I've searched around and haven't found many specific answers for my questions so I want to start a thread to serve as a resource from this point forward.
First a little about me. I'm 6'6" (2m) tall, tip the scales at 240lbs (108kg) and am new to trials bikes. My main purpose for a trials bike will be trail riding and eventually I might try my hand at a few trials.
On all my other bikes one of the first things I've always had to do right off the bat is resping my bikes for my weight. From what I've seen most trials bike's stock setup is for a 80kg (176lbs) rider. Should I expect to need springs that are 35% stiffer than stock for the bike to ride correctly with a rider of my size? Sourcing the springs is easy and I the guy that has done my other bikes can get just about anything custom wound for about the same price as off the shelf springs.
Secondly ergos. I know I'm going to need to do something about the bar height. For pure trials riding I understand the reasons you might not want higher bars, but after riding a borrowed gas gas that had not been set up for a tall rider not only was it extreme uncomfortable, but it was quite difficult to see up the trail being so bent at the waist. Since I have a Montesa adding bar risers isn't an easy or cheap alternative because of the angled handlebar clamps.
What make a trials bend bar trials specific? From looking at bar specs it appears that most trials bars are relitively flat for their given rise with little pull back. Meaning the "up" bend makes up about 70-75% of the total rise of the bars leaving the ends close to level. On my other bikes I've found the Pro Taper Contour ATV High works quite well. It has 55mm of sweep and 121mm total rise, but only 70mm up bend so the other 50mm is made up in the angle of the grips. Would this be good or bad? I've also found the Pro Taper DRZ 110 ben bars are pretty close to the trials ratio 143mm total rise 123mm "up" bend and 44mm sweep. I'm leaning towards this bar since it's closer to a true 6" trials bar than Renthals 6" bar that no one in the USA seems to carry anymore.
Am I on the right track here? What else should I know?
Thanks.