Great, now I want to put inboard grips on my XC setup. Only issue is in that position I’d likely still spin out on my 34t on the road. Wishing for a touch more gear range LOL!
Nice discussion. I like the alternate hand position. I think the Epic Evo is a great choice - flip the lockout lever on the long sustained climbs if you think you need it. On the downhills you'll be glad you have a little extra suspension for control and comfort when you're body is cooked and you're handling is all over the place.
Dumbest rule ever, inner bar ends are awesome. If you run them with a narrower flatbar you can put them right up to the brake levers and have super easy and safe access to shifting/braking.
Silly that outside bar ends (no access to brakes) are allowed and inner bar ends (access to brakes) are not allowed. Looks like Togs are allowed as well looking at the rules. I believe Keegan and Lachlan have both done Leadville with inner bar ends and I'm sure others as well.
Back when I was racing XC, everyone used bar ends. They really helped on long rides with the extra hand positions, a more aero position, and were nice for climbing and sprinting. I don’t get why they aren’t allowed now. If it’s supposedly for safety, I call BS. P.S., are they allowing outside bar ends for this race? I know UCI bans them for regular XC.
here's what the Athlete's guide says about extensions: Aero bars or clip-on inner bar extensions are no longer allowed at Leadville Race Series MTB events. • Traditional bar ends located outside of the grip are still permitted. TOGS are still ok and we saw some racers run a similar TOG system last year. They may have been SQ Lab?
