Bar Ends, attaching a pump, and bars for racks

[griffsmom]

Just for a frame of reference: I ride mostly off-road although I do like to hit the road every so often to get in some spinning and bigger mileage.

1. Bar ends: If you're needing to move your hands while riding on the road, bar ends aren't going to help you. They're for mt. bikes. But in that regard, I couldn't ride without mine on the trails--they come in particularly handy when I'm climibing hills. What about aero bars for your road bike?

2. I use a mini-pump and keep it in my camelbak pack.


3. Can't help you on the Yakima questions. I ride non-WSD frames and they fit fine on my Swagman hitch rack and Thule roof rack. Hope you're able to find a good answer to your question though.

[Tuckervill]

Thanks for the advice.

Yes, bar ends are for mountain bikes, which I have. I don't have a road bike. I would definitely like to turn my wrists for a half mile or so when I'm riding on the road. This morning I did 4 miles around my in-law's neighborhood (staying here during a family emergency) and my hands just go to sleep on the road. (More so if the CTS was keeping me up the night before, I've noticed.) There was plenty of time when I didn't really need to have immediate access to the brake levers--just riding along. On a mountain bike I don't have to worry about bumps in the road or rough riding, so unless I'm going downhill, turning or stopping, I don't use the brakes much. So bar ends would help by giving me a chance to change positions of my wrist. I have been actually riding with my hands on the ends of the bars to see what it would be like, and I think it will work.

I imagine I would use them mostly for climbing when I am riding trails, but so far I haven't missed them.

I'll probably put the pump in my Camelbak, too, for this trip to New Mexico. After that, I'll be looking for another way to have it with me all the time.

Thanks!
Karen