Pictures of bar bends?

O

ossagp

two things: if the bars made the bike lift easier or seem to want to while you were just accelerating through the gears, you are subconscsiously too tight and stiff in the arms and waist. if it does it just when you want to lift it, then all is fine. as you move up into more powefull bikes and wanting to take longer rides you should get into the habit of bending at the waste and elbows to keep your weight and head toward the bars. once you get something in the 30 hp and up range you will find it hard to steer when the front is light and if your shoulders are stiff in the work so to say, you tire fast. keeping both elbows up helps keep you in the right position to change the body position for obstacles, turns etc.
 
2smoke

2smoke

Finding the right bar bend unfortunately is a trial and error thing. But I like the CR High, and the Carmichael bend. They both allowed me to be able to stand up on the pegs more comfortably for prolonged periods while desert and trail riding.
 
brokenbrook

brokenbrook

2smoke:
Finding the right bar bend unfortunately is a trial and error thing. But I like the CR High, and the Carmichael bend. They both allowed me to be able to stand up on the pegs more comfortably for prolonged periods while desert and trail riding.
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yeah iam thinking of going with the rc's. sucks being hunched up when i stand on the pegs.
 
O

ossagp

you have to kind of look at what being hunched up means. usually that you are staying a little too vertical on the bike. easy to do, and it happens with new people and ones like me that are tall and have been at this for a very long time. if you look at what the guys winning races are running, you see lots of them that are 6 foot plus, but dont run as high of a bar as I do (just at 6 feet.) They are riding with bent knees and bent elbows and want a bar that is more than just comfy to stand. As your riding experience goes up, lots of us changed what we like. Guys like Rick Carmichael didn't need the height in the bars for standing as much as to increase the leverage that a taller guy doesnt need since he can apply the force with the body mass being further from the axis of the bike. The freestyle bars are pointed way up on the ends so that when the bike is laying more horizontal you can get more of your hand on the contol area of the bar etc. Most riders end up liking the bars to line up somewhat with the forks, and have the control area of the bar fairly level with the ground at that point, since it will work best in more circumstances for most of us. 50 years of riding and I don't bend or hold the bend as easily as I used to. Sled or two wheels, I like the taller arrangements more and more. But if at an age where you are trying to learn to go faster you feel you need something that the fast guys aren't using at a similar height, look towards your positioning too.
 
brokenbrook

brokenbrook

ossagp:
you have to kind of look at what being hunched up means. usually that you are staying a little too vertical on the bike. easy to do, and it happens with new people and ones like me that are tall and have been at this for a very long time. if you look at what the guys winning races are running, you see lots of them that are 6 foot plus, but dont run as high of a bar as I do (just at 6 feet.) They are riding with bent knees and bent elbows and want a bar that is more than just comfy to stand. As your riding experience goes up, lots of us changed what we like. Guys like Rick Carmichael didn't need the height in the bars for standing as much as to increase the leverage that a taller guy doesnt need since he can apply the force with the body mass being further from the axis of the bike. The freestyle bars are pointed way up on the ends so that when the bike is laying more horizontal you can get more of your hand on the contol area of the bar etc. Most riders end up liking the bars to line up somewhat with the forks, and have the control area of the bar fairly level with the ground at that point, since it will work best in more circumstances for most of us. 50 years of riding and I don't bend or hold the bend as easily as I used to. Sled or two wheels, I like the taller arrangements more and more. But if at an age where you are trying to learn to go faster you feel you need something that the fast guys aren't using at a similar height, look towards your positioning too.
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yeah iam not locking my knees an arms or any thing lol. i tryed adjusting the bars are flush with the forks when i got it still a no go. been 9 years since i owned a bike went to quads for awhile. not sure what my brother ktm had but that bike felt good to bad he sold it so i cant look :banghead:
 
2smoke

2smoke

All of that makes sense. Ive been riding off and on for better than 25 years. Now that Im old enough and know what I like and what feels right and what feels wrong. I go with what I know. Since Im not really interested in going much faster than what I currently ride. Its all about riding in comfort, with in my comfort zone. I only race one desert race a year. And Im not really racing. I treat it like a big trail ride with a lot of people that I dont know. Some are courteous, most arent. Those that arent I let them pass even if it means I have to get out of there way. But Im comfortable and still do fairly well in my finishing order.
 
brokenbrook

brokenbrook

ossagp:
one of the best things to do it to have someone video you riding. compare that to the guys who you want to ride like.
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got my own style to be honest lol. i mostly ride fast paced single trails and hill climbs. for being off the saddle for 9 years iam pretty confident in my riding ability. can still blast past my buddy who been racing ama flat track for years on his fancy crf 450.
 
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