Submitted by
Bob
a Cross Country Rider
from Boca Raton, FL
Date Reviewed: 12/16/2007 5:28:56 PM
|
| Duration Product Used: |
1 Year |
| Price Paid: |
$70 |
| Purchased At: |
eBay |
| Strengths: |
Looks great
Light weight |
| Weaknesses: |
Weak at the stem junction |
| Similar Products Tried: |
Many aluminum bars; this is my first carbon bar |
| Bike Setup: |
Salsa Caballaro; XT with SRAM Rocket triggers, Juicy 7's, Sun Disc Jockey wheelset, SRAM 991 cassette, SRAM PC 991 chain, Thomsen Elite post, Cane Creek headset, WTB, Specialized tires, Race Face cranks. |
| Bottom Line: |
I'm too heavy/aggressive for these bars apparently. I coupled this 25.4 mm bar withan FSA XC140 stem. The bars have large depressions in them where the 4-bolt FSA faceplate and the hollow stem come together against the bars. I'm disappointed as the aluminum ProTapers I had were excellent, as those I had on off-road motorcycles previously. |
Value Rating: 
Overall Rating:
|
Submitted by
Vivian
a Cross Country Rider
from utah
Date Reviewed: 8/9/2006 10:38:46 PM
|
| FavoriteTrail: |
porc pine rim, moab |
| Duration Product Used: |
3 months |
| Strengths: |
Very light, this model claimed wieght is 135 grams! For a riser bar very light. Good looks, vibration dampening catches what leftover vibes my talas fork does not. Wide enough and comfy. |
| Weaknesses: |
comming from a alloy bar background, i was shocked at first at the flexyness. The light light bar carbon thickness is very thin. Thus 135 grams! |
| Similar Products Tried: |
Ritchey WCS flat bar, <-- love it at 124 grams, however it was short at 22 inches wide and not comfy. OEM Specialied heavy ars bar, reliable thick wall and works stiff as a bone. |
| Bike Setup: |
Specialized FSR xc, with the works. Ritchey WCS: stem, grips, rims, spokes, seatpost and seat. XTR f&R mechs, and cassette, hayes hydros, fox fork, canecreek shock, ect ect. |
| Bottom Line: |
Paired with a 90 gram Ritchey wcs stem its a very light front end. Im not sure on the durabillity of carbon but so far so good. |
Value Rating: 
Overall Rating: 
|
Submitted by
Fritz Lehr
a Cross Country Rider
from Raleigh, NC, USA
Date Reviewed: 3/7/2006 12:04:23 PM
|
| FavoriteTrail: |
Beaver Dam |
| Duration Product Used: |
2 Years |
| Price Paid: |
$70 |
| Purchased At: |
Supergo |
| Strengths: |
Durable, light, price |
| Weaknesses: |
None so far, except maybe wish they were a tad wider for more control at speed. I think carbon bars have a life span of about 2 years before you are supposed to replace them, but not sure. |
| Similar Products Tried: |
Carbon, Aluminum and Titanium bars |
| Bike Setup: |
SC Blur, XTR Disc wheels, 4 piston XT disc, XT everything else, Thompson St post, Mavic 317, egg beater candy pedals, Cane Creek Hdset, Easton Mag stem |
| Bottom Line: |
I have owned a couple of carbon bars and I have had zero failures. I have had this bar for about 2 years now without any problems. I have take my bike off of 3-4 foot drops and I weigh about 200lbs. I don't know if I am lucky or if the reviewers on this product over-tightened their stuff on the bars. I typically run my shifters a little loose so when I crash they can move some rather than break. I know I can't go back to aluminum bars because they transmit every little vibration into your hands and wrist. |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
Submitted by
Joel
a Weekend Warrior
from SoCal
Date Reviewed: 1/21/2005 7:47:03 PM
|
| FavoriteTrail: |
Cannell Plunge |
| Duration Product Used: |
Less than 1 month |
| Strengths: |
lightweight, flexible enough to soak up vibrations. |
| Weaknesses: |
Flexible enough to soak up small bumps, and energy when you stand & hammer... |
| Similar Products Tried: |
Titec Hellbent XC, Scott Vertigo, Weyless carbon flat, Easton Monkeylite. |
| Bike Setup: |
Kona Kula Deluxe: XTR, SID, Avid mech discs, blah, blah...
K2 Razorback SL: XT, Fox/Fox, Hayes hyd discs, blah, blah... |
| Bottom Line: |
Waaaay to flexy for me...scary flexy. Even when big-ring sprinting, there is a very noticeable amount of upwards flex, that seems to take the 'snap' out of your acceleration. I only used these for a couple of rides, then moved these bars on over to my single-speed commuter bike (dubbed the "Franken-bike") that only sees pavement. I understand the properties of carbon, in that it can be designed with prescribed amounts of inherent flex, but I don't see how these bars will ever last without catastrophic failure.
I'm giving a decent value rating only because I got these bars on sale...no way would I pay full price for them. I ended up going with the Easton Monkeylite, which costs a bit more, but is a much better bar in my opinion. |
Value Rating: 
Overall Rating: 
|
Submitted by
Ryan
a Cross Country Rider
from Adelaide, Australia
Date Reviewed: 12/27/2004 2:55:51 AM
|
| Duration Product Used: |
6 months |
| Price Paid: |
$70 |
| Purchased At: |
greenfishsports.com |
| Strengths: |
Looks, lightweight, strong for xc |
| Weaknesses: |
not strong enough for large drops, dh, freeride |
| Similar Products Tried: |
titec hellbent |
| Bike Setup: |
xt and xtr, stan's, mavic 717, thomson stem / bar, truvativ stylo team |
| Bottom Line: |
This is a XC bar... read XC not downhill, freeride etc. If you take large drops, don't buy a carbon bar! If you ride xc and want something light, comfortable and looks bling bling, get one! |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
Submitted by
Rob
a Cross Country Rider
from DC area
Date Reviewed: 12/14/2003 9:00:26 AM
|
| Duration Product Used: |
6 months |
| Purchased At: |
123 bikes |
| Strengths: |
Super light |
| Weaknesses: |
Couldn't have said it better, the product is weak. |
| Similar Products Tried: |
Kore lite, Easton Monkey lite, various cheap bars |
| Bike Setup: |
Ventana Pantera, Fox Vanilla RLC, Thomson, XT, Race Face |
| Bottom Line: |
I got lucky - the bar broke off just inside the brake/shifter as I mounted the bike. Could have been devastating if it happened while descending. I wouldn't expect a bar to fail with only 6 months of regular XC and lite FR. It is possible that I mounted the levers too tight, or there was a sharp edge that dug into the bar, who knows. Regardless, do you want a bar that you can't trust? I'll be going back to aluminum. |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
Submitted by
Sean
a Cross Country Rider
from NY, NY USA
Date Reviewed: 11/8/2003 7:01:40 PM
|
| Duration Product Used: |
3 months |
| Price Paid: |
$70 |
| Purchased At: |
123bikes |
| Strengths: |
light, looks cool, strong, reduces vibrations, like the low-rise |
| Weaknesses: |
maybe a tad wide but not enough to bother me...just different. |
| Similar Products Tried: |
straight bars |
| Bike Setup: |
stumpjumper '03, avid mechs, oury grips, marzocchi mx comp w/eta, raceface deus, xtr |
| Bottom Line: |
great carbon bar. would definitely buy another. cheaper than easton's, a bit lighter, and works perfectly fine. |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
Submitted by
marcus75
a Weekend Warrior
from LA, CALI
Date Reviewed: 11/8/2003 1:20:15 AM
|
| FavoriteTrail: |
Local Mountains |
| Duration Product Used: |
Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: |
$99 |
| Purchased At: |
Supergo |
| Strengths: |
Light enough for a XC race and strong enough for a enduro, epic ride! Soaks up vibrations like a spong! Higher rise than other carbon handlebars. Cool Look! |
| Weaknesses: |
None so far. |
| Similar Products Tried: |
Specialized Enduro Alloy. |
| Bike Setup: |
Specialized enduro pro w/ time z pedals. |
| Bottom Line: |
Bought this 2 weeks ago and only rode 2 epic rides through the local mountains. I wanted the Easton Carbon Monkeylites but the answer have a higher raise. The difference between these and the stocked handlebar I had on my bike is significant. Its strong and comfortable after a long ride. Through rough terrains, soaks up vibrations like a spong making it easy on my hands and arms. I don't even need the bar ends installed because this is soo comfortable (my preference was alway to have bar ends even w/ riser handlebars). This has a slightly longer lenght and has a higher rise than other carbon handlebars, this is the way I like it because its better for control and balance.
So far 5 on value because its slightly cheaper than other well known carbons and 5 for overall rating because I haven't found any problems. |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
Submitted by
Rob C
a Cross Country Rider
from Westminster, CA
Date Reviewed: 4/6/2003 10:33:44 AM
|
| FavoriteTrail: |
Chutes |
| Duration Product Used: |
3 months |
| Price Paid: |
$65 |
| Purchased At: |
123bikes |
| Strengths: |
Very stiff for a carbon bar, and obviously lightweight. Good looks also. |
| Weaknesses: |
A bit too wide, no end caps. |
| Similar Products Tried: |
LP composites carbon riser XC, flexes way more than the Protaper. |
| Bike Setup: |
Foes FXR w/Curnutt Ti, XTR, King, Thomson etc. |
| Bottom Line: |
Got a great price at 123bikes for the 1" rise carbon, at $65 you can't beat this bar. It's very stiff and still give you the vibration absorbtion so your hands are comfy. I love the looks of this bar. At first I was going to cut about an inch off of each end, but I've decided to leave it alone now. Look no further for a carbon riser bar. |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
Submitted by
ben herbert
a Weekend Warrior
from sydney
Date Reviewed: 2/25/2003 2:05:05 AM
|
| FavoriteTrail: |
great north walk |
| Duration Product Used: |
Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: |
$170 |
| Purchased At: |
chatswood cyclery northside |
| Strengths: |
lose 100g without dieting
light, stiff and absorbs vibrations so my hands dont go numb |
| Weaknesses: |
price, but I guess you get what you pay for sometimes |
| Similar Products Tried: |
Specialized 03 Alloy XC Low-Rise Handlebar and some other cheap and nasty riser bars |
| Bike Setup: |
epic marathon, with 959 pedals and the carbon bars and excellent Oury grips |
| Bottom Line: |
I was concerned about the long term strength of the bars, but they have stood up to a months worth of tri-weekly rides and a few spills.
I am really impressed by the vibration absorbing qualities. My hands used to get sore and numb during long rides, especially on road or flat easy trails. Didnt seem to matter what seat height I used or hand positions, even tried bar ends. With the carbon bars I dont have any problems with numb or sore hands. The Oury grips are excellent too, so I suggest changing to these when you get a new carbon bar.
|
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
Submitted by
Gareth C
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: 8/29/2002 1:44:20 PM
|
| Duration Product Used: |
6 months |
| Price Paid: |
$30 |
| Purchased At: |
employee deal |
| Strengths: |
light weight, no flex, great high frequency damping (no worn out wrists) |
| Weaknesses: |
the complexities of cutting carbon-fibre bars, nervousness stemming from worrying if you've clamped them too tight. |
| Similar Products Tried: |
Monkeybar lite, RaceFace airalloy, stock risers |
| Bike Setup: |
Rocky Mountain Oxygen Race w/ not very many stock parts left! |
| Bottom Line: |
These bars come wider than the Easton MonkeyLite Carbon bars. I only got these because they look quite different, and everyone else seemed to be buying Easton.
Had to cut them (almost an inch off each end) and they're doing fine. Answer-M doesn't recommend this but concedes that it is possible to do without comprimising the bars. As the review below states, use a fine bladed hacksaw, wrap the area to be cut in masking tape (to minimize fraying the fibers). As an Answer rep told me, the main danger in cutting laminated carbon fiber bars such as the ProTaper Carbon is that you are opening the weave to moisture penetration once you cut through the laminate. I took a risk and treated the area that was cut with a standard epoxy resin in order to "close the system" to moisture again. I personally haven't experienced any side effects (no obvious signs of the laminate or fibres "reacting" in any way with the epoxy) with this method, but do so at your own risk. I only paid $60 AUS for my bars so I didn't have as much to lose if things went awry.
The bars feel very, very stiff - as most carbon-fibre bars should contrary to popular belief. They absorb the high-frequency "chatter" type vibrations which I hated, and make for a smooth ride. Keep a close eye on how much you tighten your shifters/brakes, that's where most people overtighten and ruin their bars. It's good not to overtighten these parts anyway so that they will simply rotate in a crash. |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
Submitted by
Denis Joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: 2/26/2002 10:29:29 PM
|
| Duration Product Used: |
3 months |
| Price Paid: |
$60 |
| Purchased At: |
Ordered online |
| Strengths: |
Dam light,absorbent to shocks,strong enough to do small drop offs |
| Weaknesses: |
Can't be cut |
| Similar Products Tried: |
Azonic PDW,Easton monkeylite |
| Bike Setup: |
Viper red Team Volvo/Cannondale F700,full XTR,Thompson post,Flite ti saddle,Time carbon pedals,Kore elite stem,Sunn ryhnolite rims on Michelin hots tires |
| Bottom Line: |
If weight is an issue to u,the protaper carbon is the best xc handlebars which $ can buy,dam light and durable. CHEERS TO THE PEOPLE AT ANSWER FOR THEIR GREAT R&D!!! |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
Submitted by
Rick
a Racer
from Tallahassee, FL
Date Reviewed: 2/13/2002 10:02:29 PM
|
| FavoriteTrail: |
Razorback, Ocala FL |
| Duration Product Used: |
Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: |
$52 |
| Purchased At: |
The Bike Depot, Sebastian, FL |
| Strengths: |
LOW Weight, good vibration damping, good rise/bend
AWESOME Aesthetics |
| Weaknesses: |
can't mount bar ends or cut |
| Similar Products Tried: |
Titec Hellbent XC, Numerous flat bars |
| Bike Setup: |
Hardtail, Sid SL, XTR |
| Bottom Line: |
I like these bars because, being of BMX decent, I am partial to risers, but need light weight. These serve both purposes, and damp the vibration of chatter bumps and look cool to boot!! Time will tell if they pass the strength test. |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
