The second installment of our look at cockpit controls brings us to handlebars. Some are wide and some are narrow, some are tall and some are some are short, but there are enough options out there that everyone should be able to find something that they like. Inside we'll take a look at seven bars that span the gamut of sizes: the Atlas FR and SIXC carbon riser bar from Race Face, both Answer's DH and AM ProTaper bars, a neat flat and wide option in Gravity's 777, a sleeper from Bontrager with their Rhythm Pro, and Specialized's 179 gram Enduro riser bar.
Read on...
You may have caught the
grip comparo a few weeks back that kicked off our three part series looking at cockpit components. While we certainly didn't have every grip option out there as there are just so many, the choices we showed you spanned the range of thick and thin, or Lock-on and traditional. Below you'll find much the same with the seven bars that we're going to show you. There are a couple lightweight options that will also help lighten your wallet, along with some wide bars that will help widen your stance. The shape of a handlebar can greatly effect a bike's personality. Too wide or two thin and there are bound to be some negative consequences. Likewise, picking a handlebar with the proper amount of rise and sweep that suits you and the riding you do is very important.
Have a look below and tell us what you think!1. Race Face Atlas FR Bar• A DH/FR bar made from aluminum
• .5" low rise
• 785 mm/30.9" width
• 4° up sweep
• 8° back sweep
• 31.8 mm clamp diameter
• 335 grams
• Color options include agent orange, nurple purple, rum red, tooth blue, tom green, gold member, badass black, pink starfish
• MSRP $90 CAD
The
Atlas FR bar is designed for the downhill racer or freerider who is looking for a wide and low bar. With an extra low rise of only .5", the Atlas FR will bring your front end down without resorting to a completely flat bar. The massive 30.9" width will keep those with wide shoulders happy and the color choices should match with something on your bike. A solid bar all around.
Raceface.com
2. Answer Protaper DH Bar• Made from 7050-T series aluminum
• 0.5" low rise shown (
1" rise also available)
• 780 mm/30.7" width
• 4° up sweep
• 8° back sweep
• 31.8 mm clamp diameter
• 335 grams
• Color options include white, red, gold, black
• MSRP $65 USD for the anodized, $76 USD for the painted version
Just like it's little brother, the ProTaper AM, the
DH version shown above is available in four color choices and comes with the same comfortable 4° up sweep and 8° back sweep combination. Where the DH model differs is in the rise department with a nearly flat .5" option on top of the standard 1" rise that is common. Answer also tacked on over 2" of width to stretch the DH out to a massive 30.7". Again, at only $100 CAD it is hard to fault the ProTaper DH. Pick your favorite color and watch out for those tight trees!
Answerproducts.com
3. Bontrager Rhythm Pro Lowriser Bar• Made from shot-peened 7050-T6 aluminum
• 1" low rise
• 750 mm/29.5" width
• 4° up sweep
• 9° back sweep
• 31.8 mm clamp diameter
• 330 grams
• MSRP $84.99
Bontrager surely won't be the first name that comes to mind when thinking about putting a new riser bar on your machine, but the
Rhythm Pro looks to be a solid bar at a great price. A standard 1" rise that will suit a lot of riders combined with a proven 4°/9° sweep will mean that most should be instantly comfortable. A full 29.5" width with the option of slimming down at a later date is also nice to see. It's easy to lose sight of the Rhythm Pro though as it certainly doesn't have the same sex appeal as some other options. It's like the smart girl in school who is just a bit plain, you know she'd make a great girlfriend if only you weren't so shallow.
Bontrager.com
4. Gravity 777 Bar• Made from 7075-T6 aluminum
• Flat bar with 5 mm offset
• 777 mm/30.5" width
• 4° up sweep
• 10° back sweep
• 31.8 mm clamp diameter
• 327 grams
• MSRP $100 CAD
If you are looking to really lose some height from the front end, and maybe gain some width, the
Gravity 777 bar is one of the few to choose from. It features slightly more back sweep at 10° which you'll want to note as some riders may feel that it feels exaggerated due to the 777's 30.5" total width. I personally felt quite comfortable holding onto the silver Gravity bar as the extra degree over other bars seemed to put my wrists at a more natural bend. At first glance the 777 may look perfectly flat, but the Gravity bar is actually playing a trick on your eyes as it has a 5 mm offset built into the clamping area. This bar won't be every rider's cup of tea, but it serves a purpose and for some riders it could be just the ticket.
Ridegravity.com
5. Race Face SIXC Carbon Riser Bar• An all-mountain bar made from carbon
• .75" low rise
• 725 mm/28.5" width
• 4° up sweep
• 9° back sweep
• 31.8 mm clamp diameter
• 225 grams
• Color options include matte carbon with white decals or matte carbon with orange decals
• MSRP $150 CAD
No two ways about it, the
SIXC (
the C is silent) is one heck of a bar. Race Face pulled out all the stops on their latest project and their entire lineup of all-mountain orientated goodies shows it. The SIXC is a carbon bar that is ideal for riders with deeper pockets who are looking to lose some weight from their 5-6" travel bikes while at the same time adding a bit of wow-factor. Total weight for the 28.5" wide bar is an impressive 225 grams. Also worth noting is the SIXC's reinforced areas for Lock-On grips or bar ends (
gasp!). Faults? Everything comes at a price, and the SIXC's is higher than some. Race Face makes no bones about it though, the SIXC is a premium bar that puts others to shame.
Raceface.com
6. Answer ProTaper AM Bar• Made from 7050-T series aluminum
• 2" high rise shown (
1" rise also available)
• 720 mm/28.3" width
• 4° up sweep
• 8° back sweep
• 31.8 mm clamp diameter
• 320 grams
• Color options include white, red, silver, black
• MSRP $60 USD for the anodized bar, $72 USD for the painted option
A lot of riders will remember the ProTaper name, and for good reason. There was a time when the ProTaper bar was the go-to choice for loads of serious riders. The ProTaper name is back and in a few flavorings, one being the
ProTaper AM version shown above. Total width is just over 28" which will keep everyone but the trendiest kids or those with mega wide shoulders happy, and there are four color options to pick from. Above is the 2" rise, but I can see a lot of riders preferring the lower 1" option. Drawbacks? Certainly not a weight to brag about, although there should be no doubt that the ProTaper is as solid as they come. At an MSRP of $90 CAD, the ProTaper AM should be a great bar for the money.
Answerproducts.com
7. Specialized S-Works Prowess Carbon Enduro Riser Bar• Made from Specialized FACT SL carbon fiber
• 1.5" mid rise
• 680 mm/26.7" width
• 6° up sweep
• 9° back sweep
• 31.8 mm clamp diameter
• 179 grams
• MSRP $129.99 CAD
While it may not have the flashiest graphics or be able to brag about belonging to the "I'm wider than you" club, there is certainly a place for the
Prowess Enduro bar in this world. What the Enduro does offer is an incredibly light weight bar in a package that is still designed to be ridden hard on today's 6" travel do-everything bikes. The 1.5" rise may put off some buyers as everyone seems to be clamoring to get their front ends lower and lower, but the deal breaker for some will be its slim 680 mm width. If you're okay with the old-school width and are looking to loose some grams from your steed, then the Prowess Carbon Enduro bar is worth having a look at.
Specialized.com
Like what you see? Do you have a favorite bar that isn't on this list? Then tell us about it below! Next up: Stems! 
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