Carbon Handlebars Advice

mikeyj28
mikeyj28 Posts: 754
edited February 2010 in MTB buying advice
Hi All

My local LBS has offered me some Race Face low riser carbon handlebars for £60. He said that they were originally £90 but as they were put on a display bike they have been marked by lock on grips hence the price reduction!

Are carbon handlebars worth getting? Do they handle better? Do they make a huge difference in weight saving? They did seem very light. I am running some Prodigy Race Face low risers (not carbon).

Basically are they worth the £60 or can i get better ones cheaper? Sorry for the non-descriptive name bvut that was as much info as i got from looking at them in the shop.

Thanks in advance
Constantly trying to upgrade my parts.It is a long road ahead as things are so expensive for little gain. n+1 is always the principle in my mind.

Comments

  • bomberesque
    bomberesque Posts: 1,701
    Basically I'd look around. Carbon bars are nice, safe weight and can (depending on your bike) reduce trail buzz. That said, several of them are often reduced and 60 for a worn set sounds steep to me. Search the interwebs for deals, I got a set of RF Next XC carbon low risers for 40 quid from CRC a while back and I didn't have to accept marks on 2nd hand bars for that.
    Everything in moderation ... except beer
    Beer in moderation ... is a waste of beer

    If riding an XC race bike is like touching the trail,
    then riding a rigid singlespeed is like licking it
    ... or being punched by it, depending on the day
  • mikeyj28
    mikeyj28 Posts: 754
    Thanks Bomberesque

    Are there any that you would strongly recommend? I do a lot of XC riding and ideally would like them to be functional for the odd race too. My limit would be i guess around £50.

    Thanks for the help
    Constantly trying to upgrade my parts.It is a long road ahead as things are so expensive for little gain. n+1 is always the principle in my mind.
  • bomberesque
    bomberesque Posts: 1,701
    at 50 quid you need to be looking at one of the budget brands (Exotic et al) about which I don't know enough

    My current faves are Easton Monkeylite CNTs but they retail at 100 GBP and even on offer you'll struggle to do better than 75

    I'd stick with what you have for now tbh, carbon bars are nice but they're a finishing touch rather than a core component upgrade IMO. New wheels are usually a better upgrade option, depending on what you're starting with.
    Everything in moderation ... except beer
    Beer in moderation ... is a waste of beer

    If riding an XC race bike is like touching the trail,
    then riding a rigid singlespeed is like licking it
    ... or being punched by it, depending on the day
  • largephil
    largephil Posts: 358
    Have a look on the Merlin cycles web site, they have a good selection of bars with some good discounted prices. I got a FSA carbon DH bar there for just over £50 (usually a £100 bar) :wink:
  • nax-ian
    nax-ian Posts: 209
    Have a look at BBB Fiberlite bars I've been running one for a few years, no probs.
    Finished
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    The Truvativ Noirs are still on a decent discount at Bikeoutlet too, had mine for a year and they've done me proud.
    Uncompromising extremist
  • Airienteer
    Airienteer Posts: 695
    If you look around you can get the Easton CNT Bars Cheap. I got a new pair of Monkeylite XC Risers (normally a £100+ bar) for under £75 from an ebay shop.

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