Riserbars - why?

[one-eyed_jim]

Keith Bontrager rants about risers:

http://web.archive.org/web/200012081154 ... _1998.html

"Downhill bars

They have an extra bend on both sides. This is not a good thing. They're lame."

"From an engineering perspective, the things are a disaster in principle. They will inevitably weigh more (1), cost more (2), increase manufacturing complexity (3) and have less strength at a given weight and cost (4) when you compare them to flat bars of the same width. How's that for striking out?"

 

[Neil G]

Even the old shopper type bikes had risers - the original 'mounain' bikes used in california were old shoppers and as heavy as hell. They'd razz downhill on them to see who was fastest down the mountain.

So if we are being picky, weight weenies, single track and flat bars are fashions themselves. To be grass roots you need to downhill on a shopper bike with risers and it has to weight a ton!

I'm inclined to agree that it was straight bars that were fashion driven by weight weenies and XC racers. Risers have been around for longer and offer a more comfortable riding position for all day riding than flats.

Agree, everyone knew that running silly narrow bars isn't good for control but it didn't stop riders using them.

 

[P20]

The whole riser bar thing is personal preference. You could achieve similar positions by different stems, bars from either flat or riser set ups. That then may limit your stem/bar choice and spoil the asthetics of the bike. :?
So for my personal choice, old skool will be flat bars. New stuff, would be flat bars too, but it depends on the bike. I couldn't put flats and bar ends on the 575, it'd look naff

I am lucky that i don't need a particular position due to bad back, etc so i tend to go for the lowest height option

 

[scant]

no one mentioned the obvious point yet so I will. theres so many niche aspects of handlebars these days, but the original purpose of early 90s era riser bars aside from position was that they were generally more overbuilt. heavier for a purpose.

 

[scant]

Even the old shopper type bikes had risers - the original 'mounain' bikes used in california were old shoppers and as heavy as hell. They'd razz downhill on them to see who was fastest down the mountain.

So if we are being picky, weight weenies, single track and flat bars are fashions themselves. To be grass roots you need to downhill on a shopper bike with risers and it has to weight a ton!

I'm inclined to agree that it was straight bars that were fashion driven by weight weenies and XC racers. Risers have been around for longer and offer a more comfortable riding position for all day riding than flats.

Agree, everyone knew that running silly narrow bars isn't good for control but it didn't stop riders using them.

thats still very true now

 

[barry2017]

Flat bars are stronger, but that's because the weights people demand make component failure an issue. You can make a bar that's plenty strong enough in any shape you like, providing it weighs a little more.
Still, if lightweight is what you need, lightweight is what they give you.
As for aesthetics, it depends on the bike. I'd never own a bike that had flat bars anymore, but I love to see them here. But by the same token, when I used to run my Dawes with flat bars, it looked terrible, like some kind of hybrid(shudders).

 

[dyna-ti]

I got a huge fright when i changed from flat with bar ends to a riser.
Everything was fine till i shifted my hands automatically to my bar ends,which were no longer there :shock:

very nearly headbutted the stem

 

[lumos2000]

I got a huge fright when i changed from flat with bar ends to a riser.
Everything was fine till i shifted my hands automatically to my bar ends,which were no longer there :shock:

very nearly headbutted the stem

exactly why i use stubbie barends with my risers, i know you dont like it but i dont care and my wrists are in a stronger postion when out of the saddle, it felt wierd going back to flat bars and for me it has to feel right.

 

[D_XZ]

On a flat bar the leverage of your hands is in line with the centre of the stem clamp while on risers it's offset giving greater leverage to the rider. This results in two slightly slower (allowing better fine control) steering and less effort to turn the bars.

Personally I don't think that leverage works too well with roadie style body position set up for efficient pedalling as an XC racer would use but thats just my feeling

 

[Err]

On a flat bar the leverage of your hands is in line with the centre of the stem clamp while on risers it's offset giving greater leverage to the rider. This results in two slightly slower (allowing better fine control) steering and less effort to turn the bars.

Personally I don't think that leverage works too well with roadie style body position set up for efficient pedalling as an XC racer would use but thats just my feeling

Not convinced, need diagram