Unanswered Benefits of a Carbon Handlebar & Hand Fatigue

[Cooldaddygroove]

I'm looking for some real world feedback on the advantages of a carbon handlebar. My riding is getting better as is my fitness, but my hands.........my HANDS! They are the first thing to fatigue on me on descents. Yes, I am doing my best to relax my hands when I can and not grip the bars like a madman.

Are they worth it?
What features should I be looking for?

Thanks

 

[Slowroller]

I'm looking for some real world feedback on the advantages of a carbon handlebar. My riding is getting better as is my fitness, but my hands.........my HANDS! They are the first thing to fatigue on me on descents. Yes, I am doing my best to relax my hands when I can and not grip the bars like a madman.

Are they worth it?
What features should I be looking for?

Thanks

I find the differences very subtle but noticeable, carbon bars feel more damped, and less harsh. I have bad hands and any improvement is worth it for me. For the average rider it probably doesn't matter. Look at ergon and Rev grips too.

 

[steve_sordy]

Not all carbon bars are the same, some are harsh, some not. I didn't know that at the time I bought a Renthal Fatbar Lite. I was lucky! The edge of every rock felt as though it had been rounded off just for me. The vibration I was getting before was substantially damped. But after a few rides, it became normal and I no longer noticed. But the benefits were still there of course.

Some riders don't like carbon bars because when they break they tend to shatter into loads of needle like splinters I've never seen it, but I have a vivid imagination. The nearest non-carbon equivalent is a bar called Vibro-core. It is an alloy bar with some sort of damping foam that is said to substantially reduce vibration. And it won't shatter.

@Slowroller mentioned Ergon grips. I never ride a bike without them. They look odd, but they spread the load across the palm and reduce numbness and tingling substantially. For me it eliminates that problem. I use the "Ergon GP1 grip", Google it.
They need to be flatter than you would think and the angle is crucial and might be different for each hand, so take an Allen key with you on your first few rides until you find the sweet spot.

Edit: Consider your seating position; you might be too far forwards and putting too much weight on your hands and not enough on your saddle. Also, consider raising the bars, either by moving stem spacers from above the stem to below it, or maybe getting a higher rise bar.

 

[plu29um]

You could also consider Spank Vibrocore bars. A friend of mine rides with them, and he loves them for their damping.

 

[flash]

Maybe your cockpit isn't quite set up right. Before buying expensive bars try playing with your set up. Roll the bars, try different widths (BEFORE you cut them). Move your levers.

And the Ergon grips are great. However I just went from the Ergon GP1 to the Oury fat lock on grips. Wow. I love these things. They make them in red too which is important stuff.

Gordon

 

[plu29um]

And the Ergon grips are great. However I just went from the Ergon GP1 to the Oury fat lock on grips. Wow. I love these things. They make them in red too which is important stuff.

Gordon

Probably a noob question, but does the red-color-adds-5%-speed rule apply to e-bikes?

 

[Dax]

Maybe look at getting your forks tuned to improve small bump sensitivity

 

[comtn]

Carbon race face bars make a noticeable difference to me. I’ve had them for 3 years but this weekend switched back to the stock bars to experiment with rise/stem length. The trails are pretty rough here at the moment from idiot hikers stomping around in the mud. The past weeks I didn’t feel any numbness or fatigue from the rough trail. This weekend my arms became numb with minor pain.

 

[Ivan]

I couldn't notice the difference between carbon bars and aluminium.

Maybe is because I use very cushy thick grips like Oury's or Fat ESI foam grips.

 

[Cooldaddygroove]

Thanks, I already have Oury grips and like them alot. I will play around with bar height and angle and see how it goes.

 

[All Mountain Coaching]

I'd look at bike fit and suspension setup before spending money and possibly still having the problem.

 

[dirt huffer]

How often are you riding per week?

Hand fatigue (or forearm pump) is one of the things i struggled with when i first started mountain biking. Grip endurance is one of those things that goes away the more you ride. Try stretching out those forearm muscles to lengthen the muscle fibers - it will allow more blood to enter into the muscle and flush out the lactic acid... also helps with muscle from cramping up.

Also check out the 4Arm Strong Self Therapy Device. Some people swear by it. Try forearm stretches until you get to the point of needing it though.