Similar Products Used: Pazzas carbon, Monkey Lite, Ritchey WCS,
Bike Setup: In 2001 and for the First Time in a GT iDrive Team,then in a Scott G Zero Pro, now I have a Scott Racing Team issue and is the same bar.
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Submitted by
James
a Cross Country Rider
from Chico, Ca
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2005
Strengths: Looks cool, dampens well.
Weaknesses: THEY BREAK AT INOPPURTUNE MOMENTS!!!
Bottom Line:
If you are looking for a safe reliable bar, LOOK ELSEWHERE. Easton claims that under the right settings on the stem, the bars will not break. I might have believed that until the left handlebar broke off on a really mild decent in a race after four months of use (gratefully no injuries).
Carbon may look cool, but IT BREAKS. If you want safety and reliablity go aluminum, that's where I am headed next.
Strengths: Looks sweet, cool graphics, incredibly strong.. flex..? what flex i had more flex in my Easton Aluminum bar
Weaknesses: none so far, cuz I don't wine about me being stupid and playing he-man when i attach my brake levers.. and bar ends.. use some that go INSIDE the bar instead of clamp on the outside, maybe that'll keep you winers happy.
Bottom Line:
Ok Guys, I dunno what your doing wrong.. or what I'm doing right or something liek that, but I have NO problems with my bar.. I free ride, I race, I trial... and I LOVE these bars, and I weigh 165 lbs. Flex is not an issue.. atleast I'm not anal enough to notice 1/2 a millimeter of flex. These bars look cool, with their striking carbon weave and easton graphics, this bar is great for all.. if you have the dough. and remember.. DON'T tighten your brakes and shifters too tight Or bar ends... cuz I'm tired of reading your sorry wining stories of why YOU messed up your own damn bar.
Similar Products Used: basinc bars and Easton Aluminum bar
Bike Setup: custom Gary Fisher Sugar 1
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Submitted by
Grant
a Cross Country Rider
from OC, CA
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2001
Strengths: Strong, light and stiff. Customer service is OUTSTANDING.
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
I emailed Easton and asked if I, as a larger rider of 220 lbs, should own this bar. The response with back up data was swift. I went out and purchased the bar but was told not to put bar ends on it. Again, I emailed the brand manager at Easton and his reply was swift and even told me to call him if I had any further questions. Damn GREAT service. (BTW, YES you can put bar ends on but the must be of a certain type. See website for details.)
I have used the product and love the bar. Quick, responsive handling and no hint of it being flimsy. The best bar you can buy!
Submitted by
Alfonso
a Cross Country Rider
from Oakland, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2000
Strengths: Light as air; rigid, yet absorbs hard bumps well; choices of sweep
Weaknesses: expensive (but I paid the full price, now didn't I?)
Bottom Line:
Outrageously wonderful bar and perhaps the last I'll ever own. After messing around with various riser bars (all recommended by dealers and riding buddies) for about a year, I finally figured out that a flat bar offered me a much better fit and ride...
Enter the CT2 bar because it offered the squat lenth that I wanted. This is the first flat bar I've owned. This is also the first carbon bar I've owned. Perhaps a testament to Easton quality, but I believe the carbon fiber material in general is head and shoulders above other materials for bar rigidity, bump absorption and finesse. Flat versus riser is a dumb argument that I leave to your own prudent judgement and riding stance.
All said, I gotta admit, though: it seems quite ridiculous to have to pay $70 on a handlebar. I'm the fool that paid the price but never looked back.
Similar Products Used: various Al bars from Specialized, Bontrager, Syncros
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Superlight, full custom build
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Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from mcDonough,Ga
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2000
Strengths: Great bars!!!Though I don't use bar ends,these bars climb well and offer just enough flex to help dampen the bumps on fast downhill sections.I weigh 180 and can't see any signs of failure with these bars.I like them much better than aluminum.
Weaknesses: None yet.
Bottom Line:
Good set of bars for the money.They have a good warranty if you save your receipt.Like everything else though personal preferances may vary.I like the little bit of flex that the bars offer while still maintaining a great degree of rigidness when you need it.I have had no problems with cracking or scratching of the surface while installing brake levers or shifters.These bars so far are tough as nails!!!
Submitted by
MikeD ???
a Cross Country Rider
from Victoria
Date Reviewed: March 12, 2000
Strengths: super light cool looking Warranty
Weaknesses: price
Bottom Line:
this thing is strong, I tried braking it for a while then I gave up because this super light piece of carbon fibre wouldn't snap. But it had to break sometime. I was clipping along realy in some super rough simgletrack with a pair of tioga 1.85 slicks on my bike then I lost control and wracked out hardcore, big over the endo, smashing my upper leg and arm on a tree and my handlebar and shifter were both ruined the bar had cracked and freighed where as the shifter just looked screwed ( 99 XT rapid fire ) shimano didn't replace my shifter and easton did replace my handleebar no questions asked. It's a good product to have, I couldn't break it trying wheelie drops and bombing some sick descents at a high speed but it took a super hard smack with a tree to finally break it.
Similar Products Used: race-face low rise riser control tech flat bar profile stiffy
Bike Setup: M2-Pro with race-face stuff
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Submitted by
Andrew Howard
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Gatos, CA USA
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2000
Strengths: Light weight good warranty good looks
Bottom Line:
I've been using the Easton Carbon bar for nearly 2 years, and I ride trails 5 to 6 days a week. I have never had any crushing problems at the stem or bar ends (Titec). I have broken the bar twice, in both cases I also broke my helmet and my collar bone. Both times it broke at a bar end, and was still ridable. Both times, Easton was very responsive and replaced the bar promptly. I think that when you are using a product who's main advantage is weight, then you should expect it to be more prone to damage in a crash situation. The CT2 is an excellent product.
Submitted by
pooter
a Cross Country Rider
from san antonio
Date Reviewed: January 18, 2000
Strengths: light weight coolness factor of carbon parts
Weaknesses: it will break if you use bar ends
Bottom Line:
if you look at how long the people below have used their bars, none of them have used them for any real amount of time. i've had mine for almost a year and they broke at the bar-end junction (i use icon bar ends, which easton says is ok). they were subjected to the same kind of (ab)use as my other bars. yes, i've had a couple of crashes, but not any worse than the ones i've had with my other bars (the answers lasted over two years!) bottom line, if you use bar ends and don't ride like a wuss, they will eventually break on you. HOWEVER, eastons FREE crash-replacement warranty rocks! I got my replacement bar two weeks after i sent it out (be sure to have a temporary bar if you want to ride while awaiting the replacement). one chili for the bar itself, five chilis for the warranty = 3 Overall.
Submitted by
Lee J
a Cross-Country Rider
from Mass
Date Reviewed: May 18, 1999
Strengths: Strong, light, good looking, awesome warrantee
Weaknesses: Easily scratched
Bottom Line:
This is a great bar- dare I say the best one out there? I ride XC, which is what this was made for, and have had no problems. I've crashed a few more times than I'd like to admit, and it's never cracked or failed on me. The fact a) you don't need inserts for bar ends, b) Easton uses this bar to beat up their aluminum bars, and c) they offer a lifetime, no questions asked replacement program, that really shows how confident Easton is about this product. People whining that they over-tightened the bar and it broke, or used it downhilling and it broke are not that bright- would you use a Ferrari to race across Baja (the desert)??? I don't think so- use the product for what it's intended to be used for and you won't have any problems. I'd easily buy bar this over and over and over again. I'd give it 4.5 stars, 'cause there's always someone who's going to improve something like this... but for now, I think this is #1!!! (5 stars to round it up)
Similar Products Used: Answer Hyperlite, Zoom 170g, a few others.
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Heckler X.
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Submitted by
lychee
a weekend warrior
from singapore
Date Reviewed: March 13, 1999
Bottom Line:
i have to say those guys below me are scaring me tremendously with their reviews. i juz bought one and it aint cheap so i hope it will last. durability aside, the bar so so damn cool with the graphics i could drool. the weaving is gorgeous and it goes so well with my real brake levers and plasma gripshifts. lets hope i have more luck with the replacement program!
Submitted by
Trigger
a cross-country rider
from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: February 17, 1999
Bottom Line:
The epoxy resin coating around the carbon weave is prone to cracking if one tightens barends, brake handles, or shifters around it with too high a clamp force. My bar easily formed longitudinal cracks when I had to readjust my brake lever positions, and I didn't even apply excessive force to the bolt on the clamp at all. This bar lasted me a few months. It stood up to trail riding, but it proves to be brittle and fragile when a clamping force is exerted on it. I'm using Shimano XT brake levers, and the clamp down is round, so I didn't expect this bar to crack. Also, the epoxy resin gouges and scratches easily. I'm going to avoid this bar in the future.
