riser bar useful or just fashion

[Earthworm Jim]

I have just about made my mind up on a MAXM MX1 flat bar, and I have now seen a couple of bikes with MAXM MX5 low risers and they look way cool. I am also sort of being brainwashed by all of the magazine media that does not have a picture of a new high end bike unless it has a riser bar on it.

My current set up for reach and height is perfect with a flat aluminium bar and my current 100mm x 20 deg stem which came stock on my bike, but I am realising that I am not using my bar ends anymore, my stem looks kind of wierd and dorky and that maybe I could use an extra inch or so of width as I have been experimenting with holding my bars over the ends.

I am thinking that I could go for a MAXM 5 low riser with a 120mm x 5 deg rise to allow bar bar rise and sweep as my back and seating angle are actually about perfect for me and still save weight by dropping the bar ends.

What do you guys think?

Am I a wimp for bowing down to media pressure, or will the riser bar offer a more comfortable ride assuming that my back position does not change.

[Xterra Racer]

Wimp no.....just riding style. That is the exact thing that I am doing with my new set-up. I'm ditching the bar ends and going with the riser bar. I road all last season with a flat bar and ends and found that I didn't really use the ends that much. Tested out a set-up with a riser bar and no ends and liked it. So time for a change!!

[Frankie - B]

Keep in mind that the rizer bar will put you in a more upright position. I personally prefer the flatbar, for both training and racing.

[gentri]

i ride cross country and prefer to be lower and have a few grams lighter in front thus i use flat bars.

[jer]

I use a riser bar because i like the width and the bend or sweep. If i could find a flat bar that offered both then i would probably use that. Salsa and bontrager make wide flat bars, but they are heavier than my monkey light. Plus, if you don't have your steerer tube cut down all the way already, you can cut it much lower with a riser bar.

[Cyco]

The Schmolke bars are light, flat and up to 600mm wide (possibly wider if you ask).

[jer]

Thanks for the tip Cyco, I'll look into that.

[doccoraje]

I changed a Titec Ti 118 with Woodman Chupacarbon barends 8 months ago for the Maxm M5, I saved some weight by not using barends, my descending confidence improved and I like the look of it. So for me, riser it is.