# Bar ends : Face inwards or outwards?



## RSV_Ecosse (9 Apr 2010)

Got a set of Cube barends for my Acid yesterday. Just wanted to give myself an alternative position for my hands on the bars.

Anyway, having pretty much no knowledge of fitting these things, I had a look at 'em today. From what I've read online, best plan for a neat fit is to use a craft knife to cut off the ends of the grips. did that, nice and trim.  

Now, when it comes to fitting these things are they supposed to be angled "inwards" towards the wheel if you like or "outwards" away from the wheel?.

Lastly, what sort of angle would you recommend they be placed at from looking "side on"?. Approx 45 degree?. Or is that personal preference?.

A few pics to help illustrate what I mean :-


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## GrumpyGregry (9 Apr 2010)

Inwards.


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## ColinJ (9 Apr 2010)

Which way do your hands naturally fall? (Inwards!)


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## RSV_Ecosse (9 Apr 2010)

Yeah, I thought they went on inwards, just wanted confirmation.

Ta.


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## 02GF74 (9 Apr 2010)

innwards, as plain as falling out of a tree.


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## RSV_Ecosse (9 Apr 2010)

02GF74 said:


> innwards, as plain as falling out of a tree.



Ta, maybe not as plain for a roadie like me venturing into MTB's for the first time though?. 

Added some bling to it today  . Cube RFR Bar-ends, Front and rear Crud Catchers, Cube chainstay protector and a Spesh Mini Wedgie :-


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## Cyclist33 (10 Apr 2010)

You can have bar ends on a road bike too if it's a flar-bar bike. I do. The angle you have them at is up to you but as a guide I have mine at the same angle to the headtube as the stem, so you get a bit of continuity along one plane. I did re-mount my bar ends horizontally recently, for about a month of commuting, and I found myself going faster on the flat, I suppose because I was leaning further forward and therefore in a more prone position so creating less air resistance.

Depends why you've put them on. For climbing you would have them at a light angle, for extending the reach for racing, horizontal, then I have seen some touring-type people who mount them almost vertically.

Cyc


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## Cyclist33 (10 Apr 2010)

Also, depending on how big your hands are you may want to consider buying new grips as you will have cut at least 1 cm off your existing ones, and you would also need to move the shifters and brake levers down towards the middle of the handlebar... For this reason I have elected not to put bar ends on my new mtb. To be honest I climb hills on a flat bar road bike and hardly ever use the bar ends, I just grip the centre of the handlebars and it gives me more purpose.


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## Cyclist33 (10 Apr 2010)

That's a great looking bike btw.


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## GrumpyGregry (10 Apr 2010)

vay bling. vay good.


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## RSV_Ecosse (10 Apr 2010)

Cheers guys.

I'm still not sold on that rear crud catcher mudguard. I've no doubt it will do its job well but it just looks wrong. Looks totally out of proportion to the rest of the bike.


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## lukesdad (10 Apr 2010)

You need those bar ends nearer to the horizontal.


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## ColinJ (10 Apr 2010)

RSV_Ecosse said:


> Cheers guys.
> 
> I'm still not sold on that rear crud catcher mudguard. I've no doubt it will do its job well but it just looks wrong. Looks totally out of proportion to the rest of the bike.


I feel the same about mine so I tend to take it off or replace it according to the conditions.


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## GilesM (19 Apr 2010)

The bike looks great, but it does need some mud

Also along the same lines as cyclist33's comments I don't use bar ends anymore, they can help with you position on long rides, and climbing out of the saddle, but once you get into technical mtb stuff they can get in the way. One thing is that you may want to move the brake levers and shifters in a bit, it definately helps to be able to brake with one finger so that you can hold on to the bars properly when braking. I like to line up the outside end of the brake lever so that it is inline with my first finger, I have the shifters on the outside of the brake levers on my full suss bike to help with this. See pics.

Right now, just enjoy getting off road.


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## GilesM (19 Apr 2010)

RSV_Ecosse said:


> Cheers guys.
> 
> I'm still not sold on that rear crud catcher mudguard. I've no doubt it will do its job well but it just looks wrong. Looks totally out of proportion to the rest of the bike.



I agree with you, perhaps leave them on if/when you use the bike for your commute, but once on the trails, they don't look cool.


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## bauldbairn (19 Apr 2010)

RSV_Ecosse said:


> I'm still not sold on that rear crud catcher mudguard. I've no doubt it will do its job well but it just looks wrong. Looks totally out of proportion to the rest of the bike.



+3, Nice looking bike though, apart from that.


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## 02GF74 (19 Apr 2010)

bloody hell, where do you live? looks nice.

bar ends do have disadvantage of acting as a hook to catch branches, tree trunks etc.


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## GilesM (19 Apr 2010)

02GF74 said:


> bloody hell, where do you live? looks nice.



Thanks, rural East Lothian, a beautiful place. 



02GF74 said:


> bar ends do have disadvantage of acting as a hook to catch branches, tree trunks etc.



They were once quite common on mtbs, but I think that was when narrower completely flat bars were the norm, since the move to wider riser bars, they have been less common. Maybe because the position on a modern mtb is much more upright (especially the full suss bikes), so the bar end does not seem to be such a natural way to hold the bars anymore, or just as you mention, bar ends can catch on things that they shouldn't. All I know is my first fully rigid mtb had bar ends and I used them alot, but neither of my two mtbs now have them, and I don't miss them, perhaps I'm just a fashion victim


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## lukesdad (22 Apr 2010)

They were first employed by xc ers to get a better position.


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## MrGrumpy (22 Apr 2010)

GilesM said:


> Thanks, rural East Lothian, a beautiful place.
> 
> 
> 
> They were once quite common on mtbs, but I think that was when narrower completely flat bars were the norm, since the move to wider riser bars, they have been less common. Maybe because the position on a modern mtb is much more upright (especially the full suss bikes), so the bar end does not seem to be such a natural way to hold the bars anymore, or just as you mention, bar ends can catch on things that they shouldn't. All I know is my first fully rigid mtb had bar ends and I used them alot, but neither of my two mtbs now have them, and I don't miss them, perhaps I'm just a fashion victim




that looks like its out Elphinstone way? originally from East Lothian myself


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## GilesM (23 Apr 2010)

MrGrumpy said:


> that looks like its out Elphinstone way? originally from East Lothian myself



Little bit further east than that, the view is looking north from our back garden towards Dirleton.


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## MrGrumpy (23 Apr 2010)

thought that was looking towards Tranent  anyway I`m from Tranent originally then moved out Pencaitland way before ending up in the Kingdom


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## Redbreva (15 Oct 2016)

I really miss having the rear crud catcher on mine, and my jacket/shirt misses it too, but I couldn't use it after I fitted the dropper post... I also do without bar ends, in fact I had to reduce the width of my bars as some of the trees on Cannock Chase are too close together! Agreed the bike looks great, but would look better with mud :-)


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