Looking For A Bar

[faffi]

No, not the type where they serve beer

 

Personally, I have always preferred straight or virtually straight handlebars that just barely bends down and back a few degrees. I remember that in Europe, the big GS Suzukis came with handlebars that where pretty straight, and they were usually lambasted by the press; the journalists said it made for a very uncomfortable riding position that caused aching wrists.

 

For me it's the opposite. Especially with the bar ends bent back a bit, I find it almost impossible to let the grip rest naturally in my palm. Instead, I end up with more like a screwdriver grip that cause pressure points since I simply cannot ride with my wrists bent to accomodate the shape of the handlebars.

 

And if you look at a lot of current race bikes, like that of Melandri and Checa and many others, they also have mounted their clip-ons so that they sit close to arrow straight.

 

Is this just a thing of personal preferences that doesn't matter beyond making the rider feel comfy and confident, or are the real benefits from a handling point of view to use either straight-ish or more or less severely pulled down/back/both handlebar ends?

[Hotfoot]

No, not the type where they serve beer

 

Personally, I have always preferred straight or virtually straight handlebars that just barely bends down and back a few degrees. I remember that in Europe, the big GS Suzukis came with handlebars that where pretty straight, and they were usually lambasted by the press; the journalists said it made for a very uncomfortable riding position that caused aching wrists.

 

For me it's the opposite. Especially with the bar ends bent back a bit, I find it almost impossible to let the grip rest naturally in my palm. Instead, I end up with more like a screwdriver grip that cause pressure points since I simply cannot ride with my wrists bent to accomodate the shape of the handlebars.

 

And if you look at a lot of current race bikes, like that of Melandri and Checa and many others, they also have mounted their clip-ons so that they sit close to arrow straight.

 

Is this just a thing of personal preferences that doesn't matter beyond making the rider feel comfy and confident, or are the real benefits from a handling point of view to use either straight-ish or more or less severely pulled down/back/both handlebar ends?

 

 

I thought they were just angled back so I could REACH them...

[fossilfuel]

I like my clip ons more toward straight for leverage, hand position, forearm position on the tank and the ability to get my upper torso down lower over the front. I'm tall so this helps. I'm sure Carlos Checa has other reasons as does Hotfoot.