The lowdown on Jones H-Bars.
- Cyclewerks Crew
H-Bars
These bars may look unconventional but the bottom line is that they flat out provide better handling and more comfort than a traditional bar. Better hand and body positions ensure more power, comfort and control. They come in titanium, carbon and aluminium versions. All H-bars are for a 31.8mm stem. The are three types of H-bar; Loop, Cut and Bend...
“One of the hottest items in the touring world is the H-Bar.” Topanga Creek Bicycles
The Loop H-Bar has the same hand, stem and brake lever position as the original H-Bar but the cross bar sweeps forward to allow the levers to go behind the cross bar instead of in front. This gives longer uninterrupted hand positions and allows shifters to fit on the rearward extensions. The continuous front loop of the bar enhances stiffness and is good for additional aero hand positions and mounting bags, lights, GPS devices etc. Comfort and power and an impressive weight. With the levers in the optimum position the rider is superbly placed for fast riding while still enjoying all the hand positions available. The rearward extensions allow extra leverage and a wider hand position – be it for comfort or power. Aluminium and titanium tubing is tapered and butted to add strength and save weight.
Great for; Mountain bikes and road bikes, Fat Bikes, Touring, Bikepacking Adventures, Singlespeeds, City Riding and more!
Compatible with; Trigger shifters, Gripshift, Shimano twist shifters, Rohloff, (hinged) thumb-shifters and Singlespeeds.
For urban and touring bikes (and for smaller riders) the 660 Loop H-bar is also available (and all 710 H-bars are laser etched with the trim marks to cut them down to 660mm so you can always try the 710 and down-size if you feel the 660mm width will work best for you). The 710mm H-Bar being 2"/50mm wider means the grip section is about 1.5" longer than the 660mm.
The Lowdown
Better handling and power output
The shape of the bar really allows you to throw the bike around in technical situations. With your hands in the wide and rearward grip position you can keep your weight back and your arm stance wide for stable and controlled technical or steep downhill riding. This position is just like having a wide bar with a short stem, similar to a downhill or dirt jumping bike, but with more sweep. This additional sweep brings your arms in closer to your side to allow more comfortable and natural use of your arm and back muscles. The sweep also allows you to push and swing the bike side to side with more control and power. It's especially beneficial when climbing.
These bars allow you to really get up on top of the pedals and grind out low cadence standing power for climbing in hard gears which is why the bar is so popular with single speeders. Your hands pull more towards your shoulders, a more natural 'pull' with stronger muscles. This allows you to push down with more force at the pedal. In extremely tight turns with the bar close to 90 degrees your outside arm and wrist is not taken to the edge of their flexible range as with traditional bars. This provides more control and stability on switch backs.
More comfortable and ergonomic
The sweep matches your natural hand and wrist positions creating a stronger hand and body position. With an H-Bar, your weight is evenly distributed across the width of your hand instead of being focused at the out side edge of your hand, the main cause of finger numbness. This 'even grip pressure' on the bar allows a better, more secure grip on the bar. This is especially nice if you chose to ride a fully rigid bike. The many and varied hand positions greatly reduce hand numbness and wrist pain. The H-Bar also reduces back pain since it has a range of hand positions from rear to front. This range allows you to move around and stretch your back. This is a bar you can ride all day.
Got a question about the Jones H-Bar, then get in touch and we can help.