Freestyle What is the point of...

[TheBigUgly]

Bear with me here, but what is the point of using a riser bar on a ski with a movable handle pole? Wouldn't a straight bar with a few more degrees of "elevation" on the pole be the same thing?

If anything, a riser bar is lengthening the effective length of the pole, as measured from pole pivot to grips.

All this is assuming a shorter pole is desired by most freestyle riders, as it seems to be.

noob question, I know.

 

[jamesgunter68]

For comfort. They give you a few extra inches so you don't have to bend over as much.

 

[TheBigUgly]

You mean when the pole is bottomed out on the hood?

 

[OCD Solutions]

I never understood it either. For all the good it does by allowing the handpole to be lower in some scenarios, does it really offset the PITA of how much higher and harder to reach it is while boarding?

I do see where you can have the bar planted on the hood and still have the grip point higher, kinda like riding a fixed steer, but how much do you really ride around like that for?

I've ridden a few now and haven't once felt like it was a mod I needed to do. It doesn't suit my particular riding style.

 

[hornedogg79]

Worst mod I ever did. Couldn't get a flat bar back on quick enough. Seemed like they were always in my way and I would knock my lanyard loose at the worst time.

 

[augustaf]

Probably the same reason some bikers like ape hanger bars.

 

[ProSouth]

^^ ehhhh not really. I enjoy mine. Personal preferance. I don't mind straight bars. This is like the "do you flip your tow mirrors out?" Thread on the cumminsforum. Ride with what you like

 

[Vumad]

I want a set of rider bars. Some bars come with a rake. I do not want a set like that. I want one with no rake.

I race and freeride my ski. With the right riser bar, I could rotate my bars down to race and be where I am now, or rotate them up to be -2 steering in the surf. A lot of times in the surf and even racing I put my pole down on my hood, it lowers the center of gravity.

Look at another example. Pole pads. Some people put 2-3" pole pads on their hoods. It's a pole ski, why not just hold the pole up? Well, if you never ride with your pole below that height, why have the fatigue? Plus, when the pole is down, it helps move the leverage to the center of the boat instead of the nose. Unlike a fixer where you only have control in the middle, you can just lift your pole and have leverage on the nose.

Riser bars are a cheap alternative to a fixed steer with the flexibility to move the steering.

A more relavant question is why would someone ride a fixer? Riser bars basically turn your ski into that.

Like I said, I do not own it yet, but I want a set of 0 rake riser bars. Down would be just like my 0* bars now, and up would be like a fix steer. It would take loosening and tightening 3-4 screws to rotate it.

Riser = fixer

 

[yamanube]

For comfort. They give you a few extra inches so you don't have to bend over as much.

Lift the pole higher?

 

[BruceSki]

You can get the pole lower for rolls without hugging over as much?

I tried em for a while and didn't like em. A few guys in our crew run em and swear by them though.

 

[special fx]

yeah, this is one of the mods I never quite understood....

 

[zimmy]

Personal preference...

 

[sjetrider]

It does lower the pole and give some flexibilty to length if you do not have an adjustable pole. That being said I have not been able to get used to them. Prolly not enough time on them to do so. They would make my boat a side mount only boat, something I would get used to as I have in past but have not seen enough gains to warrant it. Most guess here that tried them quickly went back to straight bars. Toby is the only one to keep em thus far.

 

[TheBuzzard]

i've got skis with and without them. i notice no difference and dont even think about it. i ride all skis the same way, huck it and hold on. with risers, the pole bumper pad doesnt need to be big and ugly and it still keeps the levers from scratching the hood if the clearance is tight. the more bent over you are, the better the ski handles, tracks, turns. lower center of gravity works better for me.

 

[btmboards]

Haven't read all you responses but the the advantages although truly not for everyone is just in the geometry and is in fact very similar to ape hangers on a motorcycle. I ride 100% surf and ride with 50mm risers and absolutely love them. I would like to try 75s. I also just switched to ape hanger on my cruiser and love the way it handles now even with a huge rear tire. Just can't keep them due to a bad shoulder.
It does make it handle more like a fixed steer where it provides more leverage with less force for the side to side motion of the ski.
Flat deck and 50mm risers and 0 issues getting back on my ski. I will run them on every ski I own from now on.