Handlebar risers: elbow angle and reach
On the Standard style with the default rider, raising the bars 25 mm bends the modeled elbow from 138.7° to 135.0°. Moving them 25 mm back bends it to 127.8°. Knee angle stays at 69.4°.
Try it in the simulator
Load the Standard style with the bars 25 mm higher.
Load this setupBars up: elbow angle
| Style | Stock | 10 mm | 20 mm | 30 mm | 40 mm | 50 mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 138.7° | 137.1° | 135.7° | 134.3° | 133.1° | 132.0° |
| Sport | 137.5° | 135.0° | 132.7° | 130.6° | 128.6° | 126.8° |
| Cruiser | 134.5° | 133.0° | 131.6° | 130.4° | 129.2° | 128.1° |
| Touring | 135.6° | 134.4° | 133.2° | 132.2° | 131.3° | 130.4° |
| Adventure | 135.9° | 135.1° | 134.4° | 133.7° | 133.2° | 132.7° |
Bars back: elbow angle
| Style | Stock | 10 mm | 20 mm | 30 mm | 40 mm | 50 mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 138.7° | 134.0° | 129.8° | 125.8° | 122.1° | 118.7° |
| Sport | 137.5° | 133.3° | 129.5° | 125.9° | 122.6° | 119.4° |
| Cruiser | 134.5° | 130.2° | 126.2° | 122.5° | 119.0° | 115.7° |
| Touring | 135.6° | 131.2° | 127.0° | 123.2° | 119.6° | 116.2° |
| Adventure | 135.9° | 131.3° | 127.1° | 123.2° | 119.5° | 116.0° |
How to read this
Each cell is the elbow angle after the change, or unreachable if the arm cannot reach. A bigger angle means a straighter arm. Stock is the style as listed.
What the model leaves out
At a fixed torso lean, higher bars bend the modeled elbow in every row above.
- Torso lean stays where you set it. To try a more upright position, change Torso forward lean.
- Not modeled: wrist angle, bar width and shape, cable and hose length, clearance when leaning, seat shape, suspension sag, standing position.
Reachable is not comfortable or safe. Check the real bike.
Questions riders ask
How much do risers bend the elbow?
At a fixed torso lean, raising the bars 50 mm (about 2 in) bends the modeled elbow by 3.2° to 10.7° across the five styles.
Bars up or bars back: which moves more?
Bars back move it more. Compare the standard rows in the two tables above.
Do bars back help short riders?
At 1550 mm (5 ft 1 in), bars 25 mm back: the elbow stays unreachable. At 33 mm back the arm reaches, with the elbow at 173.6°. For a 1750 mm (5 ft 9 in) rider, the elbow goes from 138.7° to 127.8°.
Do risers change torso lean?
No. The model keeps torso lean at 15° on the Standard style.