Funn Upturn 55mm High Riser Handlebar review

How high is too high? We check out of these lofty 55mm rise Funn Upturn handlebars perform on the trails. The may be high but are they mighty? Brand: …

By ben_haworth

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Funn Upturn 55mm High Riser Handlebar review

I’ve been shouting about high bars ever since I jumped on my first proper LLS bike in 2017. You’re right that they just put your hands where they should be.

Also I only buy 31.8 bars and stems so that’s a positive for me.

Long head tubes are ugly. High rise bars are the awesome.

I have 60mm bars on an old school geo 29er HT, super comfy, if a little wandery on steeper climbs…

What’s the bike and e system?

@bikesandboots Orbea Rise LT.. Shimano EP8 RS.

Long head tubes are ugly. High rise bars are the awesome.

This, Not sure why MTB’s haven’t adopted a standard HT size and then everyone just buys bars to suit, would making swapping forks etc so much easier. The variable HT length comes from road bikes where they can’t just whack on some different height risers for taller . shorter riders so makes sense there, but we should really be adopting a BMX approach where head tubes are all the same length and you pick the bar height that you like to run.

Which is better, if you have the option:

higher rise bars or spacers under the stem?

bars don’t reduce the reach, is that correct?

 

Bars can reduce the reach but you can roll them forward or backward so it’s your choice. I always start with the upsweep pointing straight up so the face of the bar is vertical. Then the backsweep is pointing the bars towards your hands and not the ground or the sky.

Headset spacers always eat into the reach because the steerer is pointing towards you.

In my opinion a high rise bar looks better. A huge stack of spacers make it look like you’re on the wrong size bike.

If you need spacers or high rise bars it seems that someone didn’t design the bike properly or you have the wrong size.

Or maybe a quill stem?

Tall bars or spacers both reduce reach. If you roll the bars forward to be steeper than HTA, then you’re increasing effective stem length to offset the reach reduction.

Those aren’t high rise bars, these are high rise bars!

DEITY ::: HIGHSIDE 80MM RISE HANDLEBAR – DEITY | Premium Race Goods (deitycomponents.com)

80mm And they’re great! Takes some getting used to the way they look mind.

sillyoldman
Tall bars or spacers both reduce reach. If you roll the bars forward to be steeper than HTA, then you’re increasing effective stem length to offset the reach reduction.

Spacers yes but bars don’t reduce reach so long as you orientate vertically – it’s the stem location that varies the reach and if you’re comfortable with changing the sweep you can vary the reach slightly by angling the bars fwd or back.

If bars are vertical, they’re rolled forward relative to head angle, and therefore increase the stem length effectively by pushing the bars further forward in relation to the steerer.

The dimensions of angle and sweep are given relative to vertical as it’s the only constant. (head angles are all different) so bars are defaulted to vertical.  Therefore a vertical bar is at neutral reach.  If you’re angling your riser back to match the fork angle you’re going to be very uncomfortable.

That doesn’t appear to be universally agreed.

Funn’s own pictures of the product show it mounted in line with HTA, and with the bar markings centred on the stem face plate markings which put the bars in line with HTA as all other brands seem to do.

Not sure why MTB’s haven’t adopted a standard HT size and then everyone just buys bars to suit

A big heavy rider will put much more stress on the head tube. A longer head tube gives a much longer weld to take the stress and the greater spacing between the headset bearings will reduce the loadings on those too.

If you raise your hand position, your effective reach will be reduced regardless of how you go about raising them. By effective reach I mean the vertical distance from the cranks to the steering axis at the level of the grips. A longer stem will not change the reach if the grips are at the same height because the point which your hands rotate around is still at the same height.

sillyoldman
That doesn’t appear to be universally agreed.

Well if you don’t agree then that’s not universal but . . .

sillyoldman

Funn’s own pictures of the product show it mounted in line with HTA, and with the bar markings centred on the stem face plate markings which put the bars in line with HTA as all other brands seem to do.

Funn Upturn High Riser Handlebar (funnmtb.com)

Just rotate your bars to whatever position is comfortable to you. There is no correct alignment except what is comfortable. I don’t like upswept bars so I always have to rotate them backwards to find a comfortable position.

Looks like this subject is a goldmine for pedants. I just get my grips where I want them and ride my bike.

Quite right!

I have the 50mm rise vibrocore bars on my Tyee and the Deity 80mm rise bars on the Sentry that my wife uses and we both love high rise bars 🙂 it feels a bit rubbish hopping on a bike without them!