Straight handlebars?

Ferdinand

I'm new to mountain biking. I rented and tried out several bikes before buying a Kona Blast. Generally, I really like the feel of the bike, although I think that I might prefer a less upright riding position. It's a 2005 18 inch model with 100mm fork. The dealer switched out the stem to the longest one that Kona had provided to him with his opening order. The stock bars have a gradual rearward and upward sweep to them. I feel like a straight bar would help me stretch out a bit more, providing a more aggressive head-down position. Are there any other advantages or disadvantes to this modification that I should consider? Why do so many factory bikes come with bars with an upward/rearward sweep? Thanks in advance.

AzzaC

Some advantages of using a flat bar:
lighter
stronger
will put you in more of a XC 'race' position on the bike

Some advantages of using a 'riser' bar:
are generally much wider than flat bars
more upright position than a flat bar

In regards to OEM bars, you have to consider what the bikes are designed for and also what 'tradition' the bike company has. For example, bikes designed for 'pure speed' XC use (Specialized Stumpjumper HT's and Epic's) along with the Giant XTC range, all come with flat bars.

Whereas companies such as Kona and Norco adopt a more downhill XC friendly geometry/setup and thus put riser bars on their hardtails. This is just a very borad generalisation though.

hope this helps.