Back sweep handlebars for improved wrist comfort

[Remington]

I am looking for advice on the pros and cons of back sweep handlebars. Is there any real benefit to fitting this type of handlebars to reduce the strain on wrists and hands. I did look at inner and outer bar ends but I am not in favor of them.

I am currently riding a Trek dual sus trail bike. I find on long gravel rides my wrists take a beating and I am forced to rest my hands on top of the handlebar to reduce the strain on my wrists.  Does the bike handling differ when riding techy terrain using back sweep handles

 

Thanks 

[Irvin85]

When last have you done a proper bike setup?

[ChrisF]

X2

 

Invest in a decent bike fit.  The type where they start by looking at YOU, your medical history and your mobility and flexability.

 

 

After the bike fit my wrists are doing much better on long rides, 5 hours plus.

 

Yes, bar tilt and thus wrist position is part of a complete setup.

 

 

 

The one thing which do catch me sometimes is the tyre pressures.  0,2 bar too much and a section of corrugations immediately hurts my wrists.  Adjust the pressure, and I am fine for the rest of the day.

Edited July 24 by ChrisF

[Jewbacca]

Sweep is awesome

Some people cock their wrists when they ride and lean into their hands in a hinged position.

It's very common.

Sweep won't fix that if that's the problem. A weak core or poor sitting position is causing that.

If your wrists hurt from sitting too square, then sweep will be your friend.

Figure out how you use the bar/grip/hand contact point and pay attention to your wrist position while riding. 

If your knuckles move towards you and you are cocking your wrists, you need to learn how to balance with your hips and sit with your core.

If you keep a nice neutral hand/wrist position and have pain between your thumb/fingers and the meaty part of your hand running back into your wrist, then sweep will help that

A bike fit might not actually help as one tends to only sag, lean and cock wrists when tired, so they won't come into play during a fitting.

 

[Zebra]

I am an unashamed fan of INNER bar ends (medically-developed SQLabs…), and they help with a very road-ish ‘hoods’ position on an MTB (I have them on 2 MTB’s), which means - for me - a less ‘cocked’ position, obvs once bike fit taken care of.

This then gives me TWO hand positions; would be keen to hear why they were not for you? Road bikes often give THREE ‘real’ positions, where MTB mostly only ONE, I find inner bar ends another great hand position, on gravel/tar, esp.

Chris

[MORNE]

Almost everything that comes on cookie cutter bikes is 7 - 9* backsweep. 12* and 16* (or more) bars make a HUGE difference to long ride comfort. Your wrists are just in a more natural position.

take two pens or sticks or dowels, sit on the sofa in an upright position like you would be sitting on your bike more or less. Close your eyes and hold them in your hands like you imagine you were holding a bar. Open your eyes and look at the angle they are pointing. If they are as straight as a modern flatbar you are drunk or likely horrendously disfigured. That will give you an idea of where your wrists are neutral. Obviously, as @Jewbacca up here mentions, there are other factors that impact your hand position too.  

Mainstream, you are likely only looking at SQ labs bars. They have a few offerings with more backsweep exactly for this reason. They are Pricey though.  There are more boutique branded ones around too.
 

I bet you most back yard bike fitters dont even know what bar sweep is or where to get more options so they just don’t bother taking it into consideration or making recommendations. Its a quite overlooked setup parameter imo. Easier to say cut your bars, get a shorter stem or buy a smaller bike I guess lol.

https://sq-lab.co.za/Handlebars/
 

[Scott roy]

Maybe a bit extreme but my uncle is running a setup that comes to mind. Not sure what it is or where he got it. 

[Sepia]

Looks like Jones Bars.  They work for my wrists like no other bar has.  Put them on a Redshift stem so the comfort is there if you want/need it.