Alt/Swept Bars - Hand Position in Relation to Axis

[Jay]

I tried some swept-back bars last year and didn't like them.  I've decided to give them another chance.  The bike they're going on is used mainly off-road, with a lot of short, steep climbs and descents.  The surface is crushed limestone (not MTB trails).

I'm wondering when I grip the bars where my hands should be in relation to the front hub, head tube / stem?  

If I'm too upright I think it will be difficult to climb out of the saddle (I remember it felt hard to get the leverage, but that was a different handlebar than I'll be trying).  If the bars are too far forward, well I may as well use the drop bars I'll be swapping out.  I love drop bars, and would ride them on this bike in the winter when it's mainly a road bike, but on the trails (April to November) I want something so when I'm riding around my body (back, arms, head) are in a better position, in particular with the descents (when I'm riding the drop bars down a steep hill, I'm tilting forward of course and when I raise my head it puts stress on my cervical spine, which is a pre-existing issue).

[Bill Lindsay]

I think the answer to that question is something you're going to have to find for yourself through experimentation.  It sounds like you know a fair bit about yourself and your preferences, so you are part-way there.  There is no single "right place" for your hands to be in relation to the front hub, head tube / stem.   That's especially true if you have a cervical spine condition that limits how you can fit on a bicycle.  If there were a "right" position, and your condition doesn't let you get there, then it's not right for you.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[George Schick]

Jay - are you currently using "road" drop bars or "dirt drop" bars?  I've never tried the dirt drops myself and the limestone trails I ride are constructed from limestone "tailings," i.e., very finely crushed limestone with a lot of limestone dust in it which has then been compacted with a roller and I ride them with a regular road bike with road drop bars installed.  As I said, I've never tried the dirt drops, but they like they might be a good happy medium to what ails you.

George

[Richard Rose]

I might be able to help. I got myself a Clem with a 135 FacePlater stem and Bosco bar. I loved it from first pedal stroke & eventually rode it on singletrack. I did not consider it to be my mountain bike as I had an Ibis Mojo 3, but it was capable enough that I wondered if a Gus/Susie could be my MTB. The Ibis was great but hand/wrist issues made riding a relatively strait bar painful. I tried a few different bars but it was not working out. I was just so comfortable on the Clem that I figured why fight it and got a Gus. I decided to set it up similarly to the Clem. I put a Bosco on it with a Nitto “V” stem which replicated my position on the Clem exactly. It worked - the Gus was just as comfy as the Clem but better suited to the trails I ride for a variety of reasons. But, I did not feel I could be very aggressive on trail with the Bosco. The Gus felt like it could be capable of anything I’d want to ride, just not with the Bosco.

I changed to a Hope Cyclery /Leker Leks “Albacore” handlebar. It is 785 wide with a 50 degree backsweep. With not as much backsweep as the Bosco I needed a much shorter stem. I got a stubby 35mm Paul Boxcar. The combination put me about as upright as on the Clem but more aggressive. It instantly felt great - much more mountain “bikey”. The key to this I think is that I knew I wanted my hands in a similar position to the Clem as far as distance from the saddle (reach) and height @ the hands relative to the saddle. I sold the Ibis and have not looked back. Gus is my MTB & I am quite upright. No neck or hand issues & I did have a back surgery. My back feels better every time I ride either of my upright bikes. And yes, I can stand & climb. But I don’t. I prefer to stay seated & spin if at all possible.

So yeah, maybe a bit of trial & error but upright can work great.

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 19, 2025, at 12:57 PM, Jay <jason....@gmail.com> wrote:

I tried some swept-back bars last year and didn't like them.  I've decided to give them another chance.  The bike they're going on is used mainly off-road, with a lot of short, steep climbs and descents.  The surface is crushed limestone (not MTB trails).

I'm wondering when I grip the bars where my hands should be in relation to the front hub, head tube / stem?  

If I'm too upright I think it will be difficult to climb out of the saddle (I remember it felt hard to get the leverage, but that was a different handlebar than I'll be trying).  If the bars are too far forward, well I may as well use the drop bars I'll be swapping out.  I love drop bars, and would ride them on this bike in the winter when it's mainly a road bike, but on the trails (April to November) I want something so when I'm riding around my body (back, arms, head) are in a better position, in particular with the descents (when I'm riding the drop bars down a steep hill, I'm tilting forward of course and when I raise my head it puts stress on my cervical spine, which is a pre-existing issue).

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/6ca6c24f-89ce-4ad2-b0a9-63ad72fb52e7n%40googlegroups.com.

[Mackenzy Albright]

I agree with Bill - this is likely an individual journey to some extent. I do think that we've all developed our own favorite ergonomic preferences. 

For climbing - oddly - I've noticed with swept back bars I tend to hold the grips and "articulate" my elbows and hinge at the hip bending forward to leverage power. I find because my core is quite engaged during a climb I don't really need a lot of upper body support - I am mostly steering the bike. I don't find much utility in the "stand and mash" position. I find with the long wheelbase seated climbing feels quite efficient to me. Think Graeme Obree on his early bikes pre aero bikes. 

For spinning however I have a tendency to stretch out over the front of the bike and hold the "forward" positions. 

The wonder of swept back bars is just the sheer quantity of gripping surface area - though it's more fore and aft vs up and down via drops. This can take some getting used to. 

[J G]

My take is more from the MTB perspective, but I find that alt bars that allow me to move backward and forward on bars mitigate issues with bad weight distribution for any giving situation.  Jones Loop bars are potentially excellent for what you describe as primary position is somewhat upright with grips near plane of head tube, however you can also reach out to the loops to get your weight more forward.  

For more aggressive riding off road I also like Woodchippers setup as dirt drops with primary and really only useful position on the long ramps.  Here the ramp length facilitates the for and aft movement and I generally have the hooks on these forward of the head tube with a stem with 60-90mm depending on bike.

-Justus

Mpls, MN

[Herman Michaels]

I don't have a lot of experience using alt bars, but have noticed that rotating the grips on my Albastache slightly downward helps when descending. These bars are supposed to be good for drop bar lovers too. However, on my 64 cm Clem the back sweep is a little short for me.

[Jay]

Thanks for the info, even though it will be an experimentation as Bill and others have said.  I'm in the process of converting the drivetrain and ran into a snag, so it may be a week before the Fargo is ready to ride.  Though just from standing over it, sitting on the saddle and leaning against a pole, it seems like a good position (not too wide, not too swept).  We'll see!

[Jay]

I've had one ride with the new bars (Velo Orange Curvy bar).  From a control perspective (e.g., twisty descents) they were great.  Climbing was also good, in and out of the saddle.  The axis thing I asked about seems about right, so now it's more about comfort.  

The alt bars I tried previously were the granola bars and I found it hard to climb out of the saddle with so much sweep (and twisty descents were sketchy).  I think this 30 sweep is good, a bit more would be nice, but for now I'll stick with this bar.  I'm going to cut it down as I'm very narrow shoulder and with my neck issue, don't like my arms extended away from my body very much.  The whole wider-is-better trend with bars is not for me!