Bar Ends

Bar End Buying Guide

Bar ends fell out of fashion when handlebars got wider and trails got rougher, but they still serve a genuine purpose for XC riders and anyone doing long days in the saddle. A short bar end gives you an alternative hand position that opens up your chest for climbing and relieves pressure on your palms.

Types of Bar Ends

Full-length bar ends (100mm+) are the classic style — they extend forward from the bar and provide a powerful climbing position. Stubby bar ends (50–60mm) like the Ergon GP series sit closer to the bar and give a subtle position change without catching on trees or flipping you over the bars in a crash. Integrated barend-grip combos (Ergon GP1, GP3, GP5) combine the grip and bar end into one unit with an ergonomic wing that supports the heel of your hand.

When Bar Ends Make Sense

XC racing, marathon rides and bikepacking — anywhere you're spending hours in the saddle and climbing is a significant part of the ride. On technical trail and enduro bikes, bar ends are a liability — they snag on branches, complicate crashes, and the wide bars already give enough leverage for climbing. If you run bar ends, always fit bar-end plugs to the open ends of your handlebars — an open bar end is a coring tool aimed at your body in a crash.

Bar Plugs

Even if you don't run bar ends, bar plugs are essential safety kit. Open handlebar ends can cause serious puncture injuries in crashes. Any plug that stays in place works — push-in rubber plugs, expanding alloy plugs, or bar tape plugs if you're running thin grips. UCI rules require them in racing, and common sense requires them everywhere else.