SQlab Innerbarends®: The Strong and Weak Points

[Stefan Mikes]

Roadies and gravel cyclists spend most of their ride time holding their hands on so-called "hoods" of the drop handlebars; sometimes they ride for as much as 500 km (300 mi) that way on ultramarathons. The "drop handlebar hood" is a grip on which the roadie rests his arm and supports the torso weight. The most important feature of the handlebar hood is the extremely easy access to the brake-lever/shifter combo.

The German firm SQlab has developed unique grips for flat handlebars by registered trademark of Innerbarends. The company focuses on these four aspects of their product:

• Immediate access to the brake levers (without moving hands)
• Multiple hand positions
• Relieving the neck, shoulder, and back aches while allowing the rider taking a more sporty riding position and keeping the arms less apart
• Improving the ride aerodynamics.

In other words: Ride with Innerbarends and you can enjoy almost the same benefits as roadies get from using their hoods. I've been riding with Innerbarends for last five months on my Vado SL, and can attest that what SQlab promises is true. I simply cannot imagine me riding without Innerbarends. Just recently, I equipped my full power Vado 5.0 in Innerbarends as well, as I was constantly searching them with my hands to find none on my bars

Yet, there are some issues with Innerbarends:

• Innerbarends take up a lot of the real estate on the bars. Choosing the right variety of the grips and meticulous planning in advance is necessary
• Innerbarends are made of hard, cold plastic. I recommend riding with Innerbarends in any type of gloves.
• As you are taking more sporty position with Innerbarends, it might not be the right solution for you.
• The integrated 710/702 SQlab grip + 410/402 Innerbarend combo will require drilling a hole if you intend to use a rear-view mirror.

Types
I will only describe the two most popular types of Innerbarends:

• The model 411 can be used with any handlebar grip from any brand. For instance, you could combine an Ergon handlebar grip with the Innerbarend 411
• The model 410/402 is an Innerbarend designed as a combo with SQlab handlebar grip 710 (for intensive rides) or the grip 702 (city/casual use).

Which model to choose?

• If you intend to keep your existing handlebar grips (for example, you still want to use Ergon GP2/GP3 "horns"), select the model 411. You might need to trim your existing handlebar grip to ensure the fit with other handlebar equipment!
• If you want to totally go with SQlab, choose SQlab grips 710 or 702 and buy the Innerbarends model 410/402. This solution takes huge space on the handlebars! Be careful!

Meticulous planning is required prior to the purchase of Innerbarends. Installation issues.
Your bars are busy with, for example:

• A handlebar remote
• Brake levers
• The shifter (or two shifters)
• The bell
• A smartphone mount?
• A GPS computer mount?
• And, as it is in my case, a horn button?
• Anything else?

That makes the real estate on the handlebars a limited commodity. Now: Innerbarends are space hungry. Especially with the 710/702 grips. For instance, the SQlab grip 710 size Small takes as much as 137 mm on each side of your bars. Size Small! (Sizes M and L are huge). Now, the Innerbarend 410/402 adds several millimetres more to the space demand! (In my case, I could only mount the 710/410 combo on my Vado SL, as I had more of free real estate there).

Now, let us say you want to keep your existing handlebar grips and just go with the Innerbarends 411. Bear in mind each 411 will take up 21 mm at each side of your bars. The Innerbarend needs to be mounted as close to the brake lever mount as possible. Measure. Plan. Consider possible issues. Be conservative with your estimates. Prepare for the worst case.

Innerbarends 411 with Ergon GP2

Installing Innerbarends 411 with Ergon GP2 grips on my Vado 5.0 was complicated, and it required some compromise. For example, the handlebar remote has to be located between the Innerbarend and the brake-lever mount. I needed to substantially trim the left hand side grip to ensure the fit. Now, my hand barely fits on the Ergon! (No issue for me, which I will explain later). I also had to remove the bell on the other side of the bars, or my hand could not hold on the Innerbarend (but I have got a horn button on the other side).

Innerbarends 410/402 with SQlab grip 710 size Small

Can you see how wide the 710 size Small + 410/402 combo is? I could barely mount the combo without relocating other handlebar objects!

Installing the mirror required drilling a hole in the SQlab grip.

Ride Impressions

The first moment you're starting riding with the Innerbarends is scary. Your arms are closer apart. It feels so different from regular riding with grips on wide handlebars! Ride more, and you'll find out you'd spend more than 90% of the riding time in the Innerbarends! It becomes your second nature. First of all, the access to the brake levers is excellent. You actually ride supported on Innerbarends, with your relaxed fingers delicately resting on the levers. You can do braking immediately! The access to the shifter is easy, too.

After a longer ride, you will discover your neck, shoulder, or back aches are all gone. And you now are taking a more sporty position! Leaning on the Innerbarends also makes your bum less heavy on the saddle. At least, these are my own experiences. Actually, riding with Innerbarends turned out to be so beneficial to me, I dramatically lowered my handlebars! Now, I can ride in a quite aggressive position, and do not suffer pain that haunted me in the past. And no more needles & pins in my hands anymore.

Out of sudden, I discovered my other e-bike turned out to be far less comfortable for me. I was still spending long hours riding in Ergon GP3 "horns" but when it came to a situation I needed to brake, my hands were instinctively looking for non-existent Innerbarends... Now, I own and use Innerbarends on my both daily e-bikes! In fact, I never touch the classical grips anymore: it is either Innerbarends or the Ergon bar-ends!

This article is dedicated to @Alaskan and @Calcoaster (the two people who made me believe in Innerbarends).

 

[fatshark]

Thanks for this @Stefan Mikes ... I've just ordered the 710/402/410 combination for my Vado SL. I didn't have a printer so downloaded the PDF sizing chart from the SQlab website, scaled it to the correct size on my screen (it has a helpful centimetre scale on the right hand side of the page), and put my hand on the screen. I apparently need the medium sized grip, so we'll see how much handlebar space remains after fitting them. Fortunately, I have nothing else cluttering the bars.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Fortunately, I have nothing else cluttering the bars.

Oh, you have.

• Left brake lever
• Handlebar remote
• Bell
• Shifter with Optical Gear Indicator (the latter takes up a lot of space)
• Right brake lever.

Fortunately, there seems to be enough free space on the bars to mount the bigger combo anyway.

I have noticed one thing after several days of riding in the Innerbarends on my Vado SL. I managed to rotate the inner bar ends too much forward:

I made the part indicated by the arrows oriented horizontal. (It was wrong).

By doing so, I made the bigger part of my body weight resting on these "hoods", which made my hands hurt (I did it properly with the previous incarnation of Innerbarends). Now, I need to re-orientate the "hoods" the way these will be more vertical. This, however, will mean brake lever orientation adjustment, too. (As you hold on the "hoods", your fingers need to be able to operate brake levers with full confidence).

P.S. With my current (fixed) setup, the flat part is oriented at an angle (like, 45-60 deg), and the grip part is almost vertical. (The intention is to "push" the grips not "lean" on them).

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@fatshark: I have just fixed my setup and added some remarks above.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@fatshark: It took me quite a struggle to adjust:

• The 710 grip
• The 410/402 Innerbarend
• The brake lever

to come up with the perfect adjustment, in which I feel no slightest pain in my hand:

It is perfect on the right hand side of the bars now. I only need to slightly push the other Innerbarend forward... Done!

 

[fatshark]

I ordered and fitted the 410/402 innerbarends and the medium 710 grips. For anyone who reads @Stefan Mikes comments above regarding the space these take on the bars ... don't worry . For the medium size grips and the innerbarends I had to move the 'other stuff' (brake levers, assist controller and gear lever) no more than 1mm. I loosened them all off, added the grips and innerbarends and then moved the 'other stuff' back flush with the inside edge of the innerbarends. You do have to move the various levers as the bolt to tighten the 410/402's in place is obscured by the brake levers, so these have to be rotated slightly out of the way to give the torque wrench access.

I've only ridden a quick 25 km using them this afternoon. First impressions are very positive. The 710 grips are very comfortable (much more so than the stock 'ergo'-type grips provided with my Vado SL 5.0) and the size - determined from the SQlab sizing sheet - was spot on. The innerbarends provide a very welcome alternative to the horizontal grips. When using the innerbarends access to the brakes - for all but the most forceful "grip and pray" braking - is good. Access to the gears or the assist controller isn't really practical though it might just be possible to drop a gear. More importantly - as I see the innerbarends as being used on parts of the track that don't need lots of changes - when gripped your hands don't foul the assist controller or gears.

Enjoy

 

[Stefan Mikes]

You do have to move the various levers as the bolt to tighten the 410/402's in place is obscured by the brake levers

Gospel truth!

I was riding my big Vado for 76 km today. The most of the ride was spent in the Innerbarends!

 

[Djangodog]

I have no experience with the SQ Labs inner bar ends or grips, but I have a similar setup on my bike. I use the stock, Yamaha grips which I find to be very good, (so far). My inner bar ends are an old pair of Specialized Carbon bar ends. I removed the graphics and polished them up. They provide a couple alternative hand positions and I find them very comfortable and efficient. My Cross Core is set up for road, (paved or gravel), and rail trail riding.

I highly recommend the inner bar end concept and the SQ Labs products look like a great option.

I am a long time roadie and mountain biker, so this set up is the best of both worlds for me and great for my damaged legs and spine, (motorcycle accident). I’m loving the ebike, but not ready to give up my carbon Wilier just yet.

I can also drop my elbows and get quite aero. I did have to move things around, but everything worked out well on the 710mm wide Salsa 17 degree Bend Deluxe bars.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I lent my Vado SL (with the integrated Innerbarends/SQlab grips) to a friend for a week. When he returned the bike, we were discussing his impressions.

'While I loved the 710 SQlab grips, I had numb hands riding the Innerbarends. The latter are not for me!' -- necessary to mention he rides a gravel bike.
'I love the Innerbarends! I only hate the logo, which is the Rod of Asclepius..."
'But that's the correct logo! Asclepius is Äskulap in German (Eskulap in Polish)"

Äskulap reads SQlab

 

[Djangodog]

I lent my Vado SL (with the integrated Innerbarends/SQlab grips) to a friend for a week. When he returned the bike, we were discussing his impressions.

'While I loved the 710 SQlab grips, I had numb hands riding the Innerbarends. The latter are not for me!' -- necessary to mention he rides a gravel bike.
'I love the Innerbarends! I only hate the logo, which is the Rod of Asclepius..."
'But that's the correct logo! Asclepius is Äskulap in German (Eskulap in Polish)"

Äskulap reads SQlab

I decided to try the SQLab inner bar ends. I wanted to get a few rides in before saying what I thought. They don’t provide as many hand positions as the Specialized bar ends that I had been using, but they are fit nicely with my SQLab grips and they are very comfortable and still provide a good, alternative hand position while not taking up additional room on my bars. The verdict is that they are staying and that I like them very much.

 

[mschwett]

how does one use the brakes with hands on these guys?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

how does one use the brakes with hands on these guys?

You rest the part of your hand between your thumb and the index finger on the IBE the way you do it on the hood of your road bike. The edge of the palm rests on the handlebar grip, and the fingers may rest delicately on the brake lever or keep the handlebar grip. The access to the brake levers is as instantaneous as with a drop handlebar!

We had a situation on the latest fast forest ride. My buddy rode at some 35 km/h in front of me to discover a senior women rode out slowly from a corner just in his ride line. He pulled his gravel bike brake levers instantly, and the good hydraulic brakes did their work. I was riding in Innerbarends with my fingers resting on the brake levers and could have stopped as abruptly as he did! No crash!

 

[Avg_Joe]

Dredging this one back up, as I've had the SQLabs IBE's for a few months now w/ the 702 Medium grips. Can confirm what @fatshark stated about space on my Vado handlebar, not an issue whatsoever, slightest of adjustments were needed.

These IBE's are nice. I do not find them transformative, however:

• Where they really shine for me is climbing. I instinctively grab them at the sight of a hill; crouch down a bit and bring my arms in closer; and find I'm putting much more power into the climb (verified by ride stats). This == less battery usage and the ability to stay 1 gear higher.
• My weekday rides are primarily suburban streets with many stops; a few long stretches; and a modest amount of dirt. When you constantly have to shift gears, brake, there's too much motion required. Shifting to a higher gear and braking aren't really issues, but shifting to a lower gear requires hand repositioning. On the long stretches, they're useful though for comfort.
• I don't care for the impact on my ability to steer the bike while on the IBE's. This is likely a very personal thing, but I find myself oversteering, feeling twitchy, not having as much confidence. I'm not talking about long, sweeping curves, but rather tight turns on greenways, dirt (e.g. 60-90* turns).

I'll keep them on solely for the lift when climbing, that has been the most startling outcome. When I do get to long stretches w/o any severe turns, I also use them. Lastly, when I just kind of need a break, it's great to grab onto them with my palm and fingers wrapped around them, straighten my back a bit, and relax.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Joe, your notes duly observed!

Perhaps you are using IBEs wrong. These are not for holding them. They are for resting your hand (between the thumb and index finger) while the rest of your hand shall rest on the grip, and fingers may lay relaxed on the brake lever.

Doing that way gives you confidence, immediate access to the brakes, proper arms' spread, and helps resting part of your body weight on the bars, relieving your butt and making your back straight.

SQlab is pronounced "Äskulap" in German, and it is for "Asclepios". Truly ergonomic thing!

 

[Avg_Joe]

Joe, your notes duly observed!

Perhaps you are using IBEs wrong. These are not for holding them. They are for resting your hand (between the thumb and index finger) while the rest of your hand shall rest on the grip, and fingers may lay relaxed on the brake lever.

View attachment 148240
Doing that way gives you confidence, immediate access to the brakes, proper arms' spread, and helps resting part of your body weight on the bars, relieving your butt and making your back straight.

SQlab is pronounced "Äskulap" in German, and it is for "Asclepios". Truly ergonomic thing!

Completely understood, and as noted - when climbing anything more than a simple, gentle grade, I use them as intended. However, I just haven't developed that confidence needed for aggressive steering at speed.

And as I said, I have a ton of stop-and-go, gear changes (including shifting down, and I cannot reach the lever for that with my hands on the IBE's) so using them a majority of the time is just not practical.

I did do a very long ride recently and they were invaluable. But that was a smooth trail with minimal elevation change, where I could maintain pedal cadence and speed, and had 0 "severe" turns.

For the price (relative to the bike), I am very happy with them. I just don't find them useful all of the time. They will remain in place and I'll rely on them as conditions warrant!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

And as I said, I have a ton of stop-and-go, gear changes (including shifting down, and I cannot reach the lever for that with my hands on the IBE's) so using them a majority of the time is just not practical.

A Shimano or SRAM shifter? (Mine's Shimano).

Normal ride. Four fingers resting on the brake, the palm supported on the grip.

Upshifting. The middle finger pulling the shifter lever.

Downshifting. The thumb pressing the shifter lever.

In no situation I have to remove my hand from the position. I understand each of us is different and one size does not fit all

 

[BEC111]

Keeping the thread going, I just got Innerbarends 411 2.0 thanks to Stephan‘s frequent recommendations. As with the other commenters descriptions, they make a terrific difference in my riding comfort. Though I still need to tweak their positioning a bit, I too rode with my hands mostly on the IBEs.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Innerbarends 411 2.0

When you wrote your post @BEC111, I didn't even know what the 411 ver 2.0 meant! Recently, I wanted to tighten an older model of the 411 on the bar of my Vado 6.0 without the torque wrench, and broke both the screw and the IBE! So I visited the SQlab site and just ordered the latest 411 2.0. I actually was not aware what product I was buying!

The 411 2.0 susprised me with their extremely low weight, being narrow, beautiful and skin friendly. It is probably the ultimate IBE version. Not sure what it is made of (carbon fibre?) but the material feels warm and grippy to the touch (other IBE versions are hard, slippery and cold, and are the best used with cycling gloves). The 411 2.0 are hollow inside, and have no rear, so they solely serve the intended purpose of a hand rest (you cannot grab this grip).

As to the setup, I have found my ideal setting is when the cut in the IBE clamp is just horizontal. The matching angle of my brake levers is when the mounting screw's head is horizontal.

No more tweaking! Going for a second 411 2.0 ride!

Innerbarends 411 2.0 on my Roadrunner (Vado 6.0) during a test ride of yesterday. This morning, I did the last tweaking of the Innerbarends.

 

[BEC111]

When you wrote your post @BEC111, I didn't even know what the 411 ver 2.0 meant! Recently, I wanted to tighten an older model of the 411 on the bar of my Vado 6.0 without the torque wrench, and broke both the screw and the IBE! So I visited the SQlab site and just ordered the latest 411 2.0. I actually was not aware what product I was buying!

The 411 2.0 susprised me with their extremely low weight, being narrow, beautiful and skin friendly. It is probably the ultimate IBE version. Not sure what it is made of (carbon fibre?) but the material feels warm and grippy to the touch (other IBE versions are hard, slippery and cold, and are the best used with cycling gloves). The 411 2.0 are hollow inside, and have no rear, so they solely serve the intended purpose of a hand rest (you cannot grab this grip).

As to the setup, I have found my ideal setting is when the cut in the IBE clamp is just horizontal. The matching angle of my brake levers is when the mounting screw's head is horizontal.

No more tweaking! Going for a second 411 2.0 ride!

View attachment 167104
Innerbarends 411 2.0 on my Roadrunner (Vado 6.0) during a test ride of yesterday. This morning, I did the last tweaking of the Innerbarends.

Your cockpit looks almost identical to mine. Same mirror, TCD, IBE and Grips with horns. I just have a phone holder - no cycling computer. My left hand grip and so forth still needs adjusting. My left shoulder and hand have been sore and I’ve been fiddling with fit. I don’t ride in bad weather so opportunities to test fit have been a challenge. Guess it’s a sign of old age