Handlebars rated for ebike use?

[jonfon]

Hi everyone,

I bought my first ebike this weekend. It came with 20mm rise bars and a 45mm stem. I'd like to put a 35-40mm riser bar on and a 35mm stem, as I prefer a higher front and shorter reach. However, the bike shop told me I should not just put any old bars on and that I need to get some that are tested and rated to cope specifically with emtb use, due to the extra weight needing higher strength. Is this right? If so, how can I tell which brands/models are rated!? Google search isn't coming up with anything useful...

So far the only assumption I'm making is 35mm diameter is best?

Thanks for your help
Jonathan

 

[R120]

I would say your bike shop are telling you porky pies, any decent MTB handlebar is more than up to the job

 

[KeithR]

Agreed. A handlebar on an ebike isn't doing any more work than a handlebar on an acoustic bike.

 

[Sharpy200]

Hi everyone,

I bought my first ebike this weekend. It came with 20mm rise bars and a 45mm stem. I'd like to put a 35-40mm riser bar on and a 35mm stem, as I prefer a higher front and shorter reach. However, the bike shop told me I should not just put any old bars on and that I need to get some that are tested and rated to cope specifically with emtb use, due to the extra weight needing higher strength. Is this right? If so, how can I tell which brands/models are rated!? Google search isn't coming up with anything useful...

So far the only assumption I'm making is 35mm diameter is best?

Thanks for your help
Jonathan

Hi Jonathan,

I wanted a higher rise bar on mine so went for the Burgtec RideWide Josh Bryceland. They have a 38mm rise and have lots of hard miles on them with no issues. They are a 35mm diameter fitment rather then standard 31.6mm. I have never had anyone say to me that handle bars need to be E-Bike specific.

 

[Levo Laland]

Rental Carbon fatbars sold as ebike compatible.

 

[jonfon]

Yea I saw a lot of people use those, but I assume Renthal aren't the only "official" aftermarket option for e-bike bars though right?

 

[R120]

To be clear you dont need e bike specific bars. There is a recent trend of seeing e bike specific products that are nothing more than marketing gumpf to take advantage of the brining market. If you took a poll of the members on here, I would be surprised if more than a few out of the thousands had a handlebar that was ebike specific, and if they do its likely to be one with internal routing for the shimano controls, and that is all thats ebike specific about it.

 

[Mteam]

ebike specific bars - the industry is really taking the p!ss.

Normal bars appropriate for your style of riding will do.

 

[Superkoochy]

To be clear you dont need e bike specific bars. There is a recent trend of seeing e bike specific products that are nothing more than marketing gumpf to take advantage of the brining market. If you took a poll of the members on here, I would be surprised if more than a few out of the thousands had a handlebar that was ebike specific, and if they do its likely to be one with internal routing for the shimano controls, and that is all thats ebike specific about it.

Very well said, I'm on my fourth ebike and I have tried a multitude of normal bars and never had any issues. I finally settled on OneUp bars and have never looked back.

 

[Zimmerframe]

ebike specific bars - the industry is really taking the p!ss.

Normal bars appropriate for your style of riding will do.

We have them in France. Not sure how you're supposed to ride in there though ?

 

[Sean1.0]

Just remember you need to be wearing your ebike specific shoes when you go to your lbs to buy your ebike specific handlebars...

... and don't forget to pick up some ebike specific energy snacks whilst you are there

 

[Jamze]

Bontrager's ‘strong, light, cheap, pick two’ mantra probably applies. If you were being generous to the shop maybe they were warning you off buying cheap, light handlebars.

 

[EME]

I see everyone laughing at the suggestion but why shouldn't there be different needs for an e-bike's bars, even if 'specific' is just marketing?

Geometry , weight, design, COG may be different to acoustic models as will many forces around the bike ( not that I understand the physics at all !).

I think Im right in saying that Specialized moved the LEVO up to a 35mm bar for 2021 models. Does anyone know why they did that?

 

[KeithR]

Rental Carbon fatbars sold as ebike compatible.

Are they? I've just been through their website - no specific mention of ebike compatibility.

Because there's no such thing, I imagine...

 

[KeithR]

Bontrager's ‘strong, light, cheap, pick two’ mantra probably applies. If you were being generous to the shop maybe they were warning you off buying cheap, light handlebars.

View attachment 45360

And that's not an ebike...

 

[KeithR]

Does anyone know why they did that?

Because stronger (or the perception of stronger) is always better, other things being equal.

 

[KeithR]

why shouldn't there be different needs for an e-bike's bars

A better question is probably: "how can there be different needs for an e-bike's bars?"

Then you'll get to why people are laughing at the notion.

 

[Sean1.0]

I think Im right in saying that Specialized moved the LEVO up to a 35mm bar for 2021 models. Does anyone know why they did that?

Don't 'know' but I expect because a lot of folks may assume 35mm is better / stronger because it's 1 louder. (OK. 3.2 louder)

 

[Jamze]

And that's not an ebike...

Nope. Just some £13 carbon bars from China.

One observation - I think I prefer my old 31.8mm bars to the 35mm stock ones on my eMTB. Not enough to spend money swapping them out though.

 

[EME]

@KeithR Weight, geometry , COG, dimensions, turning forces ?

I really don't know as I don't understand enough of physics theory or MTB practice, but I can see there may be slightly differing requirements ( although , I Agree, not necessarily an e-bike specific solution as those all change in any case across models)

 

[R120]

35MM are not necessarily stronger than 31.8MM. How strong a bar is has more to do with the construction than the size, a 35MM bar tends to be stiffer. Most mid to high end bars are of a similar strength and the variations are more to do with compliance/stiffness ride quality etc.

 

[KeithR]

35MM are not necessarily stronger than 31.8MM. How strong a bar is has more to do with the construction than the size, a 35MM bar tends to be stiffer. Most mid to high end bars are of a similar strength and the variations are more to do with compliance/stiffness ride quality etc.

True - which is why I wrote:

[Because stronger (or the perception of stronger)...

 

[Elsketcho]

On my accoustic I’m running carbon Renthals.
On my electric I’m running alloy Nukeproofs.

Thats my only concession

 

[R120]

Yeah I wasn't specifically replying to you just making a general observation - IIRC the move to 35mm was driven by the the market moving to wider bars, and that to make longer 31.8mm bars it was though they had to get heavier gauge, and at 35mm you could go longer without upping the gauge of the bar, keeping the weight down, and also some gulf about a stronger connection with the stem, but I could be talking out my arse

 

[St4nley]

Didn't 35mm bars come about when the manufacturers started making wider bars over or around 800mm plus wide, adding in extra carbon in specific areas of the bar, thats why there are cut down limits to particular bar widths.

 

[St4nley]

Sorry R120 didnt read your post fully, Doh!

 

[R120]

Sorry R120 didnt read your post fully, Doh!

No worries I wasn’t sure if I was right or not!

 

[jonfon]

Haha Liking the comments! Anyway thanks for clearing this up guys, I did assume it was nonsense when the shop said it! Just wanted to double check. I needed some new bars either way, so I ordered some Racface ones. 35mm dia (as my stem is that already), 35mm rise. Should do the job I need of raising the front a bit

 

[MountainBoy]

Just remember you need to be wearing your ebike specific shoes when you go to your lbs to buy your ebike specific handlebars...

... and don't forget to pick up some ebike specific energy snacks whilst you are there

Make sure you have your e-bike wallet too. These have a thicker cross-sectional area to deal with the higher forces imposed by e-bikes upon the central portion of the wallet.

 

[MartinShires]

Make sure you have your e-bike wallet too. These have a thicker cross-sectional area to deal with the higher forces imposed by e-bikes upon the central portion of the wallet.

Just came across this. LMAO.