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I have a Trek X-Cal which is classified as a hardtail racer. I am trying to customize it to be a little more multi-purpose. I am still fairly new to the mountain bike scene. The stock handlebars I currently have are 4deg. upsweep, 9deg. backsweep, 5mm rise, and 31.8mm diameter. The stock stem is 90mm and -7deg.
The trails I ride have a little bit of everything from technical riding to flowing singletrack. I also plan to eventually do some racing. So I guess I am looking for something that is multi-purpose. Any recommendations on dimensions and/or brand for a bar and stem would be great. I know it is all about feel and correct fit, but I need a good starting point. Thank you!
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Go with a wider flat bar around 680mm for cross country riding. As far as brands it is mainly preference. Answer, CrankBrothers, Easton, Race Face, Thompson, etc. are all good brands. I wouldn’t mess with your stem so much though unless you are having fit issues as that can change your riding position a lot.
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I noticed that you listed a bunch of specs for your current handlebar except for how wide it is. 😏
I switched from a 80mm stem to a 40mm. For my bar I kept my 640mm wide stock bar.
I swapped my brake lever and shifter padels to "brake, shifter, grip". This allowed me to grab my stock handlebar grips at the furthest outer part. At the same time I have a better grip of the brake lever with my index and sometimes middle finger. This gives a better mechanical leverage advantage and more precise finesse control of my brakes. The rest of my fingers should not be grabbing the brake lever anyway. The swap also brought the thumb shifter padels to the correct position right where I am now naturally gripping the bar.
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"ablack84" wrote
I know it is all about feel and correct fit
That’s pretty much all there is to it.
Short stem/wide, riser handlebar = more upright position, better for shredding downhill and jumps
Long, low stem/narrow flat handlebar = more weight over the front tire for xc speed and tight turns
The specs you gave for your cockpit are right in between those two extremes. If it has to be classified, you’re already as close to "multi-purpose" as it gets. Leave it alone and go ride it.
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Thank you all for the input. That helps clear things up for me! 😀
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i agree it, me too,Thank you all for the input. That helps clear things up for me!
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