[Closed] carbon DH bars - best for reducing vibrations

raceface sixc, easton havoc DH

Both these are good for damping things down. Also look at Superstar Lithium - bit cheaper but with more backsweep.

I've only tested 31.8mm BTW, can't comment on 35mm.

cheers will be 31.8mm unless i get a new stem too

Enve then at 31.8

I too suffer from pins and needles and numbness due a kidney illness, I have tried the following bars to try to resolve the problem
Answer pro taper
easton dh and next bars
Raceface Sixc
and Thomson

The two that i have found have the better dampining were the Raceface Sixc and the Thomson.

Im currently using the Thomson and have a longer time riding before any problems
Hope this helps

On-one chewy knuckleball would be my choice, along with some esi grips.

The Renthal bars seem to have a really good bend shape. I swapped from Answer to Renthal and they feel much more 'comfy'.

cheers fudge

thought of the on-one knuckleball chewy but its not as wide as i'd like for the dh bike. tempted to get one for the trail bike mind as the old ones getting a bit long in the tooth now

I would also look into the Spank Oozy Vibrocore bars that are coming out.

They claim to be specifically designed to reduce bar vibration. I have not used them myself so I can't tell you if that is all marketing hype!

Edit: Here's a link to the Spank Spike Vibrocore review on Pinkbike: [url= http://www.pinkbike.com/news/spank-spike-800-race-vibrocore-handlebar-review-2014.html ]Spank here[/url]

I've got carbon Easton havoc DH 35
Unable to feel any difference...

In terms of pressure on that part of your hand, I'd be surprised if different brands of carbon bars make *that* much difference. I'd look at:

Suspension setup
Tyre size
Tyre pressure
Grips (ESI chunkys you have are probably as good as anything)
Padded palmed gloves
...and then bars

jimification - tried all that. thanks

Spank Oozy Vibrocore bars look pretty good and save some cash too - nice one 🙂

I have Easton Havoc in both alu and carbon. Can't feel any difference at all, apart from weight (which was only felt when wanging them about off the bike)

I have RaceFace SixC bars. They replaced Atlas FRs of the same shape and width. I didn't notice a light and day difference, but I've realised that I'm not suffering with arm pump anywhere near as much as previously. Also coincides with an increase in riding, fitness, and gym work though, so hard to say whether or not the bars made any real difference.

I've got renthal fatbar DH carbons and I find them pretty stiff. RaceFace sixc are meant to be a bit flexier.

cheers chaps had a look at thomson and renthals at the bike shop today but think the sixc are going to top of the list. thomson didnt seem quite as nice as the renthals

@gazc - I get numbness and posted a similar question to yours a few months ago. I ended up with the Easton Haven bars, simply because there's a special on last years model at CRC at the mo [url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/au/en/easton-haven-carbon-riser-bar-2014/rp-prod129872 ]here[/url]

They did eliminate the numbness for me (together with Ergon grips which I use already). To those who say they can't feel the difference between carbon and ally bars - nor can I. The carbon bars don't [i]feel[/i] any different in a soft/flexy kind of way. You don't actually feel the constant vibrations that do the damage in the first place, and so don't notice they're gone with the carbon bars, except that the condition they caused magically goes away.

Havocs are very strong n sturdy with minimal flex. I doubt that meants flex n buzz protection built in.

Try the new 740 carbon Haven with big foam grips? What gloves do you use? Brake lever pitch and power? Buy bigger rotors = less need to brake/hang off them?

Sixc would be my choice TBH, they are such a nice shape.

Havocs are very strong n sturdy with minimal flex. I doubt that meants flex n buzz protection built in.

It's the damping qualities of carbon that makes it comfy, not flexing. So in theory more material means more damping.

(Maybe)

Sixc are definitely more flexy than the Renthals, I went from one to the other and felt it.

Enve DH would be my recommendation, best of the three easily

hora - using ESI chunky's and POC dh gloves with the knuckle & palm protection, plus hope tech m4's & 200mm rotors for DH. 2.7 tyres, boxxers set up nice and squidgy. the brakings not really the issue its vibrations when riding fast on relatively smooth but rocky surfaces which really set the ganglions off. its weird not like arm pump which i get as well on big steep descents and can handle, but when it sets in i can barely hold onto the bars 🙁

Not a medical issue that I know of, but I get(got) sore/numb hands on my rigid SS.
Lizard Skinz North-Shore grips helped, likewise non-O/S carbon bars with a low rise. (I figured the extra bend would induce a bit more give).
Either way, it helped a bit.

Biggest improvement came from running a 29+ front wheel. 😉

for the type of trail you describe, smooth but rocky, I found my Boxxers really harsh on that type of trail. swapped to Marzocchi 360s and it was much better. Was carrying noticeably more speed so i'm guessing the Marzocchis were doing a better job of eliminating the trail chatter.

Ive always gotten numb/sore fingers when Ive had the death grip. You might not even be aware.

Try rotating your bars more and/or brake levers more horizontal.

You could be over extending fingers/tendons currently on existing setup?

Ive found the sixc more comfortable than the havoc that they replaced ( also using esi chunky ) don't get the numb fingers anymore. Not downhilling though.

hora - set up of bars/stem/brake levers is no different to other bikes except maybe levers a tad higher for steeper stuff. gonna have a play with the set up again on some local stuff over the weekend but its only the big fast descents which start the ganglion pains off sadly

if i do go for new bars looks like sixc or the enve if i'm feeling flush or the spank spike vibrocore if i can hold out till end of may!

Syntaces have had the better vibration damping over all the other brands I've tried (Renthal, Easton, Race Face and Answer) - not just by a bit either, by far.

Get some carbon bars, fill them with dense foam to try and get rid of high frequency vibrations further, lastly run wired grips. I cannot stress the importance of this, lock ons simply have less rubber for the given diameter.

You could also try running wider rims and lower tyre pressures. Also, replace your fork seals with some SKF seals - it might increase small bump sensitivity and help a little.

I'm sure I'd seen some studies by a university that indicate this stuff works pretty well...

http://www.chronicmx.com/bar-buzz-kill-an-inexpensive-solution-to-sore-hands-and-arm-pump/

EDIT: Here, Michigan state looked at it....

I'm sure there was another, it might be snake oil but I reckon for the price it's worth a punt.

Also, run as powerful brakes as you can. Zee's/V4's with 203mm rotors, so you expend less effort braking. Zee's have about 40 percent more stopping power than a set of XT's, so they really are worth going for if you suffer from hand or arm issues.

The Syntace bars also come it two sweep flavours, 12 degrees of backsweep and 8. 12 is quite unusual but you might find the position more ergonomic for your hands. Try to have a think about how the increased backsweep would effect you hold.

I hope you sort it out!

Lastly, as a last resort option - you could try a [b] Hopey Steering Damper[/b] (the non gravity one that works all the time - not just on high speed hits) so that you could physically grip the bars less. This is what one handed riders tend to use.

Here's a video of a one armed rider using a steering damper

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/thomas-bannister-one-handed-riding-video-2015.html

Does it have to be carbon? Would you consider titanium?
I had the same problem and for my all mountain build I switched to 780mm bars for kingdombike guys [[url= http://kingdombike.com/en/other_product/Kingdom-Components ]titanium bars[/url]]. I am quite impressed with the titanium's vibration characteristics, not to mention top service from them. Highly recommended 🙂

The more I think about it, the more I think the steering damper is the way to go for the OP's medical problems. It means less physical contact with the bars just by being able to hold them really really loose.

cheers guys got a couple of leads to go with now. open to any options really, just carbon bars were first thought. like the steering damper but may be a bit overkill mind but i'll keep in mind if it persists! cheers 🙂

get some dumb bells and hand springs to work on your muscles and don't hold on so tightly either. also make sure your brakes are inline with your wrists when you are in the attack position

Forearm stength doesn't help with arm pump, in fact it can make it worse.

The best thing is cardiovascular work. The OP has ganglions in his hand though, so that's not really the issue. IMO the steering damper will give him the most comfortable ride, it will make a far bigger difference than the marginal gains made by carbon bars and grips.

Send Hopey an email, describing your situation - they will be able to recommend a damper based on your needs. Once you get round the lazier feeling of the bike with the damping ramped up and learn to trust the bike with a much much looser grip then I think you will be much more comfortable.

That's my opinion of course.