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Submitted by
skotniczny
a Cross Country Rider
from Clarksville TN
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Canal Loop KY | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Jensonusa | | Strengths: | I found that it was lighter then some carbon bars that i was browsing.
Looks good, specially with the matching ea70 stem.
Feels solid to me, but I only weigh 150lb. | | Weaknesses: | None yet. | | Similar Products Used: | specialized rise bar | | Bike Setup: | Hardrock pro | | Bottom Line: | I got the 31.8mm bar so that i could change my old stem and bar around as i pleased.
i was a little worried about all the flex people have been mentioning, but decided to stick with it due to my light weight 150lb.
on my first ride i gave it a beating, i locked my fork out and did a few sprints putting all my weight on the bar i could not feel any flex.
this has been an awesome bar for me and i would recommend it to any one looking for a light xc style handle bar. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
marc
a
from Maastricht
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | As light as many carbon bars, one of the lightest alu bars. Very strong. And in case of a crash: carbon cracks, breaks; alu just bends and absorbs. So: I trust alu more, and it costs half of the price. | | Weaknesses: | None (but I don't like the orange-yellowish prints much; black is more beautiful, just a matter of taste). | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized flat bar, Easton EC 70. | | Bike Setup: | Spec.Epic, Thompson, DT swiss, Chris King, Nobby Nick, Magura Martha etc. | | Bottom Line: | Strong and light, doesn't crack in case of a crash. Not the most beautiful one? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay
a Racer
from London, UK
Date Reviewed: September 14, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Strengths: | Cheap, light, strong | | Weaknesses: | None IME | | Similar Products Used: | Easton EA50 XC | | Bike Setup: | Spesh Stumpjumper FSR Pro frameset build 24lbs | | Bottom Line: | Excellent. I'm somewhat surprised by comments here on flex. I'm built like a track sprinter and often climb out of the saddle on my Titec micro bar ends, but I do ride smooth so maybe I don't wrestle the bars as much as some. No problems with the bar ends either. It's often suggested you should change your bars every two years in any case, and perhaps more often if you've had some bad crashes even if you can't see damage, so personally I don't think carbon is worth it. Better to buy something that does the job and that you don't think twice about replacing if necessary rather than hanging onto possibly damaged carbon bars because of the price you paid and then worrying about whether they'll fail. BTW I had the EA50's before, and they crimped badly from the bar ends after some heavy crashes, but that's to be expected, and I even used the bars without bar ends for a year after that and they were fine. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Big Boy Truck
a Cross Country Rider
from Seoul, Korea (FL)
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Songnam | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$19.00 | | Purchased At: | CBO | | Strengths: | Excellent handling, makes it easier to manuver in traffic. Provided better steering and control. Looks great (I have the matching gray stem). | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Kona, Specialized | | Bike Setup: | Kona Kikapu Deluxe | | Bottom Line: | This is a great handlebar. I was going to go with the all carbon on my bike to lighten it, but after reading an article on "Strength vs. Light" and decided to go w/strength since I'm a big guy (220), didn't want to yank on my handlebars and break them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nig
a Cross Country Rider
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Strengths: | Looks great, feels great. | | Bottom Line: | Godd bar at a good price, Had several spills and still not managed to bend this bar. Would highly reccomend. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lapeira Luis
a Cross Country Rider
from San José, San José, Costa Rica
Date Reviewed: November 1, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | X.Country | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Nahsbar | | Strengths: | Only the weight | | Weaknesses: | It is too flexy | | Similar Products Used: | Azonic, Ritchet, Coda, Answer etc.. | | Bike Setup: | Devinci Phantom | | Bottom Line: | This is the worst handelbar that I have ever bought.
It is too flexy (very light) and you feel that you are not drive the bycicle with confidence.
In the hills when you put your weight in the handelbar you feel the flex of it. In my case the rapid fire base sound because the flex.
This the second change that I bought an Easton product because I thougth that Easton is first quality component. I was wrong.
Now I bought a AZONIC (DOBLE WALL)and you feel inmediately the BIG BIG diference with the Easton product. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
adam
a Cross Country Rider
from kokomo, IN
Date Reviewed: September 3, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | pricepoint.com | | Strengths: | what can i say? carbon fiber! super lightweight and extremely low flex. | | Weaknesses: | no bar ends allowed!! what a crock. | | Bike Setup: | EPX Terrashark frame, mostly XT drivetrain, easton bar and stem and marzoochi MX Pro fork | | Bottom Line: | great bar. but no bar ends? just a couple of fitted aluminum rings crammed into the ends to reinforce the ends of the bar for bar end clamps. for $70 i expect better planning in the engineering department. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan R
a Cross Country Rider
from Long Island N.Y.
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Dirt Ones! | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Pricepoint.com | | Strengths: | Lightweight, Good for XC racing, decent alternative to Carbon if you want to go cheap. | | Weaknesses: | Bent this bar in under a year worth of daily trail riding only. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized, Kore, Easton | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Stumpjumper FSR XC | | Bottom Line: | I gave these bars a great review below about 3 months ago and this is a follow up to that review. Today after some pretty tame trail riding I was sitting on my deck and I noticed something, THE BARS WERE BENT! Man this sucks I used to like these bars and now they are bent and with a great weekend of riding coming up this really sucks! Some how both my grips were bent downward not too bad but not enough to ride this bar with out concern so I removed them today and will get new bars tomorrow. I like easton and I like the fact they didn't break and have a piece of jagged aluminum in my arm. But please I don't freeride or downhill I leave the insanity to winter time. I only use my bike as a trail bike and thats it I felt I could get at least two years out of these. I'm going carbon next so I can't bend them. If your looking for a cheap set of bars and are going to be light on them these might work but check for bending peroidicly. Anyone who wants to do the fun trails try something a little stronger. PEACE. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan R
a Cross Country Rider
from Long Island NY
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | pandora | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$21.00 | | Purchased At: | Pricepoint.com | | Strengths: | Light very Light, and surprising strong, Excellent control for such a small bar! Very comfortable for a stright XC Bar. | | Weaknesses: | Scratches very easy be carful when you install it. Manufacture warns about scratching (Read Instructions) DO NOT USE BAR ENS ON THIS BAR! They will make it flex like a wet noodle and even possibly break it! | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized, Kore, Aviner, and stock bars. | | Bike Setup: | 02 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR | | Bottom Line: | This is a great addition to my EA50 Stem! I love the 8 degree sweep back and the length not to wide for single track. They are light so light I was concerned a guy like me who wind up breaking everything would be junking these in a week, but at the price they were being sold at on pricepoint I thought I would take a chance. These are great Strong and Light great combo for XC. Don't Use barend though they will flex the bar way too much tested this theory by using roadie grip tape and took a spin. It is f$&kin scary how much they flex! Easton warns of this if you like to read instructions thats why I tested it first before installing my grips. Love em anyway though and I don't miss my barends at all. And man did this combo shave some weight off my bike some times I think it's too light.....Nah! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Patrick M
a Cross Country Rider
from Australia
Date Reviewed: February 5, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | A Malaysian Bike shop | | Strengths: | Light weight, Stiff, Looks | | Weaknesses: | The printing scratches easily | | Similar Products Used: | Brandless alloy low-riser bar | | Bike Setup: | Raleigh M600, Deore groupset, LX Crank, Easton EA70 stem, XTR seatpost etc | | Bottom Line: | When I first picked up this bar at the shop, it felt as light as picking up an empty Coca-Cola can. So light!! Had a bit of doubt on its durability initially, due to the feel and weight, but took the chance based on the shop's recommendation. I've installed it and I have no regrets. The bar is very stiff and strong regardless of the weight. I've done a bit of hard riding and it is still as good as new. I noticed some reviews indicating the bars felt like "noodle". Could it be because of its light weight that gave the "imaginative" noodle feel? I think these bars are very durable for cross country purposes. If used as something it is not built for, obviously there will be negative results.One thing to note is the warning on bar ends. This bar is not meant to be fit with bar ends.
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Submitted by
Ant
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles, CA
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | wherever | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | supergo | | Strengths: | light | | Weaknesses: | doesn't work with bar ends | | Similar Products Used: | coda riser bar | | Bottom Line: | Before somebody out there stabs themself through the heart with the end of their broken handlebar, check out the installation instructions from Easton's web site.
Here's the big quote to save you some time:
WARNING! DO NOT ATTACH AFTERMARKET AERO BARS OR OTHER CLIP-ON STYLE BARS TO THE EA70 OR EC90 ROAD BAR. THE EA70 AND EC90 HANDLEBARS ARE NOT DESIGNED TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH THESE STYLES OF AERO BARS.
I think you want the EA50 if you want to run bar ends. It's a little heavier, but doesn't have that warning.
Besides that, the EA70 seems like a really nice bar. It's less than half the wieght of the bar I'm replacing, but with a little more flex to it. I'll have to see how it does on the trail since I just finished putting it on.
(yeah, I'm one of those wierd guys who likes to check the instructions....)
I'll give it flamin' pieces of shrapnel to counter balance the low scores given by the Darwinism test subjects who've lived long enough to come back and post.
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Submitted by
Rick B
a Cross Country Rider
from Central Jersey armpit
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | It's a secret! | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Very light, looks good | | Weaknesses: | Flexy | | Similar Products Used: | Bontrager and Answer aluminum, WTB and Dean titanium | | Bike Setup: | Yeti ARC, XT, King headset and hubs... light but not stupid. | | Bottom Line: | These bars feel nice and damp vibration well on trails, but start cranking on the pedals and you feel like you're holding a wet noodle. I took my chances with an Easton carbon bar and it feels much better overall. I weigh 165 lbs., so it's not like I'm a clydesdale and romp on parts. Just a little stiffer and I'd love them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob
a Racer
from Hollister, CA
Date Reviewed: September 2, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$39.00 | | Strengths: | Light weight | | Weaknesses: | Flexes a lot | | Similar Products Used: | Control Tech, Specialized | | Bike Setup: | typical sport class hardtail | | Bottom Line: | The bar flexed alot when climbing, spooky flex while on bar ends. One endo and the bar end tore off the end of the bar. Looks racy but don't trust it in a critical situation. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon
a Weekend Warrior
from Connecticut
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Case Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$29.00 | | Purchased At: | Pricepoint.com | | Strengths: | strong, light | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Bontrager Race | | Bike Setup: | Schwinn Mesa GSX, all xt | | Bottom Line: | What more could you ask of a handlebar. Its strong and light and I got a wicked nice deal on it. Love it! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
stamd
a Racer
from Golden, Colorado
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Strengths: | weight, strength, finish | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Answer Hyperlight | | Bike Setup: | Ibis Silk ti, Manitou Black Elite Air, Crossmax, SRAM XO, XTR crank, Avid Ultimates, Conti tires, Moots seatpost | | Bottom Line: | Just like the tried and trued Hyperlights. Good pricing. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
C
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Light, pretty, strong. | | Weaknesses: | none that I have found | | Similar Products Used: | bontrager.... | | Bike Setup: | cross country racing | | Bottom Line: | nice bar, light, and an excellent value. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jonathan
a Weekend Warrior
from bristol
Date Reviewed: March 12, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | bike | | Strengths: | I picked this and the carbon easton handlebars up in the shop and I couldn't tell the difference in weight at all. Given the problems of catastrophic failure and adding components to the carbon bar I would say these are much better - carbon is just a fad. | | Weaknesses: | They seem a little narrow with bar ends on | | Similar Products Used: | Kore | | Bike Setup: | Giant XTC | | Bottom Line: | Better value than carbon bars | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Josef
a Cross Country Rider
from Milpitas
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Grant Ranch | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Sun Bicycles | | Strengths: | Lightweight,cool flat black look.Perfect 5 degree bend and fit.Dampens trail vibrations on either rigid cromo forks and suspension.'E'and'EA70'logos stand out just right. | | Weaknesses: | NONE!!! WooHoo!!! | | Similar Products Used: | Answer Taperlite and Hyperlight,two classics! | | Bike Setup: | '99 Schwinn Moab M3.'00 Santa Cruz Chameleon.'93 Gary Fisher.'93 Specialized Stumpjumper Team. | | Bottom Line: | I finally found a XC bar that rivals the Taperlights.Standard equipment on all my bikes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dustin
a
from charlottesville, va, us
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | performance | | Strengths: | light (without spending money on a CT2 carbon bar), stiff as opposed to titanium, nifty graphics on the front, durable | | Weaknesses: | none yet | | Similar Products Used: | bontrager racelite(also a good one), titec hellbent | | Bike Setup: | '01 trek 800, xt drivetrain and shifters, time aliums | | Bottom Line: | this is top grade aluminum. you get great value for your money as this is as light as you can get without a carbon bar or really expensive ti. this is a great flat bar, very racey. good buy. 5 steaming turds to the easton bar. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rich
a Cross Country Rider
from Okinawa, Japan
Date Reviewed: October 16, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Spider Loop | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | Pricepoint | | Strengths: | Light, good looking | | Weaknesses: | End crumpled by bar ends + light crash | | Similar Products Used: | Stock Bontrager bar | | Bike Setup: | Trek Fuel 98, Flite Ti, Thompson seatpost, EA70 bars, Titec bar ends, Michelin Wildgripper UST. | | Bottom Line: | It might or might not have been because of the angle of the fall, but when I get tired of the slightly tweaked angle of one of my bar ends, I'll be shopping for something other than Easton/Answer.
If you don't use bar ends, go for it, the price is great. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Coeur d'Alene, ID
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Cave Trail | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | Pricepoint.com | | Strengths: | Light, Stiff, Quality tubing. | | Weaknesses: | Stiff, could be a little more inexpensive; its only AL tubing after all. | | Similar Products Used: | 24in. OEM downhill bar | | Bottom Line: | At first I had mixed feelings about this bar. Light is right and losing nearly 100g over the stock bar was great. I noticed the stiffness immediately though. Some find it a virtue but in rough downhill sections the stiffness combined with the flat angle put a real stain on the wrists and hands. Nonetheless, after a dozen or so rides, I like the ergonomics better and better. I needed to change my riding position (lower, racier) on the downhill sections for the right feel. Also, my body seems to be adapting to the increased strain and my arms no longer feel dead at the end of the downhill sections. BTW, the bar felt just right from the beginning on the climbs. Bars are largely a matter of taste I think, so if you are adaptable and need a lower upper body postion to facilitate climbs, go for this over a downhill bar. Can't really find much to fault with the bar other than my own ergonomic tastes (again, it is growing on me). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary, AB, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything Unpaved | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | My work | | Strengths: | Extremely light, very rigid, durable finish, even after running into a medium guage tree supporting wire at 25MPH. Bike stopped deat, i landed some 40 feet from my bike, bar was fine even though the wire had caught on it. | | Weaknesses: | It doesn't snarl "I can compete with the big boys out there" quite loud enough. (more advertising) | | Similar Products Used: | Axiom Anti/Gravity Riser bar. Zoom (they blow bad!) | | Bike Setup: | Zellers RoadRunner, Steel Frame, Cantilever brakes. hehehehe, actually I have a tricked out Norco Nitro with nothing stock but the frame (Easton Elite) and rear derailleur (XT). | | Bottom Line: | If you can get it for cheap, buy the damn bar, if not, but it anyway. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hans Persson
a Weekend Warrior
from Sweden
Date Reviewed: March 21, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | |
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$ 45.00
