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I've not had bar ends since the 90's when I had some huge L shaped things that I'd painted in silver hammerite.
Possible big bike-packing trip this year...previously I've used a Farr bar extension but I find that its a bit sketchy when the bike is loaded up, and definitely not useful for rougher off-road stuff...except to strap the bar bag too.
Users of outer grip-integrated bar ends, inner bar ends, and thumb-hooks. What do you have, and what actually gets the most use?
On one side I think Ergon style bar-end grips would be just the ticket, but on 800mm bars, will I want my hands that far apart? Inner bar ends would allow a bit more of a tuck/aero position (I do sometimes find myself holding the handlebars inside the grips when trying to max out the speed on my singlespeed) Can inner bars ends double up as thumbhooks?
I have a pair of these carbon hinged togs, unmarked.
usual forum shite won't accept copy/paste to link
you can have them for £10 posted if you want?....ill get pics
I've tried/used all three options, in various permutations.
I've ended up with Cane Creek Ergo bar ends as being the most comfortable and actually usable. My bars are a bit narrower than yours though (neither do I have broad shoulders).
I just wasn't getting enough use out of inner bar-ends. Truth is, if I have a route where those are likely to be useful I'd rather fit full TT bars or take the gravel bike.
I have thumb hooks (TOGS) on another couple of bikes though - my FS and my Fatbike. They just give a little additional hand position, allowing some control without a firm grip - useful when cruising along on easy terrain.
Thanks Somafunk, I'll keep it in mind if I decide to go that route 🙂
Ergon inner 'bar-ends on two of the bikes. Unobtrusive and offer a couple of alternative hand positions. Slight aero benefit too!
For any kind of multi day distance riding you want as many different hand positions as possible, so inner and outer bar ends perhaps. I’ve had to switch to swept back handlebars to prevent some kind of vibration white finger that sets in after a few days so bar ends are angled wrong so I’ve put some Ali express inner bar ends on to achieve a different hand placement.
I too have tried all three. The togs are too small for my large hands, the bar ends spread my hands too wide with today’s wider bars but the SQLabs inners are the Goldilocks position. My only gripe would be that a bit of bar tape/padding would help my arthritic thumbs I am in the process of doing this myself
On the hardtail that I use for bikepacking/long distance rides I have some SQ Labs inner bar ends fitted to some 16 degree backsweep bars. Good for tucking on long, flat tarmac or gravel sections.
I am another with SQ Labs inner bar ends. There's a thread on here somewhere back in Oct/Nov where there was quite a bit of discussion
I've got some sqlabs inner bar-ends on my singlespeed, for cruising along they're great - comfy, I can use the brakes without shifting positions and I don't get that hemmed-in feeling on descents that I get with regular bar-ends.
The only drawback is that they don't feel as good for hard climbing as the regular type, the hand-position wrapping over the end of the bar and the additional width of bar-end bar-ends makes a huge difference when honking up something.
I think for singlespeed-ing I'm going to go back to cane creek ergo bar-ands and then for general xc/trail on a geared bike use the sqlabs.
Thanks Somafunk, I'll keep it in mind if I decide to go that route 🙂
No worries, think my mum has claimed them
My mum was in and saw them on my desk, “what’s that?……….so I explained, showed her the website and she mentioned she sometimes rests her hands outstretched on the grips/brakes so I think I’ll fit them to her Specialized Turbo Vado SL
All of them! 😆
I'm sort of defaulting to the inners only though, cheap Brand-X ski bends liberally wrapped with bar tape.
I swapped the Ergon outer grips for their enduro ones, occasionally miss the bar ends right enough.
I've now taped the inner portion of handlebars toi, I can wedge my elbows in beside the base of the inner bar ends and get quite a useable aero tuck for the tarmac sections, will probably not bother with the aero bars in future.
"back in the day", i put some Tioga Stubbies, inside my brake levers as a "hoods" position.
really comfy hand position for road sections.
Everyone laughed at me but now look. Still bitter.
I've got some of these in the clutter pile in the shed.....I spose i could use them rather than the SQlabs stubby innerbar ends......
Another with SQ Labs inners. Used them on a few long bike packing trips and love them. On wide bars they put my hands in a really good wrist-relaxing position for climbing and long flat sections.
I've got some of these in the clutter pile in the shed.....I spose i could use them rather than the SQlabs stubby innerbar ends......
I would, just wrap them well, especially at the base (imagine trying to make them as fat as a roadie shifter hood). I like the look of the SQLabs inner ends but am usually suspicious of anything that's too ergonomically shaped as it looks like it would prevent you from moving your hands around like a plain bar end lets you.
Tried all 3 positions and definitely use the inner barends the most; just naturally seem to switch to them way more than I thought i would. As someone mentioned, given wide bars, outer barends feel too far out so just use ergon ga3 grips for a bit of extra palm area.
Im sure the squarelab are great but ive been fine just using some cheap brandx bar ends on one bike and spirgrips copies on another for my inner barends
I have sq labs inner bar ends on two of my bikes. Small unobtrusive but give you another hand position.
Another vote for the SQLabs inner bar ends. Used them on the Great North Trail last year.
I've got the SQ inners and don't like them.
I've got ebay copies of the TOGS things and really like them. I prefer the small, subtle hook and loosely draping hands on top of the bars rather than specific hand holds. This is/was on a 140mm hardtail.
I've got the Ali version of the SQ inners. Great, and so cheap it's worth trying them out.
Thanks all. Got a set ordered along with their 711 grips. Swayed by the marketing that says they are designed to reduce pressure in the same way as a winged ergo grip (and the hope that the integrated clamp means I don’t start wrestling for space on get bars!)