PNW Components has launched its first carbon handlebar, the Loam Carbon. This new 35mm handlebar is designed with comfort in mind and clearly has OneUp’s class-leading Carbon Handlebar squarely in its sights. The question is, can this newcomer unseat the best 35mm handlebar on the market?
PNW Loam Carbon Handlebar Highlights
✅ Pros:
Better By Design
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PNW used the Range Alloy Handlebar with its 10° of backsweep and 5° of upsweep as the template for the Loam Carbon. Unlike the Range, which is offered in a single 30mm rise option, the Loam Carbon comes in 25mm and 38mm rise versions. Much like carbon frames and carbon wheels, we’ve reached a place where brands use “laterally stiff, vertically compliant” lingo to peddle their latest handlebars. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing if they can deliver.
PNW put a significant amount of R&D into developing the Loam Carbon Handlebar. The Loam Carbon Bar is strong enough for e-bikes and downhill riding. According to PNW, this handlebar exceeds the Category 5 Gravity Standard established by the German third-party testing firm EFBE.
The bar is constructed from sheets of pre-preg unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber. Where OneUp uses an ovalized profile to gain vertical compliance, PNW shapes the bar from the inside, using the layup process to adjust wall thickness to damp vibration. Compliant Bore Design (CBD) is the tongue-in-cheek acronym PNW’s marketing department devised to describe the Loam’s abitly to take the edge off. So does it work?
Ride Impressions
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As a lightweight rider who tests dozens of different bikes with dozens of different cockpit configurations each season, my opinion is that most 35mm handlebars ride like hot garbage. Sure, steering precision is great, but these bars transmit too much high-frequency vibration to the rider, leaving knuckles and palms aching after a few hours of aggressive riding. I can count on two fingers the number of 35mm bars I’m willing to put on my personal bikes. Could PNW make it a trifecta?
First things first, handlebar ergonomics are just as important as any tuned carbon layup. In my experience, handlebars with less sweep will put the rider in a more forward, attack position. Unfortunately, this is a hard pose to hold for multi-hour efforts. PNW’s 10° backsweep and 5° of upsweep felt very natural from the get-go. I generally like a low front end, so I tested the 25mm rise version chopped down from 800mm to my preferred 770mm width. (Riders can go as narrow as 740mm if they desire.) I used my tried and true Deity Copperhead Stem and Lockjaw Grips as controls for this test. Later, when I had a good feel for this handlebar, I swapped to PNW’s Range Stem and Loam Grips.
I was lucky enough to sneak in a late-season run down Moab’s Whole Enchilada as one of my test tracks. Of all the trails I rode, this multi-hour high-speed descent told me everything I needed to know about the Loam Carbon Bar. While I often find myself frustrated with the bone-rattling feedback from many 35mm carbon handlebars (and every integrated carbon stem-handlebar combo I’ve ever ridden), I didn’t give the Loam a second thought. From the top of Burro Pass to the last sandstone ledge on Porcupine Rim, I never needed to crack my knuckles, shake out my hands, or flex my fingers. Mission accomplished, PNW.
Is The PNW Loam Carbon Handlebar Worth It?
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As I alluded to, heading into this test, there are only a couple of 35mm carbon bars I’ll willingly bolt onto my personal bikes. The first is the longstanding category leader made by OneUp. The second is somewhat of a sleeper but exceptionally comfortable, the Specialized Traverse SL. I’ll gladly add PNW’s Loam Carbon Handlebar to the list of the best 35mm carbon handlebars I’ve ridden.
In back-to-back testing, aside from the degree of sweep, I couldn’t tell these bars apart from one another—they’re comfortable and provide the level of steering precision I require. So how to decide which handlebar is best? Price and ergonomics are good places to start.
Verdict
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PNW has brought an impressive handlebar to market. The Loam Carbon Bar provides the steering precision mountain bikers require with a price, weight, and level of comfort that make it a clear category leader. This carbon handlebar will improve the ride quality of any mountain bike it's bolted to.
Visit PNW Components for more information.
PNW Loam Carbon Handlebar Highlights
✅ Pros:
- Notable comfort during long descents without feeling vague
- Third-party rated for downhill and e-bike use
- Two rise options, 25mm and 38mm, to help riders fine-tune fit
- PNW’s 5° of upsweep and 10° of backsweep is comfortable for long days on the trail
- 233g weight is on par with similar carbon handlebars
- Very competitive $149.00 price tag
- None
Better By Design
PNW used the Range Alloy Handlebar with its 10° of backsweep and 5° of upsweep as the template for the Loam Carbon. Unlike the Range, which is offered in a single 30mm rise option, the Loam Carbon comes in 25mm and 38mm rise versions. Much like carbon frames and carbon wheels, we’ve reached a place where brands use “laterally stiff, vertically compliant” lingo to peddle their latest handlebars. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing if they can deliver.
PNW put a significant amount of R&D into developing the Loam Carbon Handlebar. The Loam Carbon Bar is strong enough for e-bikes and downhill riding. According to PNW, this handlebar exceeds the Category 5 Gravity Standard established by the German third-party testing firm EFBE.
Ride Impressions
As a lightweight rider who tests dozens of different bikes with dozens of different cockpit configurations each season, my opinion is that most 35mm handlebars ride like hot garbage. Sure, steering precision is great, but these bars transmit too much high-frequency vibration to the rider, leaving knuckles and palms aching after a few hours of aggressive riding. I can count on two fingers the number of 35mm bars I’m willing to put on my personal bikes. Could PNW make it a trifecta?
First things first, handlebar ergonomics are just as important as any tuned carbon layup. In my experience, handlebars with less sweep will put the rider in a more forward, attack position. Unfortunately, this is a hard pose to hold for multi-hour efforts. PNW’s 10° backsweep and 5° of upsweep felt very natural from the get-go. I generally like a low front end, so I tested the 25mm rise version chopped down from 800mm to my preferred 770mm width. (Riders can go as narrow as 740mm if they desire.) I used my tried and true Deity Copperhead Stem and Lockjaw Grips as controls for this test. Later, when I had a good feel for this handlebar, I swapped to PNW’s Range Stem and Loam Grips.
I was lucky enough to sneak in a late-season run down Moab’s Whole Enchilada as one of my test tracks. Of all the trails I rode, this multi-hour high-speed descent told me everything I needed to know about the Loam Carbon Bar. While I often find myself frustrated with the bone-rattling feedback from many 35mm carbon handlebars (and every integrated carbon stem-handlebar combo I’ve ever ridden), I didn’t give the Loam a second thought. From the top of Burro Pass to the last sandstone ledge on Porcupine Rim, I never needed to crack my knuckles, shake out my hands, or flex my fingers. Mission accomplished, PNW.
Is The PNW Loam Carbon Handlebar Worth It?
As I alluded to, heading into this test, there are only a couple of 35mm carbon bars I’ll willingly bolt onto my personal bikes. The first is the longstanding category leader made by OneUp. The second is somewhat of a sleeper but exceptionally comfortable, the Specialized Traverse SL. I’ll gladly add PNW’s Loam Carbon Handlebar to the list of the best 35mm carbon handlebars I’ve ridden.
In back-to-back testing, aside from the degree of sweep, I couldn’t tell these bars apart from one another—they’re comfortable and provide the level of steering precision I require. So how to decide which handlebar is best? Price and ergonomics are good places to start.
| Handlebars: | PNW Loam Carbon | OneUp Carbon | Specialized Traverse SL |
| Width: | 800mm | 800mm | 800mm |
| Rise: | 25mm or 38mm | 20mm or 35mm | 30mm |
| Upsweep | 5° | 5° | 6° |
| Backsweep | 10° | 8° | 8° |
| Weight: | 233g | 220g (20mm rise), 225g (35mm rise) | 227g |
| Price: | $149.00 | $159.50 | $170.00 |
Verdict
PNW has brought an impressive handlebar to market. The Loam Carbon Bar provides the steering precision mountain bikers require with a price, weight, and level of comfort that make it a clear category leader. This carbon handlebar will improve the ride quality of any mountain bike it's bolted to.
Visit PNW Components for more information.
