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    Looking for some advice. Because of lower back issues, I’m not happy with how high I have to run my bars. I already switched from drop bars to a flat bar, but I still feel like I need a more upright position. Would a clunker bar make sense? I’d still like to keep up with my buddies on gravel rides

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    21 Comments

    2. Accomplished-Way1575 on

      I think your seat is too far back, forcing you to bend your lower back too much. 
      I think you should try a straight seatpost first

    3. iwannadancesomesalsa on

      You have some lower back issues but we don’t know what does your position on this bike looks like. You should see a fitter or at least visit r/bikefit cause maybe you don’t really need more upright position. Lower back issues often come from rocking on saddle – seatpost too high. But there’s no way to tell without seeing you on a bike.

    4. Accurate-Yak-219 on

      I’m on the same journey, got Surly Sunrise bars on the way. I believe that’ll put me in the sweet spot. That much rise won’t help with keeping up with the crowd, but the view is better.

    5. Ok_Offer9820 on

      After adjusting the seatpost (setback post might not be ideal), if you are interested in trying other bars, try Surly sunrise or sunset… they’d look cool and pretty comfortable position

    9. NoExpression2268 on

      Definitely try out higher bars, and also don’t listen to people telling you to move the saddle to change the reach! The bottom bracket is fixed, the saddle has minimal adjustment, and the handlebars have the most adjustment. Bringing the saddle forward will bring your hips over the bottom bracket, making you tip forward to get the most comfortable and efficient angle for pedaling and putting more strain on your back when you’re not pedaling hard to compensate for leaning over. Maybe also double check your frame geometry, if you have around 71-73 seat tube angle you definitely want to keep some rear offset. Get the saddle position right first so that most of your weight is on the saddle when you’re in a comfortable pedaling position (steer with your fingertips if you have to) then fix the reach with stem and bars (you probably need them at least 2 inches higher, and if you get those shallow drops high enough you might be able to use them again if you like them) 

    10. rasmussenyassen on

      Not sure why you have so many dimwits in here telling you to adjust reach with seatpost offset. That is never, ever where you adjust reach, because doing so can produce other fit issues by changing the relationship between your hip position and bottom bracket.

      Your reach is dialed in pretty much all the way for this frame, so jeez, I hate to say it, but you might consider switching to a frame with ~20mm more stack and ~20mm less reach. That’ll expand your options for riding upright by bringing the minimum distance closer while still allowing you the option of a forward position. You might even be able to switch back to drop bars.

      Outside of that, consider a bar with some sweep to it. Velo Orange has a lot of nice options, for your situation I’d get one of [these](https://velo-orange.com/collections/handlebars/products/granola-bar?variant=722071093255) and thread short horns on the middle section. Surly Open Bar also an option, but maybe a little wide, and if you want more sweep than that a Nitto Albatross is the nuclear option. Remember that going too wide can force a more aggressive stance and negate any drops in reach from sweep. Unfortunately any bar with a decent amount of sweep will reverse the direction of vertical forces on the stem and render your Redshift stem useless, but the additional weight taken off your hands will compensate a bit for that.

    11. bidaci on

      Not going to tell you what to do but what I just went through. Do to injury I also decided to change my cockpit to make it more relaxed. More upright, shorter reach, tried to make my bike more beach cruiser styling. All this did was make things worse for me. Everything felt great during the ride and after, but I was experiencing aches in the morning.

      Looking back at my bike setups through the years, I deciding to try going the other way. I used a longer and lower stem. Dropped the seat a bit to give my hamstrings time to adjust to a more aggressive position and move the saddle up just a bit.

      I found this balance to be better for me. I was using my core more and not forcing my position. It did feel off and weird at first getting into a more aggressive position, but so far so good. It did take a couple of days for my body to feel normal again due to what I put it through with the wrong cockpit, but each day I feel better even after riding.

      Yes at this point my seat is probably still a bit to low but that I will slowly sneak up on to not over stretch my hamstrings.

      Just my experience that I wanted to share as what I thought was the best way to deal with injury turned out to be the worst way.

    12. GreenToMe95 on

      Go get a bike fit from a professional. Us lowly xbikers only know how to buy niche components, eat hot chip, and lie.

    13. Natural-Piglet-6001 on

      Have a look at [https://whatbars.com/](https://whatbars.com/) it has not been updated for a while but it should open up some possibilities.

      I have Ritchey Kyote on my rigid 27.5+ only 35mm rise but a 27 degree backsweep which i find really good for comfort (neck issues for me). I am playing withe idea of Ritchey Buzzard bars with a 75 mm rise! Both of these bars come with a forward sweep(before the back sweep) so reach is similar to a standard bar. Note both are quite wide, but the Kyote can be cut down more as it has a longer grip area, 720mm for me. Also [Bikepacking.com](http://Bikepacking.com) has a list of Alt bars which might be helpful

    14. AmputatedOtto on

      Spank Spoon risers are one of the cheapest options and come all the way to 60mm rise. They’re like $40, 31.8 clamp, rated for mtb

    15. MrTeej on

      I got the Velo Orange Klunker bars because on my flat bars, the reach was a bit too much and was a bit too low on longer rides. Both the added height and sweep back made a big difference and is way more comfortable.

      Nice bike by the way.

    18. Hrothgarbike on

      Great comments on here already. You have one cheap good option in front of you that’s not mentioned. Buy an adjustible stem. This will allow you to play with handlebar height with minimal cost. $40 or $50 total. Most of the adjustible stems move 3 inches or so. https://ebay.us/m/xbCd34. This is 10 bucks.

      Get an adjustible stem and figure out what feels best. Then you’ll know what to buy to get there permanently.

    21. lawn_neglect on

      I have had 2 lumbar fusions and 2 cervical spine fusions. I like to think I have this bicycle positioning thing figured out for riders with “lower back issues”, but my experience is that everyone thinks they can figure it out in their own personal way that’s tailored to their preconceived notions. If you are interested in how I set my 4 bikes up you can check my past posts.

      My All Road has VO Left Bank bars and I ride a Brooks B68 saddle for upright comfort. It takes some adjusting to. Knee position for tight turns is cruicial… However, I can ride single track on this bike.

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