The lightest titanium handlebar, period. At an incredible 118 grams, this butted aerospace-grade 3/2.5 Titanium bar escapes the traditional limits of how light a handlebar can be, without compromising strength!
Submitted by
Aaron
a Cross Country Rider
from Columbia, MO USA
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2007
Strengths: Very light (mine weighed an accurate 118 grams w/o B.E.R.T.s, 147 grams with them)
Strong.
Beautiful Ti finish.
Weaknesses: None. It's pricey, but worth every penny.
Bottom Line:
I wouldn't blink at paying twice the price for one of these bars. I'll probably hand it down to my great grandson one day. Dropped straight from heaven and onto my bike.
Similar Products Used: Easton EC70 (two, in fact; kept breaking, so I bought the Titec).
Bike Setup: Fisher SuperCaliber.
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Submitted by
ed ed
a Cross Country Rider
from los angeles
Date Reviewed: January 18, 2007
Strengths: light and tough, narrow enough for tight trails through trees. outstanding workmanship and an amazing piece of engineering. still one of the lightest bars this side of carbon fiber.
Weaknesses: vibrates easily. ends are sensitive to damage especially if you have barends and crash now and then. a little bit flexy for people who ride with muscle.
Bottom Line:
great xc bar for light to middle weight riders. not for the red bull crew. an engineering marvel at 118g. i moved on to a dh riser bar because i needed more bar height on the f700 and more width for better breathing on climbs. also mine was one of the first to come out of the titec factory and titanium does have a fatigue life. probably the best bar ever made for it's intended purpose.
Bike Setup: (past)fuji somethingorother, (present)cannondale f700
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Submitted by
Craig
a Cross Country Rider
from Llanelli, UK
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2003
Strengths: Light weight, durable, value for money (they outlast any other light weight handlebars).
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
The bars have had over eight years use (average use of 5,000 miles a year) without any problems. They have survived several crashes that would have destroyed lightweight carbon bars. The only slight damage was slight bending of the very end part of the bars which is easily sorted. I would advise only tightening the bolts on any controls just tight enough for them to hold with anti-seize under the clamps. Also, never use a screw driver to remove old grips. The only way these bars will eventually fail is if you put scratches into them.
Submitted by
Mark A. Lohnes
a Cross Country Rider
from Skagway, AK
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2003
Strengths: Light and supple - takes the sting out on high freguency vibes!
Weaknesses: none so far
Bottom Line:
I love this bar. It has been a tremendous upgrade to the light Bontragers I used to use. This bar in narrow, which I prefer, tough as heck, and is so comfy. Because it is a narrow bar the stiffness factor is not an issue with me. I have wrecked pretty badly on 2 occations and the bar didn't even scratch!!!
I have Titec Carbon barends with out BERTS and I have not had a problem yet. I did finally get a pair and feel more comfortable with the added security, though. No problems PERIOD.
Bike Setup: Fuel 90 - full xtr, stoke fork and shock.
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Submitted by
Rob
a Cross Country Rider
from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2003
Strengths: Light & Strong (Despite looking wimpy but I guess that is ti)
Weaknesses: It was uncomfortably short at first but even as a tall guy (6'3") I got used to this after my first few rides and they feel great now!
Bottom Line:
I am reading through all the reviews for this product and see that the same is true for a number of other things reviewed on this site. There are a number of people out there who for some reason seem to damage things out of incompetence!!!
BOTTOM LINE is that I am a guy who weighs 270 and rides a number of times each week, and these things have stood up to all my stress, have no issues with bending or crimping (and I use bar ends), and have had no bar integrity issues during some intense crashes!!!
You usually get what you pay for and this is the bar that all the guys at my local shop ride too! Great bar for anyone!!!
Bike Setup: XTR, Chris King, Thompson (all top notch stuff) on a fisher Mt Tam 29er
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Submitted by
Kyle
a Cross Country Rider
from College Station
Date Reviewed: April 17, 2003
Strengths: Light and Flexy, but not too much so
Weaknesses: A little too narrow
Bottom Line:
My girlfriend wanted to go to a riser bar on her bike. I "volunteered" to switch bars with her. I'm pleased to say that we are both happy with the outcome. She bought her bike used and didn't even know the bar was Ti. I love the flex, but its slightly too narrow. I won't dock it any chilis though.
Similar Products Used: Bonty Race Light. Race Face Air Alloy
Bike Setup: Sure is.
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Submitted by
Paul St.Laurent
a Cross Country Rider
from Winnipeg,Manitoba
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2001
Strengths: LIGHT!!! STRONG!!! cool looking.
Weaknesses: Ends of bar can crimp in crash.
Bottom Line:
Excellent bar if you can justify spendind the money. I weigh 180 lbs and the bar does flex a little which makes for a nice ride. The bar is super light and strong.I don't use bar ends so crimping at the thin ends was not a problem for me until a car hit me from behind. I got a broken tail bone and a bent bar at the end. The bar needs to be replaced. I will be getting another titec for sure!
Submitted by
Charlie
a Cross Country Rider
from FL
Date Reviewed: April 20, 2001
Strengths: Durability
Weaknesses: Doesn't flex (I originally bought it because I was using a rigid Kinesis fork & thought it might flex enuf to take the bite out of smaller impacts.)
Bottom Line:
This is a followup of my '97 review. This bar has literally taken a beating & kept on ... Crashed into an Australian pine hard enuf to draw blood about three weeks ago but the bar was none the worse from the right-side impact. Quite amazing considering I hit the tree hard enuf to numb my left arm/shoulder. Definitely rates the highest marks for both value & overall.
Similar Products Used: Various aluminum bars but no ti.
Bike Setup: Habanero ti with Manitou SX-R w/lockout, Velocity Deep-V rims, XT hubs, Alivio crankset, SRAM cogset, SunTour thumbshifters, STX-RC rr der, XTR fr der, SH-545 pedals, CODA brake levers, OnZa Raw barends, Selle San Marco Regal suspension seat & homemade ti seatpost.
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Submitted by
kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from chicago
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2001
Strengths: So light it's scary, very durable titanium.
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
When I first purchased it, I was afraid to use it becuase it was so light..like air. When you hammer fast down some single track om rough terrain it takes some bite out along with zero flex. It's survived a few crashes. If you are looking for a replacement, this is it.
Strengths: Very light, look kool, flex just the right amount(for me any way), reduced vibration, not expensive compared to other heavier titanium bars
Weaknesses: haven't used them long but no weakness yet
Bottom Line:
Bottom line is i haven't used this bar long enough to give true evaluation. how ever, i have been so impressed with it up to this point i thought i would go ahead and let people know. The terrain here is brutal and my aluminum hard tail will beat you to death. i put the MG60 stem on just to reduce vibration. The Sid helps. But now, the bar seems to be the one item that has made this bike bearable to ride. I usually race a full suspenion bike, but now, who knows. I may race this abusive piece of equipment. So, buy this bar. you will not be sorry. Now i think i will go knock on wood.
Similar Products Used: Easton EA70, Easton CT2(broke it), Specialized, Bontrager
Bike Setup: Klein Frame, Sid SL Fork, Race Face Crank, Titec Bar, Easton MG60 stem, Rolf Propel Wheels(way kool wheels)
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Submitted by
Rico
a Cross Country Rider
from Angwin, CA
Date Reviewed: November 5, 2000
Strengths: Durability. Flex takes off the sharp edge of bumps.
Weaknesses: It's not really that light weight. Mine weighed 142g with the Berts and shim.
Bottom Line:
I've been riding/racing my same Titec 118 bar for over 7 years (including racing the Kamikaze 3 times with it)! Been in numerous crashes, at least 3 of which were over 40 mph. The bar just keeps going. It is a bit narrow resulting in less control stability when doing steep ascents/descents and with barends it's really narrow, but look at the positive, it sure makes it easy to wind through the trees on singletrack. Yes, the ends of the bar are crimped where the barends clamp on as a result of numerous direct impacts with trees and rocks, but it is far, far less then any other bar I've seen that has faced similar challenges. Definitely use the BERTS if you are running bar ends. I've enjoyed this bar so much I decided to put another one on my recently built Santa Cruz Superlight. Must give it a Fiver for a lifespan like that.
Not worth the $70 price tag. Tried putting barends on and everything felt too cramped. I weighed my bar w/shim and berts and it came up as 150gm on a digital scale! I thought it was 118g/125g w/shim,berts. I now am using a RF air alloy for half the price and the same weight! Plus the extra length allows me to use bar ends more comfortably.
Submitted by
Peter St-Amour
a Cross Country Rider
from Mold, North Wales
Date Reviewed: May 4, 2000
Strengths: Weighs nothing, beautiful finish, just the right width, has a degree of bend
Weaknesses: Feels a bit fragile
Bottom Line:
Very light, but doesn't feel so very substantial it has to be said. Warning on packet about not scratching the finish worries me a bit, especially if I need to replace the grips which normally requires a screwdriver (but then, not always).
The quality is very impressive although I couldn't comment on the damping qualities as I've not noticed any difference between what's gone before. Feels good though and the figures about stress give me some confidence it's not going to break. Probably not for the ham fisted though. Good value at the half price I paid for it. Couldn't imagine paying £80 though.
Bike Setup: Marin Mount Vision, Pace RC36 Pro-Class, Mavic Ceramic, Hope BULB, XT, XTR
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Submitted by
Eric
a Cross-Country Rider
from Johnson City, TN
Date Reviewed: May 24, 1999
Strengths: Light weight
Weaknesses: Cost Durability
Bottom Line:
They are nice and light, but . . . don't expect them to last forever. I weigh 170 lbs and the end the bars were crimped when I replaced it. Also, after an endo, one of my bar ends bent in. Overall, they are probably not worth the money, you are only saving 25 grams over the Syncros or Ritchey WCS and it costs an exta $40. That's over the one dollar per gram saved. That mean's it's not worth it. If you're a racer go ahead and get it. Expect to replace it in 2 years or less.
Submitted by
Eli
a Weekend Warrior
from Fresno, CA
Date Reviewed: April 7, 1999
Strengths: Light, strong, comfy
Weaknesses: A bit narrow
Bottom Line:
This is a great handlebar, if you don't weigh a lot and aren't a thrasher. I've been riding mine pretty hard for about three years, and still haven't had any trouble with it (knock on wood). I love the light weight and durability, although I can't say as I notice whether it flexes or not. I guess I'm just not hardcore enough to care about the whole flex issue. It doesn't creak or slip, and it hasn't failed. What else can you ask for in a handlebar? I suppose it could be a little wider, although it doesn't really bother me.
