Submitted by
BokorSolo
a Weekend Warrior
from Prince William, VA, USA
Date Reviewed: December 26, 2009
Strengths: Super light handlebar. wide enough for everything and narrow enough for tricky stuff. very ergonomic in terms of bend zones. Comes in a sweet gold color.
Weaknesses: None.
Bottom Line:
Awesome XC handlebar. Would recommend this to anybody looking to shave some weight off their bike and want a cool looking bar too. This is by far one of the most comfortable bars I have ever used on my bikes. Second only to the Titec. Would definitely buy it again if I had another hard tail that was in need of an upgrade.
Submitted by
schlim
a Cross Country Rider
from Hayden, ID
Date Reviewed: October 5, 2008
Strengths: Great rise and angle, strong, no flex, good width for control, nice shot-peen finish, comparatively lightweight.
Weaknesses: None found!
Bottom Line:
This is a great bar. The rise and angle are just right for wrist comfort and bike control. I wouldn't run anything else on a full suspension bike. Best handlebar ever.
Similar Products Used: Salsa Pro Moto flat, Easton superlight, Truvativ XR riser, Bontrager riser.
Bike Setup: Turner Six Pack. Titus Racer X.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
alex
a Cross Country Rider
from santa monica, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: February 16, 2008
Strengths: This is the best looking handlebar. Period. Finish is the best. No colors, no cheap decals (at least not on my black one), and no lame carbon fiber snapolio. Strong enough to bash through any window.
Weaknesses: Someone else already said it, if ride a lot, rain, dry, hot...the grips just love to pop off. I am going to try a little tape underliner for my new oury's. Other than that...bad ass.
Bottom Line:
Sorry Easton and Race Face and whoever else you are, this one kicks your butt. If you really care that much about a couple of grams, or want to just go to the store and stay on the sidewalk at 10mph...dont waste your money. If you want to take off on 10-15 stairs, or feel like you might get run over in Koreatown and do a knee/hand plant on some girls hood, smashing it nose down (hope you have a good stem too...), or just feel like curb hopping or jumping logs instead of climbing them; well I hate the sound of carbon fiber crunching shortly followed by bones (especially my nose...yeah...9X)...so here she is.
Bike Setup: TREK 990, black everything, orig. XT everything, salsa sk/answer rocker/thom stem/king head/real crings/spd 747/8 sp/specialized hemispheres/nasty fasty crashy no problems
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
chris
a Weekend Warrior
from concord, ma, usa
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2007
Strengths: looks, stength, stability due to wideness
Weaknesses: some cool logos get covered up by grips
Bottom Line:
best 47 dollars i've ever spent on my bike. it may seem like 47 dollars is a lot for a new handle bar, but the wideness of the 27 inch one gives you so much more stability and balance, and you can pop your front wheel up a lot higher, probably because you get better leverage or something. it was a snap to install and seems like it will last forever!! If you're at all interested in becoming more stable on your bike, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR BY GETTING THESE HANDLE BARS. i strongly suggest getting these handle bars in the 27-inch size because they are so stable. even if your current handle bars are in fine shape, these ones really improve your skills.... also, get them at jansonusa.com bacause they are cheap there..................
Similar Products Used: stock handlebar, crowbar on old bike
Bike Setup: 2006 k2 attack 2.0, protaper, avid levers, sun rims and deore hub in back, SX-5 shifters, X-7 rear der.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Gungadin
a Weekend Warrior
from Nevada
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2006
Strengths: Rigid, Looks Very Cool, Huge leverage advantage with 27" bars.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
These bars are great because they are really stiff, but very lite. I ride at dessert trails, so tress are not an issue. Thus, I opted for the 27" bars. The extra leverage is amazing and far more comfortable than the 25" that I was using. Great bars for the money.
Strengths: These handlebars are really comfortable, they are strong and the 2" bars have a nice bend to them. They look great, and they were only $35 when purchased from JensonUSA.
Weaknesses: The 2" risers came at a 27" width, which was a little to wide for my tastes. But I cut an inch of both sides and fixed that problem in 5 minutes.
Bottom Line:
If you want a nice set of handlebars at a great price, these seem like the best choice to me. They are light, strong and come in gold, black and titanium color. They also come in multiple clampsizes and rise heights.
Strengths: Extremely light and very stiff as well. Rise and sweep are perfect.
Weaknesses: At the price I paid, I do not think there are any weaknesses. Overall, at full price, the bars are worth every penny
Bottom Line:
This is a great bar. Super strong. I dont exactly know how these other people are bending them like crazy. Maybe its the the torque you put on the bolts of your stems. Follow the setup and you should be good. Dont reef as hard as you can. Pro Tapers are sweet.
Very light bar, excelent bend. Cut 1/2 inch off ends to get between trees a bit better. Same bar on 2nd bike in almost 2 years without a problem, just like Grom at Sunshine said it would be.
Bike Setup: Versus Blitz versuscycles.com Manitou, RaceFace, Fox DH5.0, WTB
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Submitted by
Kris
a Weekend Warrior
from Wyoming, USA
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2005
Strengths: Best fit in the business. This bend is the the most comfortable out there. I have the Pro Taper XC with 1" of rise and have no problems at all.
Weaknesses: All the bone heads that buy it, wreck on it, and blame the handlebar for their ineptitude.
Bottom Line:
The Pro Taper XC bar is the most comfortable XC bar I have ever used. I just recently made the switch from flat bars and bar-ends and wonder why I never changed. The bend on this bar provides a very natural and comfortable riding position. I am a big guy that rides hard and wrecks hard. I have yet to damage these bars. They are a 7000 series aluminum bar, there is nothing tougher unless you get Cr-Mo.
Submitted by
Fernando Marcos
a Weekend Warrior
from Algarve, Portugal
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2005
Strengths: Good looks, weight, geometry
Weaknesses: That's the point, too weak for a dh riser bar
Bottom Line:
I bought the oversized version to match with my diabolus stem, hoping it would outlast my frame. Just after 5 rides, in a crash in the dirts, it bent like butter, despite all my other components are intact. Moved into a Diabolus, hoping it will last longer than the protaper. If you're looking for a lightweight part, it's ok, but if you want a bar that keeps crashing and still straight, look elsewhere.
Weaknesses: -scratch easily -bend easily, snap when forced back -look cheap and nasty
Bottom Line:
if you are looking for a bar for your little girls bicycle so as she can drop off curbs with minimal bendin then definatly go for something stronger. i was just testing the product because the sponsors wanted to promote the item but, the first drop i took was a little 4 foot an they right angled.when i bent them back they simple snapped. i told my sponsors i would not put my name to such a product!!
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Sunnyvale, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2003
Strengths: Seems to be strong and well manufactured
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
I have converted from flat to 1” riser a few months ago, and I find the new position to be superior. Don’t expect too much, it’s only one inch difference, but it does put you in a better position for technical trails. I have a 2000 Sugar 2 with a very long top tube (if I’m not mistaken it’s 24.5”), so the riser ease somewhat on my back, but my position is still fairly low, and I never experienced problem with lifting the front tire.
The Answer seems to be well manufactured and of high quality. Initially I thought I would buy a carbon bar, but I don’t trust this material in a critical component such as the handlebar. You need to be very careful with carbon whenever you mount something on it (shifters, levers, etc.) and you never know when the material gives up - it just snaps on you. The Aluminum might be slightly heavier, but you’ll never have a second thought on the trail. Save the weight somewhere else (especially in rotating parts).
If you are looking to refresh your bike with a new component that will also affect your riding, riser bar is a good candidate, and not that expensive too.
Submitted by
Seth
a Cross Country Rider
from Washington DC
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2003
Strengths: Got it for an amazing price on sale although I was planning on buying them anyway. Fairly lightweight and very strong (I weigh almost 200 lbs and they can support me pretty well). They have a decent rise, which I particularly like since I am on a 21" frame. They are in a comfortable position and have not bent like my last handlebar. The damping is good, but not enough to make me feel uneasy
Weaknesses: Havent found any yet.
Bottom Line:
A great set of handlebars for anybody who wants light weight, high strength, and durability. Today, some old guy opened his car door right infront of me and I hit it at around 20 mph. The handlebars didnt budge, though I cant say the same for the rest of my bike.
I am in the market for some new bars and I think I have it down to these two. Just looking for some feedback from riders who have used these or should I be considering something e Read More »
I'm replacing a Monkeylite xc carbon bar (it's only 26 inches wide). I'm pretty sure it's a high rise which I think is 40mm. The Pro Taper 720 comes in 1'' and 2'' rise. Pretty Read More »
I have an enduro with the factory bars that are aluminum 720mm 1" rise. I want to know why I should buy some new carbon bars. They don't have to be the Pro Taper but I don't want Read More »
