Help selecting comfort handlebars for eMTB - BH Rebel Lynx PWX

[Yamahonian]

Hello,

I would like to purchase new handlebars for my BH Rebel Lynx 5.5 PW-X to give me a comfortable, upright riding position.

I am mostly just riding around rail-trails and taking in the scenery. I do some light trails, but I am not riding any singletrack on this $5k bike.

After a few hours of touring on the bike, my upper back and shoulders really starts to hurt. I find myself trying to sit more upright and bring my arms in closer to my body while riding to ease the pain. My tours are cut short because my back can't stand it anymore. This needs to change!

I believe what I am looking for are upright, swept back handlebars. I found this article:

List of Comfort MTB Handlebars (Alt Bars)

Find our full list of swept-back and riser handlebars here, including nearly 70 options, many of which we've tested...

bikepacking.com

But it is not eBike specific, and I don't know if the brakes/shifters on my bike would fit on their suggested handlebars.

My LBS could care less as I did not buy the bike from them. Coming here for help.

I would ideally like to ride the bike with one of those saddles that has a back support - almost like a cruiser motorcycle.

Anybody else have this bike that could provide suggestions?

 

[ElevenAD]

i picked up some BMX riser bars from my LBS for the very same reason,combined with an adjustable stem they worked great

 

[Yamahonian]

i picked up some BMX riser bars from my LBS for the very same reason,combined with an adjustable stem they worked great

Which bars are those?

Something with that amount of rise looks good - I would probably want a bit more of a sweep back.

 

[ElevenAD]

Which bars are those?

Something with that amount of rise looks good - I would probably want a bit more of a sweep back.

just generic BMX riser bars, i dont remember the brand,i dont even think they came with any packaging,they cost me 20 to 25 bucks.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It appears @Yamahonian your stem is of the A-HEAD system, de facto standard in MTB. You can rise your handlebars by some 3" with a standard 75 mm "stem riser for A-HEAD" system, mounted on the steerer tube. Your LBS can easily get one and professionally set it up for you. These 3" more really change your riding position from forward to upright. More than 3" is not recommended as the cables might be too short.

This is how it's done in my Turbo Vado 5.0, which inherits many features from MTBs.

 

[Yamahonian]

It appears @Yamahonian your stem is of the A-HEAD system, de facto standard in MTB. You can rise your handlebars by some 3" with a standard 75 mm "stem riser for A-HEAD" system, mounted on the steerer tube. Your LBS can easily get one and professionally set it up for you. These 3" more really change your riding position from forward to upright. More than 3" is not recommended as the cables might be too short.

This is how it's done in my Turbo Vado 5.0, which inherits many features from MTBs.

View attachment 45211

Thank you for the helpful feedback.

I also want the handlebars to be more curved inwards towards me. I find after a long ride that if I move my hands to where they would be on a swept back bar, there is less shoulder pain.

Would you recommend:

1) Handlebars that both have rise and are swept back, or
2) A stem riser, plus handlebars that are swept back but have no rise?

Or, is there no practical difference between the two options?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Hello,

I would like to purchase new handlebars for my BH Rebel Lynx 5.5 PW-X to give me a comfortable, upright riding position.

I am mostly just riding around rail-trails and taking in the scenery. I do some light trails, but I am not riding any singletrack on this $5k bike.

After a few hours of touring on the bike, my upper back and shoulders really starts to hurt. I find myself trying to sit more upright and bring my arms in closer to my body while riding to ease the pain. My tours are cut short because my back can't stand it anymore. This needs to change!

I believe what I am looking for are upright, swept back handlebars. I found this article:

List of Comfort MTB Handlebars (Alt Bars)

Find our full list of swept-back and riser handlebars here, including nearly 70 options, many of which we've tested...

bikepacking.com

But it is not eBike specific, and I don't know if the brakes/shifters on my bike would fit on their suggested handlebars.

My LBS could care less as I did not buy the bike from them. Coming here for help.

I would ideally like to ride the bike with one of those saddles that has a back support - almost like a cruiser motorcycle.

Anybody else have this bike that could provide suggestions?

You should try this. It's well-made and preferred by thousands of bike packers and touring folks. They are comfortable, provide plenty of space, offer swept back angle and raise the height.

Jones H-Bar® SG 2.5 Loop Aluminum

The Jones SG 2.5 Aluminum Loop H-Bar retains the wide range of comfortable hand positions of the original Loop H-Bar, in a higher, 2.5" rise version.

www.jonesbikes.com

 

[Stefan Mikes]

1) Handlebars that both have rise and are swept back, or
2) A stem riser, plus handlebars that are swept back but have no rise?

You could try the (2) but I recommend you raise the stem with the riser first. See if that's good for you and if you are still suffering, replace the handlebars. Your objective is to relieve your aches, not to ride totally upright. When a headwind hits you, you might discover it might be hard to lean over the handlebars to reduce the wind resistance if you will ride too upright.

 

[6zfshdb]

You should try this. It's well-made and preferred by thousands of bike packers and touring folks. They are comfortable, provide plenty of space, offer swept back angle and raise the height.

Jones H-Bar® SG 2.5 Loop Aluminum

The Jones SG 2.5 Aluminum Loop H-Bar retains the wide range of comfortable hand positions of the original Loop H-Bar, in a higher, 2.5" rise version.

www.jonesbikes.com

I have Jones H 2.5" rise bars on all my bikes. They did wonders for my wrist fatigue by providing a more upright riding posture. In my case, the 45 degree grip angle seems more natural. The crossbar provides additional space to mount GPS, smartphone, camera, lights etc. Well worth the money IMO.

 

[Yamahonian]

I have Jones H 2.5" rise bars on all my bikes. They did wonders for my wrist fatigue by providing a more upright riding posture. In my case, the 45 degree grip angle seems more natural. The crossbar provides additional space to mount GPS, smartphone, camera, lights etc. Well worth the money IMO.

I was thinking about going for this bar as well. Do these work with Ergon grips? Did you need to get new cable housing to accommodate the bar?

 

[Rick53]

I was thinking about going for this bar as well. Do these work with Ergon grips? Did you need to get new cable housing to accommodate the bar?

I would suggest you get the Steering Tube rise First and see how that works . If you want the handle bars closer then get a stem Riser like a Richie adjustable. The last thing I would mess with is handle bars : You start screwing with geometry and put Cruiser style sweeps on an MTB you would not be happy. Plus it would look kinda goofy :

Do the Steering Tube Riser pictured above first: That might be all you need . If you want the handle bars closer after that : The way to do that is with a Stem Riser :https://us.ritcheylogic.com/us_en/bike/stems/4-axis-adjustable-stem

 

[6zfshdb]

I was thinking about going for this bar as well. Do these work with Ergon grips? Did you need to get new cable housing to accommodate the bar?

The Jones bars are standard diameter so most grips should work unless they are an odd size. The Ergon grips with bar ends might be a bit awkward with the 45 degree sweep.

Cable length is always a consideration when swapping bars. Control cables (brake & shift) aren't too difficult or expensive to replace if necessary. The ebike wiring harness is another story. Some brands offer extender cables which just plug into the existing connectors. It is sometimes necessary to piece out the wiring which requires a bit of skill. Doing so may also void the bike warranty. Your LBS may be able to help you here.

To get an idea of the fit, I removed the grip and controls from one end of my existing bar. I held them in the approximate position where they would be on the Jones bars to see if there was enough slack in the cables & wiring. The Jones website gives bar dimensions.

In my case, the old bars were the swept back mustache style so there was plenty of slack.

I don't own a BH but from pictures, it doesn't look like there is much cable slack on the bike to work with. Again, your dealer may be able to advise you.

 

[Yamahonian]

You start screwing with geometry and put Cruiser style sweeps on an MTB you would not be happy.

Could you please elaborate? Why would I not be happy?

I am riding light trails and gravel. Not doing any singletrack on this heavy eBike. I bought this bike for long distance touring.

 

[Rick53]

Could you please elaborate? Why would I not be happy?

I am riding light trails and gravel. Not doing any singletrack on this heavy eBike. I bought this bike for long distance touring.

Are you a Big or little guy ? The way the Bike handles with different handle bars is tremendous : Depending on the Bar : If you raise the Steering tube (*Something you even see straight from the factory at times* The get an Adjustable riser You'll have all the extra rise for height you need . Handle bars come in different sweeps : What works for one guy may be to close for you : My Son has your same Bike : If it were My Bike I'd put a stem riser on it . Other then that the Width of the handle bars is fine for me. But I am 6 FT tall with long Arms .

The person who knows best is yourself : Maybe you only need 1 of the 3 things This guy added a Stem Riser and it appears handle Bars : (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Just attempting to save you some Money : Putting handle bars on that raise the height always change how it steers : Your bike won't be as responsive : Hard to put into Words : Basically You;ll lose some leverage in Turns

I'm just saying How I would approach it . Because I have tried it on other bikes :

 

[Bicyclista]

I was thinking about going for this bar as well. Do these work with Ergon grips? Did you need to get new cable housing to accommodate the bar?

I have the Jones H-bar with 2.5-inch rise and Ergon grips with palm rests. It's a great combination. I did not have to get new cables or wire harness even while using stem spacers with the Jones H-bar, they were long enough. You should verify that the bike you want to buy has long-enough cables and wire harness.

 

[Rick53]

I have the Jones H-bar with 2.5-inch rise and Ergon grips with palm rests. It's a great combination. I did not have to get new cables or wire harness even while using stem spacers with the Jones H-bar, they were long enough. You should verify that the bike you want to buy has long-enough cables and wire harness.

Do you mean Steering rise or Stem ? I assume Steering Tube

 

[Bicyclista]

Do you mean Steering rise or Stem ? I assume Steering Tube

Stem raisers or spacers. Obviously, the steering tube (which fits inside the stem) has to be long enough, which was the case.

 

[Rick53]

Stem raisers or spacers. Obviously, the steering tube (which fits inside the stem) has to be long enough, which was the case.

It's not obvious for many : Only reason I asked you

 

[Yamahonian]

Are you a Big or little guy ? The way the Bike handles with different handle bars is tremendous : Depending on the Bar : If you raise the Steering tube (*Something you even see straight from the factory at times* The get an Adjustable riser You'll have all the extra rise for height you need . Handle bars come in different sweeps : What works for one guy may be to close for you : My Son has your same Bike : If it were My Bike I'd put a stem riser on it . Other then that the Width of the handle bars is fine for me. But I am 6 FT tall with long Arms .

I'm 5 foot 7 with short arms. Hence I would like the backsweep.

Your son has this same bike - do you think the Jones would fit on it? It looks like the display might be limited in cable length. I agree that I don't want to mess with getting new display extension wires and voiding the nice 5 year warranty.

The problem looks like the control panel has a limited cable length to the main display. With the Jones bars, the control unit might not sit close to the end of the bars where the grips are?

 

[vincent]

I had Jones bars on one bike with the Ergon grips edit seemed bone

but I’m pretty sure Ergon is making grips specifically for the Jones bar now