The J-bar is a great alternative to flats and riser bars for monster mile-munchers and commuters, like the On-One Mary or Ragley Carnegie.
The sweep of the 662mm wide, 440g bar looks radical but your hands, wrists and arms soon get used to the feel, although some riders might find it a sweep too far.
The tops of the J-bar create a great stretched position, moving your bodyweight forward to make it easier to clean technical steeps and long dragging climbs.
When using the outer ends of bar, your bodyweight moves back and the wide hand position adds leverage and control – fantastic on steep, technical terrain.
We got away with just using bar tape and had no ill effects, even after long bumpy rides; however, you may have to use a slightly longer stem as the extreme sweep does shorten your effective top tube.
We found it tricky to fine-tune the position of shifters and brakes with a SRAM/Avid setup; Shimano Dual Control users should fare better.