So you want to raise the handlebars on your mountain bike?
As a tall guy, I get it.
Raising your handlebars is a great way to adjust your mountain bike’s fit to make you feel more comfortable and confident.
I recently raised the handlebars on my YT Jeffsy 29. Here is a couple of ways to raise the handlebars on a mountain bike.
3 Different Ways to Raise Your Handlebars
Why Raise Your Handlebars?
Raising your handlebars on your mountain is a way to adjust the fit of your mountain bike. Typically mountain bikes are optimized around a size medium. So if you are on a large, extra-large, or extra-extra-large size, you might have to raise your handlebars to put you in a comfortable riding position.
(Do you get arm pump mountain biking? Learn how to stop it here.)
If you take a look at tall professional riders like Steve Peat (6’3) and Jack Moir (6’2+), you’ll see that their handlebars are quite high. This extra height puts them into a more neutral position over the bike.
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But raising your handlebars isn’t just for tall guys. If you ride a lot of steep trails, like the ones in Sedona, raising your bars by a couple of millimeters will put you more upright, giving you more confidence on the descents.
1) Riser Handlebars
Riser bars are the simplest way to get more height out of your cockpit. Thankfully, numerous companies make riser bars ranging from 10mm of rise up to 40mm in both the 35mm and 31.8mm clamp diameter.
Changing your bars is by far the easiest way to raise your handlebars. You unbolt your current bars and the controls and then swap them over to the new bars. Right now, I have a Renthal Fatbar with a 40mm rise, and it feels great.
2) Steerer Tube Swap
My personal favorite way to raise your handlebar height is to swap your steerer tube.
The steerer tube is the part of your front fork that runs up through the frame that your stem clamps onto. Steerer tubes extend out of your frame, allowing you to adjust your stem’s height and, ultimately, your handlebars.
But for some reason, short steerer tubes are popular, and some brands precut them at a set height. However, this can be a challenge if you need to get more height out of your cockpit.
Thankfully, some bike shops can cut off the old steerer tube and attach a new, longer one. I did this on my personal bike, and it made a huge difference! It raised my bars 20mm (yes, my cockpit is high, I’m 6’4).
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I recommend this option if you have a short steerer tube. It made the biggest difference for me.
3) Riser Stem
The third way you raise your handlebars is with a riser stem.
These are usually found on a road bike or cross country bikes because they have to be very long, usually 100mm, to get the rise.
These stems are not the best option for aggressive all-mountain, trail riding, or enduro riding. These stems will pull you out far over your front wheel and in a tough position to descend in.
There are also other adjust riser bike stems, but avoid these at all costs. If you want to raise your handlebars, I recommend either a steerer tube swap or rise bars.
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