Handle Bar Height

[rmc_olderthandirt]

I was wondering how everyone else set their handle bar height.

I am 6 feet tall and when I stand on the pegs I need to lean forward quite a bit in order to reach the handle bars. If I keep my leg straight then I am bent at the waist quite a bit. Keeps my legs from getting tired but then my arms take a beating as I am essentially leaning on the bars.

If I bend my knees I can straighten my back and take the load off my arms. Unfortunately my legs will give out on me after a few minutes of whoops.

I have been working out at the gym trying to build leg strength and endurance, which has helped some but I still have a long way to go and doubt I will make any significant improvements.

So now I am considering raising the bars. I already have them twisted up as far as they will go but I need a couple more inches.

So what position does everyone else ride in while standing on the pegs?

Would I be better off getting risers to raise the bars I have or new bars with a higher rise?

Rod

 

[IndyMX]

You could also try lowering your foot pegs an inch or so.

 

[High Lord Gomer]

Be careful rotating the bars. If you rotate them too much, it can turn your wrists in bad/wierd angles.

When standing, you shouldn't be stiff legged or even standing all the way up. Your legs are another form of shock absorbers and need to be somewhat bent to be useful.

Nothing will work your legs for riding in quite the way that riding will. The good news is that the better you get at riding, the less it will *seem* to work your legs because you will start moving in anticipation of what the bike will do rather than in reaction to it.

By all means, if the bars feel too low or cramped, look at taller bars or risers for the clamps. I haven't bought any recently but the Jimmy Button bend of Renthals used to be pretty high.

 

[helio lucas]

a different animal here, but for my cr80 i feel more confortable with risers on the handlebars, maybe 2cm taller.
i really cannot tell any difference on legs with the risers...

 

[mj4trax]

I have very similar issues with my RM250. The handlebar bend feels perfect when I'm sitting, but I feel like an ogre when I try to stand up. .. have to lean too far forward and down. I was going to do my conversion with taller bars. To me, that is the simplest way to do it.

RockyMountainMC.com a great chart with the width, height and pull back on all bars that they sell. Not saying necessarally to buy from them, but they have a good resource to research lots of differnent bends side-by side. I'd recommend figuring out exactly what you have now before you try to buy new bars.

Gomer's right about the knees being at least slightly bent. You don't ever want to lock your knees on a bike.

Going through the whoops, you should be pulling back on the bars as you're standing, not leaning on them. .. this, however transfers even more weight to your legs though.

I'll agree that nothing works the legs in quite the same way as actual riding, but bicycling is a good exercise to help if you can't get out and ride as often as you'd like to excercise.