Mountain bike handlebars are typically lighter and stronger than other handlebars and are available in a wider range of materials such as steel, chrome, aluminum and carbon fiber. They also come in the usual assortment of styles like risers, high risers, flats and any combination of these with one of a variety of bar extensions included.

Some mountain bike handlebars depending on how tall you are can make you position your weight forward and cause you to extend out over the stem more. This can cause serious discomfort shortening the time you can comfortably ride. Getting some taller handlebars will widen the angle between your hips and your back by a few degrees which can make all the difference in the world.

Ideally, you want a set of handlebars that are a perfect blend of performance and comfort. A wider range of hand placement and a slightly more upright riding position can save stress on your hands and wrists allowing more time for riding with less fatigue.

 Some mountain bikes handlebars are fitted with bar ends to provide a wider range of hand and wrist positioning or for getting extra leverage for hill-climbing.

There are three points of contact between you and your bike; the pedals, the seat and the handlebars. If  I’m comfortable and happy with the fun and intensity of my rides it doesn’t occur to me to change anything. But, if my back or legs or hands hurt then I am definitely thinking about making some kind of changes.

I’m going to think about making adjustments first. The central point of contact of the three is the seat. If your back is most bothered you’ll want to lower the seat to allow the angle between your hips and spine to widen. Unless you have handlebars that include some kind of accommodation for repositioning your hands this solution probably won’t works because it will restrict hand and wrist movement and increase the stress placed on them.

Also, dropping the seat will probably cause issues with your pedaling that can only be fixed by raising the seat again.

The most common solution that works is to get handlebars that are tall enough to allow you to sit up a little straighter without compromising your pedaling and, if needed, you can add bar extensions that will give you more choices of grip positioning.

If you are experiencing leg discomfort you likely need to raise the seat in comparison to the pedal position. Doing this alone will decrease the angle between your spine and hips and possibly create a problem where there wasn’t one before. The solution is to raise the seat and if needed switch out your flat or low rise handlebars  for taller ones or add extensions if they provide enough increase in the angle of the back.