contrary, I have them on the riser bars on both main bikes now. On my commuter and SS, they are on flat bars. The multiple hand positions for riding to the trail head and endurance racing, and the added leverage for for technical climbs and sprinting in short track make them nearly a necessity to me.

In 23 years, I have only snagged a bar end once, but I have bounced them off several trees during that time, saving knuckles over and over. The amount of weight they add to my bike is about the same as a good dessert after dinner, so I don't mind having them on there. Three times in the past ten years, when I got new bikes, I rode for while without bar ends to see if it made a big difference. Each time it made enough difference that I installed them after just a few rides.


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## Saul Lumikko (Oct 23, 2012)

Dion said:


> I don't think bar ends is what's holding back my ability to ride like these guys.


Precisely. That's why I think it's an individual decision. I don't have bar ends on my bikes and never did. The cool teenagers in the mid-90's did have them but I couldn't afford them.

My point was to pull the rug under the popular opinion that they are nonsense or a safety liability. People are different. We ride different trails. Choose for yourself.


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