Titec combined the speed of an XC racing flat bar with the control and stability of our Hell-Bent shape to create the Flat Tracker – 9º of back-sweep and 5º of up-sweep in a 25.2”-wide flat bar design.
Submitted by
REEK
a Weekend Warrior
from Baltimore MD
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2004
Strengths: It's a flat bar
Weaknesses: the 5 deg rise
Bottom Line:
I like flat wide bars and am not a riser fan. I never knew about these titecs. But after I found it, I've never regretted it. Not too well advertised. They should be because they're lighter and stiffer than a riser with basically the same hand positioning effect. If you use it with a higher rise stem, it should be a stiffer version of a moderate rise bar.
Anyway, great bar. I'll probably replace my other bars on my other bikes with flat tracker bars.
Submitted by
weather expert
a Cross Country Rider
from iowa
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2003
Strengths: long. good bend, stiff, shot-peened finish
Weaknesses: wtf?
Bottom Line:
very very good handlebar. risers are lame imo--what's the point of putting two more bends? a flat bar is far stronger than a riser of the same weight and same material. if you need to raise your grip height, use another stem or shuffle spacers around. if someone uses the riser to "adjust" front cockpit length, he/she is changing the grip orientation too. dumb.
flat tracker offers just enough width and enough bend. it's long and stiff (sorry this is not intended to be some sort of pen!s enlargement ad), and perfect for torquing the SS uphill. longer than flats, lighter than risers, and most likely stronger than most risers. it'd be nice if they throw in a free bike with it, but we are living in the real world, so i'll be happy with a flat tracker.
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond, VA
Date Reviewed: May 15, 2003
Strengths: Excellent up sweep and back sweep = 9 degree and 5 degree respectively. Very comfortable for hands wrists and arms while riding. This bar takes everything good from a riser and puts it into a flat bar. Great finish. Nice and wide cut to fit. Strong and stiff.
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
This is a follow up to my first post. It has been over a year and this bar is holding up great. The color bead blasted finish is still in good shape. I really like how this bar works on my bike. It makes for a great cockpit set up. I would recommend this bar to anyone who likes a riser bar OR a flat bar. It is hands down the best handlebar I have used. I got mine at titec.com hot deals - I think they have lowered the price. 5 for value - these are a screamin good deal. and a 5 outstanding overall. Titec hit this one out of the park.
Favorite Trail: Buttermilk,Buttermilk heights, Buttermilk west
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At: titec.com hot deals
Similar Products Used: see my first review
Bike Setup: On the front: marzocchi Z2 atom race fork on a Schwinn Rocket 88 frame. I am using a big al stem from titec.
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Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond,VA
Date Reviewed: May 22, 2002
Strengths: Very stiff and light, nice finish (glass bead blasted annodized), perfect sweep and rise.
Weaknesses: Not really a weakness but this thing is as wide as a mack truck. Just cut it down to what ever you like. I guess it gives you more length option that almost any other bar.
Bottom Line:
This is what a handlebar should be. I tried a couple of riser bars the were ok but just seemed like the latest trend. I love the feel of this flat bar- the sweep and rise is what I loved about riser bars. Wiht all the strength and lightness of a flat bar. Why put four bends in a bar when you don't have to? This is the best bar out there. I got mine for super cheap in the hot deals at titec.com because I got the red one.(the blue is cheap too) If you must have black or silver get ready to pay what this bar is worth every penny of 70$. Great for every type of riding as it is "Knock Rated" by titec to be super tough. The bar comes super wide but with cut lines alreay on it. Way to go titec! This bar goes perfect with my titec stem. Get your rise out of your stem not your bars! All in all a great value for a great product- get one and see. Five flaming weasels!
Similar Products Used: Bontrager Crow Bar(pretty good),Kore lite riser (again Pretty good), Coda flat(all right)
Bike Setup: Schwinn rocket 88 stage one, sram 9.0 drivetrain and shifters. cane creek ad-12(great!) and judy sl shock(not bad) a titec big al stem.
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Submitted by
jws
a Cross Country Rider
from Flagstaff AZ
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2002
Strengths: sweep, not heavy (for what they are), blue, nobody else has them, I got a good deal on them, 3 year unconditional warranty
Weaknesses: none to speak of
Bottom Line:
I really dont like riser bars, I like the feel of flat bars and the low handlebar height they provide. With these bars I feel a lot more natural on the bike. What I mean by that is that the bike feels a lot more like an extension of myself. My hands used to really get to hurting on even a medium length ride with my old 3 degree sweep bars, but with these I dont feel any pain on even an all day ride. I cut them down to about 23 or 24 inches and they feel great. I have seen an improvement in control too. The only person I wouldn't recomend these to would be either a weight watching racer or maybe a downhiller who should probably get something meatier.
Submitted by
Doug Dewar
a Cross Country Rider
from Prince George, BC
Date Reviewed: March 5, 2002
Strengths: Riser Bar bend and width in a stronger and stiffer (for a given weight) flat bar
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Finally some one has figured it out. The strength of s flat bar with the sweep (for comfort) of a riser bar. Kudos to Titec.
The only thing riser bars make sense for is after market purchase so you do not have to by a new stem. Why would anyone put 4 addtiional bends in a bar, when you could simply have a higher rise stem? This would be much stiffer and weightless than current riser bars.
I used to run riser bars (I wanted the sweep) with bar ends and my stem flipped. Thanks to Titec I no longer have to hear my free-riding buddies whine.
Bottom line: I you have wide shoulders and want a great cross country or free riding handlebar this is it!!!
Similar Products Used: Azonic Riser Bars, Answer Taper Lite bars
Bike Setup: Rocky Mountain Scandium/xtr/Marzzochi Bomber
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Submitted by
Q
a Weekend Warrior
from m'boro, TN, USA
Date Reviewed: February 7, 2002
Strengths: everything
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
the riser bar was fun, but too heavy and didnt offer confident steering, the flat bar just sucked completely and was painful, the flat tracker is the best thing you could possibly steer your bike with.
Similar Products Used: crowbar comp, bontrager flat bar
Bike Setup: 2001 big sur
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Submitted by
puppet
a Weekend Warrior
from Glens Falls, NY
Date Reviewed: May 20, 2001
Strengths: All the strength of a riser bar built into a flatbar. It's wide and backswept at 9degrees
Weaknesses: none really - it's lighter than riser bars and a little heavier than flatbars. . . . but it's over 25inches wide.
Bottom Line:
This is such a great idea - yet very few companies are producing these type of bars. They get 5 flamers because it's a great idea that's done quite nicely.
Bike Setup: 2001 Large Titus Loco Moto, SRAM 9.0, XTR Hubs, Avid brakes, Oury Grips, with an SID 100 up front.
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Submitted by
Peter Marino
a Cross Country Rider
from Pueblo, Colorado, USA
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2001
Strengths: Comfortable 9degree bend, no slave to fashion, strong yet not heavy, nice length to fine tune from, and a tough finish.
Weaknesses: It's not light either. marketing isn't enough to draw attention from those ringy zingy risers.
Bottom Line:
Kudos to Titec for helping to keep flat bars up to speed. The advantage of risers is not the rise but the sweep, the rise is/was the stems work. Peer presure aside, it's trendy to have function follow form, the form of a borrowed style, perhaps MX or stingray/BMX days - (downhill/freeride excluded). Other bar making companys would benifit to compete for riser reconsideration on XC rigs.
Similar Products Used: Any other (mostly risers) bars the other bikes which I tested wore, includung the bike I chose. previously Scott AT-2 LF.
Bike Setup: 2001 Rocky' Instinct, Marzocchi, Fox RC, Race Face crank and post, Avid cable actuated discs w/#5levers, Time Alum pedals, XT shifters and front deralleurs/XTR rear, Sram 9.0 hubs w/Mavic 221 rims and Conti Vertical Pro 2.3 tires, Titec Big Al stem, #99 ends, and the FlatTracker.
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Submitted by
ron
a Cross Country Rider
from stratford, ontario, canada
Date Reviewed: March 12, 2001
Strengths: Increased comfort from 9 degree sweep. Great control with extra width. I still have room for bar ends (not sure if I'll need them). Easy installation of accessories (light mounts, computer, HRM).
Weaknesses: Tough to distinguish difference in allignment markings thru RaceFace stem openings.
Bottom Line:
I got a great deal from my local shop (someone ordered it but backed out) so I took the chance on the bend. It's been great. I have none of the pain I used to feel in 2+ hour rides and it puts me in a more agressive position than the original riser.
Strengths: No more numb hands, EVER Strong as a bull Light!
Weaknesses: Nobody knows about this super bar, their loss
Bottom Line:
9 degrees of sweep is ultimate and perfect. I used to get paralysis of my outside fingers and forearms, numbness, pain, you name it from straight bars.
The Flat Tracker will save your wrists and make you forget about the bars (and just feel the RIDE) without having to put on risers and look like you roll around maing vroom vroom noises.
Plus its lightweight, mule-strong and a cool black that doesnt scratch out.
Bike Setup: Uzzi dream bike, super bulletproof XC/screamer, barends and all
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Submitted by
Marc
a Cross Country Rider
from Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 29, 2000
Strengths: 190 grams, 25 inch width, 9 degree sweep, can use bar-ends without looking like a freakin' wanker, lines to make cutting them narrower easy as pie.
Weaknesses: better use BERTS or else risk damage with bar ends
Bottom Line:
I wanted something to mimic a rise bar because my frame has this massively tall head tube, this bar is perfect for cross-country or downhill if you want to get your rise from the stem. Bloody sweet bar but it takes $100 canadian that you could be spending on coke and hookers.
Bike Setup: toothless rancid bear mobile. killer v frame, bomber z2, magura hs-33, race face cranks, 636 pedals
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Submitted by
Dave Walkerden
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney Australia
Date Reviewed: February 15, 2000
Strengths: Strength, sweep
Weaknesses: A little heavy
Bottom Line:
My hands always went numb with flat bars, but felt good with risers. Cross country work doesn't really suit me with risers, so I tried the Hell bent flat trackers. I first used them at an Australian Nationals race, and it was a really good course with a great descending section. I rode the normal bars and the flat trackers back to back, and the result was pretty amazing. The extra sweep seems to offer more control.
Similar Products Used: 20 different handlebars, both flat and riser
Bike Setup: Kona explosif, XTR, AMP fork, Sun RPM's
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
giblet
a Cross-Country Rider
from los angeles
Date Reviewed: June 25, 1999
Strengths: light, strong, wide, and comfy
Weaknesses: none yet
Bottom Line:
in spite of the riser fashion, titec is making (and hopefully selling) this bar. it has all of the pluses of a riser (25+ inches wide with 9 degree sweep) without the strength-robbing double bend. so the bar is really tough but doesn't weigh a ton. to those who wonder about where you're going to get the rise, i say look to the stem. this gives you the strongest (or lightest, you pick) setup. mine is set up with a 15 degree rise stem to mimic the position of a flat stem and riser bar. a really good bar that is unfortunately unique (unless you hunt for the esoteric trials stuff).
