The eMTB Upgrade Most Riders Haven’t Tried: Why High-Rise Handlebars Are a Game Changer
Tyres, suspension tuning and brake upgrades tend to dominate conversations about eMTB performance. Yet one of the most transformative changes a rider can make is often overlooked: handlebar rise.
For many riders, swapping to a higher-rise handlebar has delivered a bigger improvement than expected. Increased comfort, greater confidence on descents and reduced upper-body fatigue are among the most common benefits reported. After spending considerable time experimenting with different bar heights, it’s easy to see why more riders are making the switch. But are higher-rise bars really better? And if so, how high should you go?
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Testing Different Heights
To explore the effects of bar height, I tested three different rise options from Leatt’s Launch Control 4.0 range: 38mm, 53mm and 68mm. The unusual measurements aren’t random. Rather than offering traditional rise increments, Leatt chose 15mm steps to give riders more meaningful adjustment options.
To ensure each setup maintained a comparable riding position, I also tested different stem lengths alongside the bars. This proved important, because changing bar rise affects more than just stack height – it also changes the bike’s effective reach / how long the bike feels.
Why Higher Bars Work
On the trail, the advantages of higher-rise handlebars become apparent almost immediately.
1. Improved Comfort
The most obvious change is body position. Raising the bars places you in a more upright stance, reducing strain through your lower back, shoulders and wrists. On longer rides, the comfort difference can be significant.
2. Easier Front-Wheel Lifts
A higher handlebar naturally makes it easier to unweight and lift the front wheel. Manuals, wheelies, drops and jumps require less effort, while technical trail features become easier to negotiate. On full-power eMTBs in particular (the newer ones with 800Wh batteries) there’s a lot more weight at the front of the bike and a high bar gives you more leverage to handle that weight.
3. Reduced Fatigue on Descents
Long descents often place substantial pressure through the hands, wrists and upper body. By allowing you to stand in a more balanced position with greater weight through the pedals, higher bars reduce that load considerably. The result is less arm pump, less hand and wrist discomfort with reduced overall fatigue.
4. Greater Confidence and Safety
Perhaps the biggest benefit is confidence. A higher front end creates a more secure feeling on steep terrain. You’ll naturally feel less pitched forward, making it easier to stay relaxed and maintain control when trails become technical or unpredictable. The effect is subtle but powerful. When you feel safer, you will tend to ride better.
Are There Any Downsides?
Like most setup changes, higher-rise bars involve compromise. Climbing steep techy trails might require adjustment. They are perhaps slightly more challenging initially, particularly if you’re used to a lower cockpit. A workaround that can make help here is to hinge more at the hips and consciously move your weight forward on steep climbs.
The other small downside I noticed is a slightly less direct steering feel. A higher hand position can create a marginal sense of separation between the bars and the front tyre. Steering may feel a touch less immediate. However, modern eMTBs with large tyres and substantial overall weight tend to minimize this effect. For most riders it seems the trade-off is negligible.
The Biggest Myth About High-Rise Bars
One criticism often leveled at higher bars is that they supposedly make it harder to weight the front wheel through corners. Interestingly, I found the opposite proves true. So because you feel more comfortable and secure in an upright position, it’s easier to commit to weight the front tyre when cornering.
Rather than reducing grip, higher bars can actually increase confidence to weight the front end which in turn increases corner grip. It’s a bit counterintuitive and really only starts to make sense once you experience it.
Choosing the Right Rise
First of all, there is no universal “correct” handlebar height derived from a mathematical formula. Rather, frame geometry, suspension setup, stem length and riding style all influence the ideal choice. However, one useful reference point is grip height from the ground. In my case, at 1.75m tall, I currently run a grip height of approximately 1110mm on a size Large Trek Rail+. That position is achieved using a 53mm-rise handlebar and for me, represents the sweet spot between descending confidence, technical climbing performance and comfort.
If you are focused on flatter trails and enjoy steep technical climbing, you may prefer something closer to a 38mm. On the other hand, taller riders – particularly those over 1.8m – or riders who prioritize descending and experience discomfort on the bike may find a 53mm or even 68mm rise delivers the best results.
The Hidden Effect: Reduced Reach
One detail you should pay attention to is how bar rise affects bike fit. As handlebar height increases, effective reach decreases. A useful rule of thumb is that every 10mm increase in bar height reduces effective reach by roughly 5mm. If you want to maintain the same overall fit (and ride feel) you may need to change your stem length, when changing bar height. It’s a small detail, but one that can dramatically influence how your bike feels on the trail.
The Bottom Line
Higher-rise handlebars may be one of the most underrated upgrades available to eMTB riders. The gains in comfort, descending confidence and fatigue reduction can be substantial, often rivaling the impact of a tyre change or suspension upgrade. While climbing performance may require some adaptation, the benefits generally outweigh the drawbacks for most riders.
If there’s one takeaway from experimenting with handlebar height, it’s this: most riders I see on the Trails could likely benefit from adding around 20mm of rise, while those regularly tackling steep descents may find substantial gains with increases of 35mm or more. After all the riding and experimenting I’ve done with these bars, I honestly believe a simple handlebar swap might be one of the most effective performance upgrades for all eMTB riders. //
| IMAGES: Nick Muzik |