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I just bought a friend's (used) Specialized StumpJumper FSR Carbon whatever-thinggy and it doesn't have the bar ends, which saddens me, so I'm adding some immed

I just bought a friend's (used) Specialized StumpJumper FSR Carbon whatever-thinggy and it doesn't have the bar ends, which saddens me, so I'm adding some immediately. The thing is: even if it's a mountain bike, there's some moments where I'm riding on a regular, flat, land (path or road) and I do really prefer to have the bar ends then. If I find it way more comfortable: doesn't even have to be for climbing. Just anything that's not "going down" and a bit repetitive: I simply prefer the position with the bar ends. The argument I've heard against them is indeed what several people mentioned in this thread: you wouldn't want one of the bar ends to hook something and be the cause of a bad fall.

CountDrewku 5y ago
You bought a bike that's meant to go through gnarly technical terrain and do it as fast as possible. Bar-ends are a hazard. If you're actually planning on mountain biking with it you'll get laughed at because no serious biker uses them. I realize what other people think about you isn't that important but seriously they provide zero benefit for actual mountain biking. I would recommend you just get a commuter or road bike for paths and roads. It'll faster and more enjoyable than riding something that was built explicitly for off-road use. The weight difference alone makes it worth it.
lazydud 5y ago
The reason is that your hand position is supposed to be 1 finger on the brakes ready to stop with the other 4 fingers trying to hold on to dear life. There would be no reason to have the hands in that ergonomic position. Having a extra flipping over liability on the bike just makes no sense for bikes that are "specialized" for this niche style of riding. The stumpjumper is like the McLaren of the mtb world. It'd be like complaining about how uncomfortable the bucket seats and race harness is and saying the first thing to do is to replace them with a comfy heated seat with lumbar support. I mean, you can, but there's a reason the McLaren comes with those things

CountDrewku 5y ago

You bought a bike that's meant to go through gnarly technical terrain and do it as fast as possible. Bar-ends are a hazard. If you're actually planning on mountain biking with it you'll get laughed at because no serious biker uses them. I realize what other people think about you isn't that important but seriously they provide zero benefit for actual mountain biking. I would recommend you just get a commuter or road bike for paths and roads. It'll faster and more enjoyable than riding something that was built explicitly for off-road use. The weight difference alone makes it worth it.

lazydud 5y ago

The reason is that your hand position is supposed to be 1 finger on the brakes ready to stop with the other 4 fingers trying to hold on to dear life. There would be no reason to have the hands in that ergonomic position. Having a extra flipping over liability on the bike just makes no sense for bikes that are "specialized" for this niche style of riding. The stumpjumper is like the McLaren of the mtb world. It'd be like complaining about how uncomfortable the bucket seats and race harness is and saying the first thing to do is to replace them with a comfy heated seat with lumbar support. I mean, you can, but there's a reason the McLaren comes with those things