Wylder has created a bicycle and component line, the 'Juliana Line', which is specifically designed for women. The Juliana Line is designed with the expertise of Juliana Furtado, former Cross Country World Champion. In addition to Furtado, the company consists of veterans from the cycling industry; Christi Feeter-Stark (Co-founder of RockShox), Tom Eagleton (RockShox), Frank Scurlock (RockShox), Rich Novak (Santa Cruz). Wylder is committed to Femmetry™. Femmetry™ is: The creation of products specifically tailored for the contemporary woman, through the symbiosis achieved between research, design, engineering and informative education. Every aspect of the female anatomy has been taken into account in the design and function of Juliana frames and components

Since women's shoulders are narrower than men's the Juliana riser bars are designed with that in mind. The Juliana bars can be up to two inches shorter in length than traditional riser bars, the riser bars measure 23" – 24.5" (590mm – 622mm) while a standard riser bar can be as long as 26 inches (660 mm). Not only is a Juliana riser bar shorter in length than a standard riser bar, the grip diameter of the handlebar is reduced by 28% over a standard bar.

Before new handlebars can go on, the old has to come off. Disassembling the handlebar/stem combo is easy. Ideally you’ll have a stem with a removable face plate. If you don’t you’ll need to get one before installing a riser bar. Installation is a snap. In fact the most challenging part or the task is installing the new grips. An easy to follow "how to..." article on installing and removing grips can be found by following this link. Always double check to make sure all the bolts and screws are tight before the inaugural ride.

I've always had a straight (or minimal bend) handlebars on my mountain bikes so this was my first real ride with a riser bar and a smaller grip diameter. If you are going from a straight bar to a riser bar the transition is definitely noticeable, with a riser bar the bike handling is different than with a flat bar. You do sit more upright with a riserbar and your weight is more towards the seat. You may feel that you are loosing traction on the front end when climbing up loose rocky terrain. Moving the seat and stem will be required to dial in the body’s position. The turning angle has a different feel a with riser bar. You may overcompensate on turns and tend to grip the handlebars tighter when riding through technical terrain.

I would not recommend an epic ride or mountain bike race for your first ride with new riser bars. With my first ride, I felt too upright on the bike and ended up flipping the stem upside down to lower the height and move it out a bit more. My second ride was much better, now I was getting used to how the bike corners and handles in technical terrain. It really wasn't until my third ride that I was completely hooked on the new handlebar. I didn’t have any problems on long fireroad climbs or climbing up short/steep single track. Like most alterations to your bike's touch-points, it takes a few rides to get comfortable.

If you are considering purchasing a riser bar or not comfortable with your current handlebars, try a Juliana riser bar. The smaller length and diameter make a big difference and you’ll have a more comfortable ride. Once you try a Juliana bar, you’ll be hooked. You will never want to going back to a bike with standard handlebars, the grips will feel too big and the handlebar too long.

Handlebar Specs: