6/29/09 Government Canyon

I tried out new riser handlebars on my mountain bike today. After renting the 29er and enjoying its more upright seating position, I decided to change my position on my current bike. I ordered a bmx/downhiller handlebar that has three inches of rise. It was great! My back still hurt a bit, but it was MUCH better than it has been. The only downside to the bar is that it's too wide. It's 28 inches wide, while my last one was 23 inches wide. That's not hard to fix with a hacksaw, though. I'll take off two inches to start and try that out. If that doesn't do the trick, I'll continue to take it off in one inch increments until I'm comfortable with the position.