Lately I've been riding a pair of uncut Surly Sunrise bars with a pair of barends mounted inside of the grips. Does it look dumb? Yes. Is it comfortable? Yes.
I just add bar ends to every bike. Extra positions, cheap, and great for your SS builds. But...I'm in my 50s and remember how good they worked in the 90s on hybrids.
I agree with you, having multiple hand positions is a huge advantage when riding off-road. Those are some pretty cool bars you tested but there's another way to achieve that goal-bar ends! They were popular all throughout the '90s but began to disappear in the early 2000s due to not being cool anymore. I think once the tweakers were seen riding around with them pointed straight up in the air on their department store mountain bikes that pretty much cinched their fate. The truth is, you get more power when climbing when your hands are in a supinated position rather than sitting flat on the bar. You can also open your fingers up and rest them on the bar end while riding stretches of trail that don't require a full grip. The proper way to set them up is not to have the ends so high up in the air, I actually have mine closer to being level. Watching some 90's grundig cross country race videos you can see the pros using them quite a bit on the climbs. Obviously wouldn't recommend them for the new style of mountain bike that is designed to do a lot of jumps and stunts but if you're into cross-country with some semi-technical terrain and fast single track they work great and can even act as brush guards if you get a pair like the Ibis Rosie ends. Unfortunately, so many riders will never know the benefit of them because they just aren't seen as cool anymore.
They fell out of fashion as bars got wider. It was fine to put bar ends out on the end on a 52cm flat bar that we all ran in 2000, but on a modern 78cm bar your arms are spread way out. Modern inner bar ends (kinda like this bar) are in a similar place as the old bar ends. It just occurred to me too that all these super-wide 52cm+ drop bars would put your hands in a similar position on the hoods, but you can actually shift and brake while you're out there. :)
@@matt.3.14 The vast majority of bar ends did not widen the bar. The only exceptions I know of were Answer Hyper Ends and some modern types from Ergon. Those two protruded out past the end of the bar due to their designs but most if not all the rest clamped onto the end of the bar and did not increase the overall width. It was actually more difficult to run bar ends in the old days with the narrower width bars because they narrowed your grip even further. Nowadays with the wider bars it's much easier to run them because even though you move your grips in you still have plenty of width left over.
I recently put ergonomic grips with moulded bar ends. They are heavy but very comfortable. I found that after a while of riding especially flat areas I was putting my hands on the ends of my bar where bar ends would usually go but it would hurt my hands. With the new grips and bar ends everything is comfortable.
I've tried alt-bars but I didn't end up using the horns much. Instead, I've found that flat bars cut fairly narrow (25 inches) with the the bars 1-3 inches higher than saddle. was my ideal set up. I found this position ideal for long rides. While wider bars are better for rocky technical twisty singletrack, everywhere else the narrow bars are better. If you wanted an alternate hand position, some small "thumb hooks" just inside the grips might be good. I haven't tried thumb hooks yet but I would like to.
I remember seeing those thumb hook things 5 or so years ago. Never tried them but I think they're a great idea to switch up your hand position a little on flat bars.
@6:08, regarding liking upright riding position more as we age. I went on vacation recently to Vancouver, BC and rented an urban bike that put me upright. I laughed at the bike but it was the most comfortable position that I have been on a bike. It even had a suspension seatpost. Ever since, I have wondered how the upright position would feel like on singletrack.
I built up a 2023 Ritchey Ascent last year as a bikepacking rig and I keep going back forth between the Jones bar and the Ritchey Max drop bars. I also have the Ritchey Kyote on my emtb, and I love that bar, better than the Jones. I’ve also been thinking about the Crazy bars as well. … will try them out at some point this year. Great review, btw!
Great review. Was just looking at these yesterday along with the Ritchey Kyote and Jones H for my new Ritchey Ascent. Haven't dipped my feet into alt-bar world yet, but at 54yo, my recent foray into road bikes/drop bars after decades of mtb made me realize just how much I prefer or am habituated to being more upright on flat bars.
The Kyotes are cool, but the increase reach a fair bit. I have a set on my Surly, and I shortened up the stem by 35mm (70 to 35) to get my hands in the same place as they were on the mildly swept bar that was on there. I like them quite a bit after that change though. I think the Kyote's are aimed at bikes that are shorter reach that many newer flat-bar bikes use (along with the Moloko, Surly Terminal, Jones, etc.). The position on my Surly with the Kyote or a set of short-reach drop bars and the same stem are both about right.
I bought the v1 of these bars some years back and was frankly a little disappointed. The v1 is very flat and getting the horns to point up very much put the other grips in an odd, downward facing position. But I loved the idea and got on the waitlist for the v2 when they were announced. The changes made a huge difference and the v2 are my favorite all around bars.
I just got some Ritchey Buzzard bars, they're similar (very similar) to the Kyote, but have a 70mm rise. The rise makes them absolutely perfect for me with a short steerer, excellent bars.
I'm one of those people that can't handle 45° of backsweep. Had a iteration of the Jones H-Bar from M-Wave called Double Bar. Couldn't use it long term, because my wrists kept complaining. Found my sweetspot to be arount 30° or so. Great Review btw. I'm all for Alt-Bars! Thanks
The Jones bar works well for me , I've tried quite a few others with less sweep & anything over 35 miles I get cramps in my forearms , everybody is different I guess .
Been eyeing them for years now. Loved the review, thank you. I think the V2 seem like a genuinely better alternative compared to V1. V1 just seems so "straight" and fixed angles as appeared to the V2 which looks more versatile.
I have the Velo Orange Seine bars which are identical to the crazy bars just without the horns. A good bit cheaper, and then you can add after market horns of any length and customize their position. Great video thanks
I have the V2s. I like them, but I think I would prefer the horns to be toed in by a few degrees. I’ve thought about trying to bend them, but I’m afraid that the welds may break. I’ve also thought about cutting the bars down by a couple of cms.
Do you think that you would be able to run pogies on these? I think I'd rather have these than the Jones loop bar, but it would be a deal breaker if I couldn't run bar mitts
Ah good question...I think there's a good chance they'll work on the main bar portion, but not the horns at the same time. You could go the custom route though if you wanted both!
I appreciate the comments on angles and widths between these and other bars. I am considering conversion of a custom steel road bike (Waterford) that I rarely ride since I switched to recumbent riding. Also pondering a switch to 650b on the same bike. Currently has Ultegra triple with 700, max 25c tires (clearance limitations).
Get TPU tubes $24 for a pair and more supple tires to improve the ride a bit and look at the red shift top shelf handlebars that raise you up quite a bit but still keep the drop bar configuration. Alternatively, definitely some kind of riser flat barwith straight levers. Waterford is a beautiful frame, and the triple is still a great chain ring for range. Enjoy.
@@e.con5712 Thanks for the suggestions. I had to google TPU tubes. And some of the Redshift bars are on my radar. A flat+riser bar with a modest amount of sweep is the most likely candidate.
How close would sqlabs innerbar ends get to the horns position on this bar? I like the sweep and rise on my hudski longhorn 16 degree bar, but definitely want that narrower position option
Idk, I don’t see the point of you have jones bars already. I think there is a too wide when it comes to bars. The utility of the jones out weighs any style points from the vo. Unless you just really miss your drops, I don’t see the point. You get more hand and mounting positions with the jones.
It's not uncommon for people to have a hard time with the 45 degree sweep on Jones bars so this is another option for those people. I also think these feel more comfortable/natural on really technical or twisty trails because of the width and less extreme sweep. I don't have a problem with the Jones bars in those situations on the LWB, but most of the other bikes I've tried them on made switchbacks a real doozy.
Iv used the jones bars on my cargo bike for close to a decade now and still love them , only downfall is l can’t use them on my cyclocross and use a bar bag.
I have been using sq lab innerbarends for a while and they are a game changer for me. I even have access to my shifters. I use them in combo with a sq lab flat bar with 12 deg sweep and 30mm rise.
![[UNCUT] “บอสณวัฒน์” ลากไส้!! ใครหนุนหลัง "แม่ตั๊ก ป๋าเบียร์" I คนดังนั่งเคลียร์ I 30 ก.ย. 67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QlD7mU2KKRk/mqdefault.jpg)
Lately I've been riding a pair of uncut Surly Sunrise bars with a pair of barends mounted inside of the grips.
Does it look dumb? Yes.
Is it comfortable? Yes.
I just add bar ends to every bike. Extra positions, cheap, and great for your SS builds. But...I'm in my 50s and remember how good they worked in the 90s on hybrids.
😁 Ha! Me too. I have ergon bar ends on my three flat bar bikes but probably going alt bar route for my new bike.
Do you put them at the ends or in the center?
Ergon bar ends or ergon grips are so comfortable 😮@@ashurany
What is SS ?
I agree with you, having multiple hand positions is a huge advantage when riding off-road. Those are some pretty cool bars you tested but there's another way to achieve that goal-bar ends! They were popular all throughout the '90s but began to disappear in the early 2000s due to not being cool anymore. I think once the tweakers were seen riding around with them pointed straight up in the air on their department store mountain bikes that pretty much cinched their fate. The truth is, you get more power when climbing when your hands are in a supinated position rather than sitting flat on the bar. You can also open your fingers up and rest them on the bar end while riding stretches of trail that don't require a full grip. The proper way to set them up is not to have the ends so high up in the air, I actually have mine closer to being level. Watching some 90's grundig cross country race videos you can see the pros using them quite a bit on the climbs. Obviously wouldn't recommend them for the new style of mountain bike that is designed to do a lot of jumps and stunts but if you're into cross-country with some semi-technical terrain and fast single track they work great and can even act as brush guards if you get a pair like the Ibis Rosie ends. Unfortunately, so many riders will never know the benefit of them because they just aren't seen as cool anymore.
They fell out of fashion as bars got wider. It was fine to put bar ends out on the end on a 52cm flat bar that we all ran in 2000, but on a modern 78cm bar your arms are spread way out. Modern inner bar ends (kinda like this bar) are in a similar place as the old bar ends.
It just occurred to me too that all these super-wide 52cm+ drop bars would put your hands in a similar position on the hoods, but you can actually shift and brake while you're out there. :)
@@matt.3.14 The vast majority of bar ends did not widen the bar. The only exceptions I know of were Answer Hyper Ends and some modern types from Ergon. Those two protruded out past the end of the bar due to their designs but most if not all the rest clamped onto the end of the bar and did not increase the overall width. It was actually more difficult to run bar ends in the old days with the narrower width bars because they narrowed your grip even further. Nowadays with the wider bars it's much easier to run them because even though you move your grips in you still have plenty of width left over.
I recently put ergonomic grips with moulded bar ends. They are heavy but very comfortable. I found that after a while of riding especially flat areas I was putting my hands on the ends of my bar where bar ends would usually go but it would hurt my hands. With the new grips and bar ends everything is comfortable.
I've tried alt-bars but I didn't end up using the horns much. Instead, I've found that flat bars cut fairly narrow (25 inches) with the the bars 1-3 inches higher than saddle. was my ideal set up. I found this position ideal for long rides. While wider bars are better for rocky technical twisty singletrack, everywhere else the narrow bars are better. If you wanted an alternate hand position, some small "thumb hooks" just inside the grips might be good. I haven't tried thumb hooks yet but I would like to.
I remember seeing those thumb hook things 5 or so years ago. Never tried them but I think they're a great idea to switch up your hand position a little on flat bars.
@6:08, regarding liking upright riding position more as we age. I went on vacation recently to Vancouver, BC and rented an urban bike that put me upright. I laughed at the bike but it was the most comfortable position that I have been on a bike. It even had a suspension seatpost. Ever since, I have wondered how the upright position would feel like on singletrack.
I built up a 2023 Ritchey Ascent last year as a bikepacking rig and I keep going back forth between the Jones bar and the Ritchey Max drop bars. I also have the Ritchey Kyote on my emtb, and I love that bar, better than the Jones. I’ve also been thinking about the Crazy bars as well. … will try them out at some point this year.
Great review, btw!
What about riding bar ends but putting them in the center
Great review. Was just looking at these yesterday along with the Ritchey Kyote and Jones H for my new Ritchey Ascent. Haven't dipped my feet into alt-bar world yet, but at 54yo, my recent foray into road bikes/drop bars after decades of mtb made me realize just how much I prefer or am habituated to being more upright on flat bars.
The Kyotes are cool, but the increase reach a fair bit. I have a set on my Surly, and I shortened up the stem by 35mm (70 to 35) to get my hands in the same place as they were on the mildly swept bar that was on there. I like them quite a bit after that change though. I think the Kyote's are aimed at bikes that are shorter reach that many newer flat-bar bikes use (along with the Moloko, Surly Terminal, Jones, etc.). The position on my Surly with the Kyote or a set of short-reach drop bars and the same stem are both about right.
I bought the v1 of these bars some years back and was frankly a little disappointed. The v1 is very flat and getting the horns to point up very much put the other grips in an odd, downward facing position.
But I loved the idea and got on the waitlist for the v2 when they were announced. The changes made a huge difference and the v2 are my favorite all around bars.
Horns could afford to go to 44cm.
Hey! Question for you, how tall are you/what size is your bike? I'm wanting to set up a bike but having a hard time with sizing. Thank you!!
I’m just shy of 5’11” and ride a large in most brands/bikes but I’m on a medium on the Jones.
I just got some Ritchey Buzzard bars, they're similar (very similar) to the Kyote, but have a 70mm rise. The rise makes them absolutely perfect for me with a short steerer, excellent bars.
I'd love to try out some of Ritchey's bars...they've got a few good options on the alternative side of things.
@@RideYearRound Shoot us a note!
I'm one of those people that can't handle 45° of backsweep. Had a iteration of the Jones H-Bar from M-Wave called Double Bar. Couldn't use it long term, because my wrists kept complaining. Found my sweetspot to be arount 30° or so. Great Review btw. I'm all for Alt-Bars! Thanks
The Jones bar works well for me , I've tried quite a few others with less sweep & anything over 35 miles I get cramps in my forearms , everybody is different I guess .
I don't agree with that flag being shown anywhere but what a waste of public money ,when my shop window was smashed the police did nothing about it.
Been eyeing them for years now. Loved the review, thank you. I think the V2 seem like a genuinely better alternative compared to V1. V1 just seems so "straight" and fixed angles as appeared to the V2 which looks more versatile.
I like them 😮
I like the one you showed with remote shifters on the forward / aft facing bars ends
I have the Velo Orange Seine bars which are identical to the crazy bars just without the horns. A good bit cheaper, and then you can add after market horns of any length and customize their position. Great video thanks
I have the V2s. I like them, but I think I would prefer the horns to be toed in by a few degrees.
I’ve thought about trying to bend them, but I’m afraid that the welds may break.
I’ve also thought about cutting the bars down by a couple of cms.
Do you think that you would be able to run pogies on these? I think I'd rather have these than the Jones loop bar, but it would be a deal breaker if I couldn't run bar mitts
Ah good question...I think there's a good chance they'll work on the main bar portion, but not the horns at the same time. You could go the custom route though if you wanted both!
I appreciate the comments on angles and widths between these and other bars. I am considering conversion of a custom steel road bike (Waterford) that I rarely ride since I switched to recumbent riding.
Also pondering a switch to 650b on the same bike. Currently has Ultegra triple with 700, max 25c tires (clearance limitations).
Get TPU tubes $24 for a pair and more supple tires to improve the ride a bit and look at the red shift top shelf handlebars that raise you up quite a bit but still keep the drop bar configuration. Alternatively, definitely some kind of riser flat barwith straight levers. Waterford is a beautiful frame, and the triple is still a great chain ring for range. Enjoy.
@@e.con5712 Thanks for the suggestions. I had to google TPU tubes. And some of the Redshift bars are on my radar. A flat+riser bar with a modest amount of sweep is the most likely candidate.
@@ziptiefighter I’ve been looking at Ritchey. Recent are the Kyote and Buzzard but also has the Rizer in maybe 10mm and a little backsweep
How close would sqlabs innerbar ends get to the horns position on this bar? I like the sweep and rise on my hudski longhorn 16 degree bar, but definitely want that narrower position option
I think the horns on this are a bit longer than those, but you may be able to get a similar fit…it just depends on the bar you’re putting them on!
Idk, I don’t see the point of you have jones bars already. I think there is a too wide when it comes to bars. The utility of the jones out weighs any style points from the vo. Unless you just really miss your drops, I don’t see the point. You get more hand and mounting positions with the jones.
It's not uncommon for people to have a hard time with the 45 degree sweep on Jones bars so this is another option for those people. I also think these feel more comfortable/natural on really technical or twisty trails because of the width and less extreme sweep. I don't have a problem with the Jones bars in those situations on the LWB, but most of the other bikes I've tried them on made switchbacks a real doozy.
I've tried these but I keep on going back to a jones 2.5 H bar .
The 2.5 H Bar is definitely in my top 3 alt-bars.
Iv used the jones bars on my cargo bike for close to a decade now and still love them , only downfall is l can’t use them on my cyclocross and use a bar bag.
2.5 Hbars are my savior when it comes riding. I bought a drop bar Marin rode it for a year before converting it with jones bar ain't looking back
😂❤
👏👏👏
Are inner bar ends good or they are just gimmicks? Thanks !
I have been using sq lab innerbarends for a while and they are a game changer for me. I even have access to my shifters. I use them in combo with a sq lab flat bar with 12 deg sweep and 30mm rise.
If you like the hoods position on drop bars or want a slightly more stretch out/aerodynamic position then horns or inner bar ends do a great job.
Great review! Thanks!