How to choose the bar ends
Bar ends, or perpendicular attachments to the ends of the handlebars, provide more grip variation and make some riding situations easier. Let's find out how to navigate the plethora of different types. We'll advise you whether to choose ergonomic, straight or curved handlebars. We'll also discuss the materials used to make the horns.
If you still don't know what to do, remember that we're not just an e-shop. We will be happy to welcome you directly in our brick-and-mortar shop Ski a Bike Centrum Radotín, where our cycling specialists will help you with the selection of bar ends.
As mentioned in the introduction, bar ends bring more grip variability, allowing you to give your tired hands a rest by holding the handlebars in a different way. Gripping the handlebars at a different angle also allows you to work more with your centre of gravity. The corners are particularly effective on climbs, when they allow you to move your centre of gravity further forward and also put more weight on the front wheel, which otherwise tends to lift on steeper climbs.
Length of bar ends
Bar ends are available in different lengths. Until recently, the most common horns were full palm horns, or curved models that allowed both a full palm grip perpendicular to the handlebars and a grip parallel to the handlebars. Nowadays, short bar ends are becoming increasingly popular, with which the rider holds the handlebars from the side and holds on to the horns with only two or three fingers so that his hands do not slide off the handlebars. The choice of bar ends length is a purely subjective matter, but of course the shorter the horns, the lighter the weight.
Shape and ergonomics of bar ends
There are many different shapes of bar ends on the market today. From straight with a circular cross-section to curved and ergonomically shaped. The choice is again about what suits you better, but ergonomic bar ends do offer more grip comfort and less upper limb fatigue, especially on longer rides.
Probably the brands that focus the most on grip ergonomics with their bar ends are Specialized and Ergon. Ergonomic Specialized bar ends are offered in both a cheaper rubberized version and a carbon version for the more demanding cyclist.
Material and weight
The bar ends are most often made of aluminium, steel or carbon. The material mainly influences the weight of the bar ends. Steel ones are the heaviest and carbon ones are the lightest.
Compatibility of bar ends and handlebars
When selecting, you should pay attention to the compatibility of the bar ends and handlebars. While standard bar ends can be mounted on any standard handlebar, if you have carbon handlebars, you must use a special aluminum handlebar insert to mount the bar ends or you could damage them.
There's an unwritten rule amongst orthodox bikers that bar ends can't be used on bent handlebars, known as swallows. The reason for this, however, is purely aesthetic, technically there is nothing to prevent the use of bar ends on swallows and it is up to you whether you put bar ends on such handlebars.
Integrated bar ends with grips
An interesting solution are the horns integrated with the grips on the Ergon handlebars. The advantage is a compact unit, lock-on locking of the grips while retaining the ability to half-fold the grips and horns independently of each other.
