Advantages of Bar Ends

Bar ends were popular on mountain bikes from the mid 1990’s to early 2000’s but fell out of fashion due to the influx of riser bars in  North American. The falling of fashion was caused by poorly designed full suspension mountain bikes which forced riders to peddle in the saddle or suffer power robbing suspension bob (bio pacing) or disc (drive train induced shock compression). By and large this problem has now been over come by a combination of technologies such as platform rear suspension shocks and anti squat suspension designs which  allow a cyclist to attack out of the saddle without loosing pedal efficiency.

Here are the advantges of Bar Ends:

1)Reduced hand fatigue- Bar ends give you an extra hand position which takes pressure of your ulner nerve which helps reduce hand numbness and reduces the likelihood of suffering handlebar palsy and carpal tunnel syndrome injury. (Note: It is difficult to pedal, shift, and brake with a numb palm and fingers.)

2)Reduced Agriculture- Depending on the design of the bar end they can protect your hands from trees, thorn bushes, prickly cactuses and shrubs.

3)Crash Protection- Bar ends help can prevent your brake levers, shifters and handle bars from suffering crash damaged by taking the abuse of a crash.

4)Sobering up the drunken monkey- Bar ends reduce the affect of gyroscopic precession also know as wheel wobble during step grade climbs. This allows the rider to maintain a straighter line up hill increased ability to navigate around momentum killing obstacles by moving your center of gravity forward weighing the front wheel improving bike handling and maneuverability.

5)Faster sprinting- Bar ends allow for more powerful sprinting by letting you use your arms and core muscles to put the bike side to side putting power more power into the pedals.

6)Improved Lactic Threshold- Bar ends open up your lungs for superior respiration during riding which reduces lactic acid build in your muscles which allows you to work harder before fatigue sets in.

7)Improved Cycling Performance- The over all effect of bar ends is faster start line acceleration, faster climbing ability, faster sprints, better respiration which means higher rider watt out put which equals higher averages speeds which results in quicker race times.

8)Tree Leaning- on steep technical climbs by applying the brakes and leaning one bar end against a tree trunk or other solid object you can clip both feet into the pedals before beginning the climb.

9)Easier Bicycle Mounting- bar ends allow for smoother mounting and dismounting of your bike on the fly.

10)Reduced Body Fatigue- bar ends provide alternate riding position to reduce tiredness and repetitive injury in body areas such as back, neck and shoulders.

11)Improved Aerodynamics- bar ends allowed for a flat back more aerodynamic position for long descents.

12)Finger Protection- inward canted bar ends protect your outer fingers from contact with trees and other trail side obstacles. In the case where a in ward canted bar end does get brushed by a tree it will hopefully glance off.

13)Collarbone Protection– inward canted bar ends allows for the bar end to glance of trees instead of the end of the handle bar being turned into the tree followed painfully by the riders body.

14)Helmet Hanger- bar ends provide a convenient place to hang your helmet and hydration pack while your off the bike checking out the sites.


My favorite bar ends:

Easton EC90
Weight 80 grams
Length 110 mm
Material Carbon Fiber


























Titec Pluto Carbon Bar Ends
Weight 110 grams
Length 110
Material Carbon Fiber
























Extralite Cyberends
Weight 38 grams
Length 100 mm
Material 7075 aluminum


















KCNC BE1 MTB Bar Ends
Weight 51 grams
Length 115 mm
Material 7075 aluminum


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Favorite Bicycle Cleaning Tools

MEC Chain Cleaner










Shimano HypoSpitt Oiler















Blue Dawn Dish Soap













Finish Line Wet Chain Lube

Special Cleaning and Lubrication, Part 2

The Saddle

Most of the time I will just damp rag the top leather portion of the saddle with a clean rag. For the bottom side I use a soapy rag because the bottom of the saddle usually collects more mud and dust from the rear tire. So give it the old soapy rag, rinse rag, dry rag treatment.

After the saddle is dry you can apply a bit of ArmorAll to a clean rag and apply it strategically to the "sides" of saddle. I say strategically because too much ArmorAll in the wrong place will make the saddle very slippery and have you slip sliding all over the saddle on your next ride.

But applied in just the right amount in the right locations on the saddle ArmorAll will reduce pedaling saddle friction and help prevent saddle sores. Also since ArmorAll is a plastic protectant so it should help prolong the life of the saddle by preventing it from cracking and fading from moisture exposure.

According to Tour de France team Radio Shack chief bicycle mechanic Vince Gee this is this also the preferred method for removing the "Benjamin's" from a certain pro athletes favorite saddle. Vince also recommended using latex gloves during the procedure.

Special Cleaning and Lubrication, Part 1

The Seat Post

Of all the repairs bicycle mechanics do the frozen seat post is the one they "hate" the most. It has been know to write off the occasional bicycle frame and the odd mechanic. Which, given the price of bicycle frames these days you really don't want to avoid.

So, depending on how much moisture your bicycle sees you will want to occasionally remove your seat post and give it a "clean and gel".

Remove the post and damp rag it with a clean damp cloth to ensure the seat post is clean. Wipe the post dry with a clean rag.

In the next step step we will apply Finish Line "Fiber Grip" (Carbon Fiber Assembly Gel) to the portion of the seat post that gets inserted into the frame. This anti-galvanic Gel prevents corrosion between the seat post and the carbon seat tube and keeps the seat post from slipping by incorporating little plastic grit particles in the gel. The plastic particles safely increase the coefficient of friction between the seat post and the seat tube and prevent the seat post from slipping. Once the seat post as been treated with the assembly gel you can re-insert it back into the frame and adjust as per normal. Wipe of any excess Fiber Grip from the post so the post doesn't collect dust will riding. Fiber grip also works great for aluminum frames and the occasional slipping seat post as well.

Tip 1: If you think you have some moisture in the seat tube you can wick it dry by inserting a clean rag into the seat tube and tipping the bicycle up side down and giving it a bit of a shake.

Tip 2: If it is a full suspension bike "do not" tip it upside down as some suspension forks and disk brakes don't like being tipped upside down.

The Perfectionists Guide to Bicycle Cleaning

Their are a thousand way to clean a bicycle this is my method.

Step 1, Getting The Dirt Of The Bicycle.

Whether you are at a home or on the road traveling the first order of business is getting the mud and road grime of the bicycle. The preferred method is to pre-soak the bike with the hose and try remove as much mud as possible.

Tip 1.1: It is much easier to clean a bicycle if you can clamp into a bicycle stand.

Tip 1.2: Try to avoid spraying the hose directly as bottom bracket bearing, hub bearing, freewheel bearings, headset bearings shock and fork seals. You also want to avoid the handle bar area where your expensive shifters and brake levers are too.For this reason we recommend against using the use of high pressure washers and suggest aiming "very carefully" with the garden hose.

Step 2, Soaping it Down.

Using a bucket full of hot water with a touch Blue Dawn dish soap, take a clean wash rag and wipe the frame down. Be sure to dunk and wring the wash rag frequently as you go so as not to scratch the frame finish with dirt.

Tip 2.1: Clean worn out cotton socks make excellent rags for cleaning and lubing your bicycle.

Tip 2.2: The two most popular products for washing bicycles are Blue Dawn dish soap and Simple Green. I recommend Blue Dawn because it has a mild PH of 7.3 vs a higher alkaline PH of 9.35 for Simple Green. Bicycle Engineer Scott Nicole of Ibis Cycles also specifically recommends against the use of Simple Green and Pedro's Bike Lust as these two products are know to harm the paint finish and clear coat of bicycles. Engineer Scott recommends just using mild and soap water.(Ie. Blue Dawn)

Step 3, Rinsing it Down

You can either gently wipe the bicycle down with a clean rag and rinse water from a bucket or just gently rinse it down with the garden hose. I usually use a combination of two as bicycle tires aren't the easiest thing to wipe down.

Step 4, Wiping The Bicycle Dry

With a clean dry cloth wipe the bicycle down.

Step 5, Chain Maintenance

Using a chain cleaner and "Bio Cycle Chain Cleaning Solution" run the dirty chain through until chain is clean then repeat with rinse water until clean has been flushed clean. Next wipe chain as dry as possible with with clean rag.

Tip 5.1: Cleaning the chain is a dirty job. If the chain isn't due for a full mechanical cleaning with the mechanical chain cleaner then it can be given a quick soapy wipe, rinse and towel dry during the bicycle washing process. Don't forget to give it a proper lubing with chain lube as soon as it is dry in order to prevent chain rust and deterioration.

Tip 5.2: As a general rule of thumb bicycle chain manufacter KMC recommends inspecting your chain every 100 KM for off road use and evey 250 KM for road use.

Tip 5.3: Both KMC and SRAM recommend against the use of grease-dissolving solvents or acidic agents as they are harmful to the environment but they also remove lubricant from the chain's bearing. The idea when cleaning the chain is to remove all the dirt but try to leave some of the existing lubricant intact. I personally use MEC Bio-Cycle as it is heavy duty biodegradable water-soluble degreaser containing organic solvent and mild alkalis. It contains no petroleum distillates, acids or silicones, and will not harm painted or expoxy surfaces if used as directed.

Tip 5.4: KMC recommends checking for chain stretch every 500 KM for road riding in dry weather and 150 KM for off road depending riding conditions.

Tip 5.5: Avoid all chain lubricants that have to be "shaken" before use. These lubricants have suspened solids that can't be absorbed by the capilary action of the chain and end up just being wiped off the chain before use. Or if you don't manage to wipe it off it will make an awful grinding noise as you pedal.

Step 6, Waxing the Frame with Lemon Pledge

Spray Lemon Pledge onto a clean rag and apply to the bits of the frame the need waxing. Be sure to wipe off the excess Lemon Pledge. Lemon Pledge contains 5-10% Silicon Oil which makes your frame finish look slick, feel slippery, and smell lemony fresh. It will also make your bike easier to clean next time as the dirt will have a hard time bonding to the silicon oil.

Tip 6.1: Try to avoid spaying any lubricants or waxs directly to your bicyle as this can contaminate brake pads and rims as well as disc brake rotors and pads. If possible apply it a rag first then apply it to the bike.

Tip 6.2: Admittedly there are times where this is not possible such as applying a spray on dry Teflon lube to a chain. In these cases use a rag to absorb as much over spray as possible and degrease the rotors or braking surface of the rim with a product like brake clean or acetone as per the brake manufactures technical instructions. (If in doubt always check with the manufacture!)

Step 7.1, Lubing the Chain

Apply Finish Line Wet Lube also called Cross Country to each link of the chain. Spin the chain to work the oil in.If possible let the oil soak over night before wiping as much excess oil off the chain as possible. For dry summer dusty conditions I will additionally apply a coat of Finish Line "Dry Teflon Lube" to lock the wet lube in to the chain and prevent it from collecting road and trail dust. Be sure to wipe of the excess Dry Teflon lube. This may seem like an extra step but it will keep the bicycle chain running slick and silent for a longer period of time.

© 2009-2011_K.Kitura