You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I'm looking at getting a carbon handle bar.
Top on my list are oneup carbon bar, and hope 35 carbon bar (not the 31.8). The hope bars are £35 more but look great and I've got some hope stuff already. Any one got these bars. Any other suggestions? Looking for a bar with some compliance. Cheers
The 'best' is a bit of a subjective term, rise? Sweep? Weight? Strength? Cost? Which of this do you want?
Chinese eBay Carbon Fibre bars, best compliance in the game, could probably touch your toes with hands still on the grips 😉
@monkeyboyjc
looking for suggestions mate.
Just looking for an upgrade
@munkiemagik
Lol not quite what I'm looking for
I got my shortlist down to the OneUps. Then bought some alu ones for about £80 less, cos I'm a skinflint
schmolke carbon dh bars?
tune Turnstange
After knackering my wrist on my Enve Bar and fork clad Tranny I replaced the bars with Syntace Vector. Way more comfy! made it rideable again!
Looking for a bar with some compliance.
I'd recommend the Nukeproof Horizon on this basis.
And I'd recommend going 31.8mm if it's really important to you.
Try and source some chewy Knuckleballs, mine are not up for sale! 😆
Read fail, didn't spot the 35mm clamp requirement, above are 31.8mm.
😁
Knackered wrist means the OneUp bars for me are really nice. They don't feel scary flexy, but definately do take the edge off when I swap between my bikes. Trouble is I need another set for the other bike now.
You want compliance, yet choose a 35mm bar?
Having seen a few carbon bar failures recently, I couldn't recommend a carbon bar. Aluminium fatbars for me and if you want a more compliant feeling bar, ditch the lockon grips and go with push on ones.
+1 35 is generally regarded as stiff, for obvious reasons, and the OneUp is the only one that gets round this by way of its carbon layup/tapered design.
in 31.8 then some are stiffer than others - e.g. Renthal, Hope. I've ridden both and didn't like either. At all.
Softer bars are Nukeproof, Syntace and older Eastons, and these ride much nicer.
I'd go carbon every time if you want compliance. Alu just doesn't feel anywhere near as good to me.
No I said the Hope 35 Vs Hope 31.8. Hope says their 35 bar has more compliance than their 31.8.
Interesting about the grips. You reckon that its the bolts that transmit the vibrations?
A lockon grip is generally thinner. I swapped to ESI for a while for this reason and they are seriously comfortable, just not that durable. I found ODi dreadlocks to have a good compromise between the two.
Lockon grips have a plastic tube in them to provide the structure, so you get less rubber between you and the handlebar. Less of an issue if you run thicker grips like the deathgrips.
Deity Speedway bars, best bars I've had, I find the sweep, rise etc spot on for me, they're also really good at damping vibrations, better than the Race Face Next R's I used to swear by
I’m running the Brand X carbon bars which I got for £60. Got them for both bikes. Only 31.8mm clamp and they definitely have a little bit more give than my previous aluminium bars. So far so good and if I have a major stack and have doubts on bars at £60 for a new one it’s less painful on the wallet!
Not the absolute lightest (hopefully some margin of safety / overbuilding done), but lighter than a lot of aluminium bars.
Suburbanreuban, which enves were those and how did you find them?
If your looking at ultra light weight bars I've just jot a set of these. 760mm wide and 124g
https://www.mcfk.de/en/handlebar/handlebar-mtb/56/handlebar-mtb-riser-90
I've been looking at the 12 deg backsweep SQ Labs bar and the PNW 10 deg alloy bar. the wrist position has got to be pretty important when it comes to comfort I'd have thought. Anyone have experience of these or other bars with 10+ deg of backsweep?
@Swanny
They're 760mm SWF straight bars.
I found them to be totally rigid, no give at all. Fine on a susser but with ENVE forks too? You have to be mad!
They're going spare if anyone's interested...
Anyone have experience of these or other bars with 10+ deg of backsweep
I run Syntace Vector carbon in 12 degree. Not cheap but a great bar.
"I run Syntace Vector carbon in 12 degree. Not cheap but a great bar."
Well worth the money!
Id be interested in hearing reviews on the hope 35 carbon bar too.
I'm following this with interest...
I've recently picked up a Hightower with the Santa Cruz 35mm carbon bars - absolutely hated them -terrible shape and way to stiff fo me
Stuck my old Nuleproof 31.8mm carbons on and feels massively better - therefore...
I’d recommend the Nukeproof Horizon on this basis.
And I’d recommend going 31.8mm if it’s really important to you.
Reuben- cheers, I can’t see swf bars. Assuming I’m either being thick or it’s a typo/autocorrect. Any clues?
The Hope 31.8 bar is very stiff tbh- I've not ridden the 35 but "more compliant" is relative and the Hope's one of the few that I've ever ridden that I've really gone "holy shit that is stiff", along with my old Enves. Did not like.
I've ended up with a set of nukeproofs, a set of RSP Egos, and a set of Renthals, all 31.8mm and 780mm, and tbh they all fall into the "not so stiff or compliant that I really notice either way". Not to say they're the same but they all seem like happy mediums. Wouldn't suggest any of them to anyone that actually wanted a compliant bar but maybe to someone that'd had a super-stiff one and just wanted something less extreme (like me!)
(also got a set of Cobalt 11s which are hilariously bendy- like voodoo on a rigid bike but it'd probably be horrendous on a big bike, they're like rubber)
Theres this video with a bit more info on the flex. Oneup was rated 21 hope31.8 rated 18. Was a few bars at 17 and 16 so I guess the hopes flex is middle of the road. I guess hope's new 35bar is meant to be more flex so it's reasonable to say it'll be 19 maybe 20.
Test-
https://m.vitalmtb.com/features/35mm-Carbon-Handlebars-Flex-Tested-amp-More-Vital-Gear-Show,2801
Oneup-
I've got 4 carbon handlebars - 2 Giant SLRs, one Truvativ Noir, one Renthal. They're all just bars, I don't really notice any difference. On the other hand, the Giant SLR Aero bars on my road bike were a huge improvement, massively more comfortable than the previous set.
I run Syntace Vector carbon in 12 degree. Not cheap but a great bar.
Me too. They are great. and in the German tests they win the strength and build consistency awards too.
I also like my Joystick Analogues.
My Burgtec is stiff as hell though.
I've had two sets of RSP Ego's a gloss and Matt. I think the Matt seem more comfortable! Not sure if it's supposed to be, or it was to do with bikes/terrain that I was riding, but gloss ones were on a commencal Meta am, Matt ones I still have on my cotic Solaris.
I put the OneUps on my rigid MTB. Was looking for compliance and they seem to be doing the trick, first couple of times I clattered down steps I stopped and checked my front tyre pressure!
It's the only set of carbon bars I've ridden and the squashed profile *seems* to do as they claim, allow plenty of flex.