ape hangers when are they too tall?

[Raoul Dude]

I like the way the bars look on the two bikes in the thread so far -- not so sure about the ones on the motorcycle, though.

I'm glad I found this thread, since I just figured out how to put a set of 25" ape hangers on my weird mountain chopper conglomeration! I've been wondering if they'll be too tall, but the "normal" 14 or 15 inch rise bars on there now are a few inches below my shoulder.

I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of that much "bar leverage" using handlebar shims -- my stock mountain bike stem is made for 1" bars, and the only 25" apes I've seen come in 7/8" clamp diameter. A lot of older BMX stems are made for 7/8" bars but are made for 21.1mm steer tubes. I finally found a 7/8" x 22.2mm quill stem, ordered the big bars, and will be picking up even more brake & shifter cable & housing when I pick up the bars next week.

Last night I realized that I'll also have to find a fork-mounted brake cable hanger for this project, since the stock mountain bike stem was the type with a hole drilled through it for a hanger.

10" taller bars minus about 4" of mountain bike stem rise plus 1" of BMX stem height should only put me about 7" taller than I am now, or just a couple of inches above my shoulder, which I think SHOULD work!

I'm still a little worried about bar flex -- the current 15" tall bars flex a little going up hills and I was (am?) hoping that the new ones won't be TOO much worse.

 

[Bone-Daddy]

I've got the the Nirve Super Apes on my stretch. They're pretty solid. I get a little flex with the springer. I don't get any on non-springer forks. I think they are around 23". I find them really comfortable. Of course I'm 6'4" and built like a gorilla. If your close to 6' shouldn't have a problem. 5'9" you'll be hanging.

 

[oldfart36]

I've got the the Nirve Super Apes on my stretch. They're pretty solid. I get a little flex with the springer. I don't get any on non-springer forks. I think they are around 23". I find them really comfortable. Of course I'm 6'4" and built like a gorilla. If your close to 6' shouldn't have a problem. 5'9" you'll be hanging.

Diggin that red chain

 

[Bone-Daddy]

Diggin that red chain

Thanks, took a couple of chains to make it. LOL.

 

[Raoul Dude]

Since I posted that above, in order:

found a new (old) cruiser on craigslist on Sunday,
realized the seatpost I got over the winter would fit the new bike,
moved the layback seatpost and my West Coast Ltd saddle to the new bike,
took a 14" ape hanger bar I had already and installed it on the new bike,
realized the new stem and the new ape hangers would fit the new bike,
had the stem delivered on Monday,
put my weird purple mountain cruiser bike back to its old 1993ish MTB glory with its old Scott AT-4 handlebar,
picked up the new ape hangers and mounted them on the new bike with the help of all new cables and housings.



For the second time when I was installing ape hangers on a bike that came with flat bars, I used every last inch of my brand-new cable for the rear brake and derailleur, and I had to measure and cut the housing accordingly.

"I need two more inches of exposed cable, so if I cut off two more inches of housing that should take care of that end but...oh, this is going to be close!"

I'm happy with the way it turned out, and there IS a little bit of handlebar flex but it's not too bad. I'm planning on a longer road test over the next few days, and might start a new thread about the whole project afterwards.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Since I posted that above, in order:

found a new (old) cruiser on craigslist on Sunday,
realized the seatpost I got over the winter would fit the new bike,
moved the layback seatpost and my West Coast Ltd saddle to the new bike,
took a 14" ape hanger bar I had already and installed it on the new bike,
realized the new stem and the new ape hangers would fit the new bike,
had the stem delivered on Monday,
put my weird purple mountain cruiser bike back to its old 1993ish MTB glory with its old Scott AT-4 handlebar,
picked up the new ape hangers and mounted them on the new bike with the help of all new cables and housings.



For the second time when I was installing ape hangers on a bike that came with flat bars, I used every last inch of my brand-new cable for the rear brake and derailleur, and I had to measure and cut the housing accordingly.

"I need two more inches of exposed cable, so if I cut off two more inches of housing that should take care of that end but...oh, this is going to be close!"

I'm happy with the way it turned out, and there IS a little bit of handlebar flex but it's not too bad. I'm planning on a longer road test over the next few days, and might start a new thread about the whole project afterwards.

Not sure how I feel about the way the seat looks, but the rest of it is looking good!

Luke.

 

[Raoul Dude]

Not sure how I feel about the way the seat looks, but the rest of it is looking good!

I agree (as does my buddy) that the saddle looks like it's angled back a little too far, but it's actually pretty comfortable like that! Angling it forward makes the rider feel like he's going to fall off the front of the seat.

Back to the main question of "ape hangers -- when are they too tall?" I can now say "when they're so tall they crack the stem."



I was starting up from a traffic light when I heard and felt a small "pop" from the handlebars, and once I was up to speed I was able to rock the bars forward and backward maybe a half inch up at the grips. I had never had a BMX bike (or stem) before, but I was reasonably confident that I'd torqued that four-bolt cover plate down correctly when I put the bars on. As I rode the two blocks home, though, I started wondering whether or not I HAD done it correctly, and figured that all that leverage must have somehow overcome the clamp.

Imagine my surprise when I got home and grabbed my allen wrenches, then saw the CRACK up the back of the stem! As far as I'm concerned, that stem is now going in the trash after I salvage the bolts and the "quill wedge." It was a relatively inexpensive "no name brand" stem, so I'm not going to try to return it.

As to WHY it failed, all I can guess is that the 25" ape hangers just created too much torque at the stem. As mentioned before, I was only starting up from a stop light that had just turned green, and I wasn't in a particular hurry so I wasn't really pulling on the bars for leverage. I certainly wasn't trying to pop a wheelie or jump over a curb, either!

This was a typical "just riding along when the part failed" WITH the asterisk of "with some REALLY tall handlebars!"

I would have thought that a typical teenager riding and/or abusing a BMX bike with BMX-type bars would put MORE stress on the stem than I would by "just" riding on the street with those bars, but apparently not.

Has anybody else had this sort of problem before? Part of me wants to try it again with those bars and a better, brand name STEEL BMX stem that's in the mail now, but another part of me thinks it would be safer to just put on some shorter ape hangers and call it a day.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

I would say that a better stem will solve your issue, those cheap stems really are rubbish... As I understand it you can no longer buy them here in Australia, the cheap ones now have a steel lower plate welded to the quill.

Luke.

 

[ev1203]

Are 15" ape hangers strong enough? Because I have custom blue ape hangers on my cruiser and they have been doing good the past few months, but they have just a slight give in them, but never broke. is this normal?

 

[syclesavage]

Too tall:

So are the pipes and that weapon of a sissy bar omg

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

I think a little flex in the bars is OK, but you may consider a set of 3/4" dia. 15" motorcycle apes. You can find them on eBay for around $50. Thicker tubin', less flexin'


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[deven_science]

Apes look best when your arms are parallel to the ground. Any higher, and they look silly to me.

 

[ev1203]

Apes look best when your arms are parallel to the ground. Any higher, and they look silly to me.

True, my ape hangers are about parallel and they look good

 

[Wildcat]

The leverage those tall bars gives you is much greater than a standard set of apes. There's a scientific formula for how much more greater length adds, using levers and fulcrums and stuff like that. It's like putting a breaker bar on a wrench, the added strength is enormous.

 

[deorman]

I haven't ridden apes much since I was a kid on a banana bike. As pointed out earlier in this thread, the strength of the bar clamp would be a likely limiting factor due to the increased leverage. If your stem is flexing noticeably, eventually it will probably bend or break.

 

[ev1203]

I have the 4 banger stem for my ape hangers, and they are handling it pretty good.

 

[FreddyS]

I love ape hangers but 25 inches is tops for me. Anything taller hurts my arms and is difficult to control.

JM2C


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[Bigcam59]

These are the tallest I have in my collection. They are right at the edge of too far, but for me they work fine. Then again I am 6'1...

 

[A.S.BOLTNUT]

Ape hangers are too Tall when you can't ReacH them , Hands down !
Or in this case hands up !

 

[Rustinkerer]

The proper answer is, they're too tall when you have to check the height signs on underpasses! -Adam