It occurs to me that either there's a hole in the market for a wide flat bar with up and back sweep comparable to a riser bar

How can a flat bar have up and backsweep 😀

What sweep you looking for?

So is that not the benefit that a riser bar has over a flat bar then? The fact you can have up and back sweep, that you can't have with a flat bar?

No, because you need to add less weight to them to get the rise than you do to the bars (for a given strength).

Significantly so? If it's about 10 grams or so then the only people who will care are xc racers, who should be on flats anyway!

In reality, the only benefit of a flat bar that anyone cares about is a low front end…eg when i put 36s on my 5 i got some flat bars to bring the height back down.

stuartanicholson – Member
In reality, the only benefit of a flat bar that anyone cares about is a low front end…eg when i put 36s on my 5 i got some flat bars to bring the height back down.

Which is the reason I run 1/2inch rise on my DH and trail bike, but a flat bar "feels" wrong when I've run it on my XC bike, even with the appropriate rise stem.

So is that not the benefit that a riser bar has over a flat bar then? The fact you can have up and back sweep, that you can't have with a flat bar?

The sweep has nothing to do with the rise in the middle of the bar. The likes of the kore bar have a lot of sweep. Whether that sweep is up or back depends what angle you put the bar at.

It occurs to me that either there's a hole in the market for a wide flat bar with up and back sweep comparable to a riser bar, or somethings being missed here.

they do. http://www.salsacycles.com/handlebars_mtn.html

heres my bike with up and back sweep flat bar.

have run them with back sweep only, now run them with back and slight down sweep – sounds odd but works lovely – like a jones bar.

they do. http://www.salsacycles.com/handlebars_mtn.html

But they're heavier??

The main problem with flat bars is that the MX wannabes don't feel as MXy and worry that they might be seen for what they are.
Blokes bimbling round in the woods not Bubba Stewart.

Quality thread this 😀

Anyone suspect that if flats catch on for DH…. then they might catch on for 'all mountain'…. then after a while, the trail centre warriors will have to have them…. and then everyone will be back to basics again.
What will the sensible XC bast***s like me, that ignored the whims of fashion, do then? will we lose our very identity? 🙂

I like my flats, and I'm no downhiller, I just like to ride my bike.

And to be fair, they feel comfy, and no, it was no a fashion thing, It was just a personal choice..

xc racers … should be on flats anyway!

Unless they want their bars a bit higher, in which case they might use risers 😉

Anyone suspect that if flats catch on for DH…. then they might catch on for 'all mountain'

was thinking about them for my Pitch