MTB Handlebar Buyers Guide (Everything You Need to Know!)[Video]

What Do You Need To Know When Upgrading Your Mountain Bike Handlebar?

In this MTB Handlebar Buyers Guide we are going to break down everything you should consider before buying a new set of handlebars for your mountain bike. Handlebars are arguably the most important contact point on your bike. With so many different handlebars available from a variety of different brands, mounting up two different handlebars on the same bike can drastically change your experience on the trail. We are here to unpack some of the details that play into those different handlebars so you can find the right set of bars for your bike!

Mountain Bike Handlebar Buyers Guide

Materials 

When it comes to handlebars, they are typically made from either alloy, carbon, or titanium. With mountain bikes in particular, the most common handlebars are made from either alloy or carbon. Keep in mind that all manufacturers have their own approach, but in general, carbon handlebars have different damping characteristics than aluminum. The flex pattern designed into the bars can be more methodically placed, they weigh less, but they cost more to manufacture, and they are usually less durable when it comes to nicks and scrapes than aluminum. On the contrary, aluminum handlebars are extremely durable, and if they do fail, it's not typically a catastrophic failure. They won't hurt your back pocket quite as much as carbon, but can sometimes be overbuilt and too stiff with a 35mm clamp diameter. Carbon bars are lighter as well, so if you are concerned about weight then carbon bars would be the way to go. Each of the different materials have their strengths and weaknesses and their pros and cons. For more information on comparing different materials used for mountain bike handlebars, check out our recent article Carbon vs Aluminum - Which Bars Should You Ride? as well as our video testing different carbon bars, OneUp Carbon Bars | Is The "Compliance" Legit?

Mountain Bike Handlebar Buyers Guide

Left: Alloy handlebars Right: Carbon handlebars

Handlebar Rise and Sweep

The handlebar rise and sweep are what define the shape of your handlebars. There is a sea of different handlebar options with way too many different rise and sweep configurations to count. For starters, the rise of the handlebars is the vertical rise measured from the center of the bar to the bar end. Some different mountain bike handlebars will range from a 0mm rise to around a 40mm rise and even taller. The more the handlebar rise, the taller the handlebar will feel. If you are someone constantly riding extremely steep terrain, you might benefit from a handlebar with a higher rise. What higher rise does is it allows you to get more of your weight over the back of the bike, something that is crucial when the trail gets steep. On the other side of the spectrum, if you are riding a purebred XC bike, having a lower rise bar will help keep weight over the front of the bike on those steep climbs. We have a full video going over handlebar rise, Should You Run High Rise Handlebars on your MTB?

MTB Handlebar Buyer Guide

Left: Flat Bars Right: High Riser Bars

On the other hand, sweep is effectively the bend of the handlebar and is broken down between up sweep and back sweep. Check out the two illustrations below of a front view and a top view to help understand the difference between up sweep and back sweep. Up sweep, which can be seen from the front view, is the angle measured from an imaginary line drawn parallel to the clamping surface and perpendicular to the direction of rise up to the handlebar. Back sweep, which can be seen from the top down view, is the angle measured from an imaginary line drawn from the clamping surface back to the handlebar.  Typically the up sweep for a mountain bike handlebar is about 5°. The back sweep for mountain bike handlebars usually ranges from 7° to 10°, with 8° being the most common. The different handlebar sweeps available is very much a comfort thing. With more back sweep, naturally your upper body is in a bit different position than with a flatter bar. Finding what is comfortable for you is what's most important here, and you might get used to a specific up and back sweep, and changing that might feel weird. So when upgrading your handlebar it might help to check what you currently have on your bike.

MTB Handlebar Buyer Guide

Width

Handlebar width is another personal measurement, and is a little different for everyone. Because of that, we have a video going into detail, How Wide Should Your MTB Handlebars Be? It normally comes down to a combination of body dimensions, riding style and local terrain. A rider that is 5 foot 5 inches will probably not want to run the same bar width as someone who is 6 foot 3 inches. Typically a shorter rider or a stalky rider will ride a slightly narrower handlebar than someone who might be tall or lanky. Then there is also riding style. An XC rider often runs a more narrow handlebar than a DH or freerider. As bars get wider, they often become more stable to a certain point. A narrow bar is not as stable but could put you in a better position on the bike for endurance and long miles. The last factor to consider is terrain. If you live in an area with tight trails and trees you might opt for a more narrow handlebar, whereas if you are in the desert with few obstacles that are handlebar height, a wider bar might not be an issue. 

MTB Handlebar Buyer Guide

Left: 800mm Right: 760mm, a slightly difference but noticeable

Once you put all these together, you can kinda find a sweet spot for what you might want your handlebar width to be, but until then it takes a little trial and error to figure that out. Personally, I would start a touch wide and then cut down, since you can always cut more but you can't add more after the cut. While I am about 5ft10/11, I actually ride a bit more narrow handlebar than most. I ride 760mm handlebars, which I like because I tend to ride with my hands on the very edge of the grips. It usually feels like the edges of my hands are a little bit off the edge, but I feel I have enough control and I can still squeeze around trees or rocks and not worry about a wide handlebar. Plus, when I travel to places with more trees I am already used to my bar width. I would say the most common handlebar width is about 780mm wide. Now, most modern handlebars either come at 800mm wide or 780mm wide, so you might have to cut a little bit off, but they are designed to do that. You often have a bar with cut lines that already tell you where to cut down in 5mm increments on each side. 

MTB Handlebar Buyer Guide

Something you might find interesting is how wide most EWS (enduro) and World Cup (downhill) pros ride, and it's probably more narrow than you think. Often it's rare to find a pro running a full 800mm wide handlebar and even 790mm is rare. I would say 770-780mm wide is the average. But there are plenty of pros who ride 760mm, and some even 750mm wide, and they are much faster than I could ever dream to be. So experiment a bit, take those factors into account and find what works best for you as it will very well be different from your buddy. 

35 vs 31.8mm Clamp Diameter

Over the last couple of years, we have seen the industry pushing more 35mm clamp diameter handlebars and stems over the classic 31.8mm option. The two different standards certainly have tradeoffs. 35mm clamp diameter handlebars and stems can potentially increase overall stiffness and durability. Keep in mind that more stiffness isn't always the right answer! Having a handlebar and stem combination that is also compliant to the vibration of the trail is important. The 35mm diameter handlebars, when done correctly, can actually be lighter than their 31.8mm counterpart while maintaining the same strength. On the contrary, it is possible that the two handlebars could be the same weight, one being stiffer than the other. In the end there are a lot of variables that come into play with new mountain bike "standards" and everyone has their own preference as to what works and what doesn't. OneUp Components have taken a different approach to 35mm handlebars. We did a video comparing some different 35mm handlebars to see if we can really feel the difference in what OneUp has tried to do by adding in a patented shape to allow for more wanted flex but none of the unwanted flex. Check out OneUp Carbon Bars | Is The "Compliance" Legit?

 MTB Handlebar Buyer Guide

35mm clamp diameter on the left and 31.8mm clamp diameter on the right

Worldwide's Preferences

While there is no cut and dry handbook on which handlebars you should run on which bike, here are some guidelines that will hopefully steer you in the right direction. Everyone has their own bar width preference as well, but a good rule of thumb is the more aggressive the bike, the wider the handlebars should be. Keep in mind your personal factors that were mentioned above. For myself, all of my handlebars are cut to 760mm wide and I also make sure the back sweep and up sweep are the same at 5° up and 8° back. But then between my light trail bike and enduro bike I run different rise bars. On the trail bike I run a 15-25mm rise bar, depending on the brand I choose to run. For the enduro bike I run a 35mm handlebar, reason being that I like to try and get my correct handlebar height from the rise in the bar and not the stack under the stem. 

  • Cross Country Bikes: XC bikes are usually most happy when mounted with a lower rise handlebar. The lower rise bar allows you to keep your weight over the front wheel of the bike more easily on steep and technical climbs. A lower rise bar in combination with a longer stem will help you put out good power when you hit those big climbs. Most all handlebars on XC bikes are made from carbon fiber because having a lightweight setup is crucial. 
  • Trail/Enduro Bikes: On trail/enduro bikes, you will find a large variety of different handlebar setups. If you are spending long days in the saddle, having a carbon handlebar that absorbs vibrations well will certainly keep your hands feeling more fresh. Your preferred rise and sweep is what is most important, and anywhere from 10mm to 35mm rise could suit your trail or enduro bike nicely. 
  • Downhill Bikes: On downhill bikes, you will generally find the highest rise bars, that way it is easier to get your weight back over the rear wheel when descending on steep terrain. You could go back and forth between either carbon or aluminum handlebars here, but at the end of the day, the downhill bike is the bike that sees the most abuse. A set of aluminum handlebars are generally a bit more durable than the same carbon offering and won't hurt your back pocket as much either.

     MTB Handlebar Buyer Guide

    From Left to Right: Cross Country flat bars, Trail mid riser bars, Downhill riser bars

    Our Five Favorite Handlebars Over $100 

    1. OneUp Components Carbon Handlebar

    OneUp Components Carbon Handlebar

    The goal for the new OneUp Carbon Handlebars was to make the best feeling bar possible, something which would let you ride harder for longer. The solution is OneUp's patent pending oval shape which combines the best ride characteristics of 31.8mm and 35mm bar standards into one package. This is the most comfortable bar we’ve ever ridden, period. It's strong, lightweight, minimizes arm pump and vibration, and maximizes steering response. 35 done right.

    The OneUp bar profile minimizes the length of the 35 diameter clamping area as this is the stiffest portion of any 35 diameter bar. The 35mm clamp diameter quickly changes to a flattened, oval shape in the transition zone and then to a standard 22.2mm clamp diameter towards the bar ends.

    Specs:

    • Material: Unidirectional carbon fiber
    • Intended Use: Trail / Enduro
    • 35mm clamp diameter 
      • 800mm width
        • 20mm and 35mm rise options available
          • 8° back sweep and 5° up sweep
          • Weight: 220g (20mm rise), 225g (35mm rise)
          • Clear coat over raw carbon with red, green, blue, orange, purple & white decal kits

          OneUp Components Carbon Handlebar

          2. ENVE M6 Mountain Handlebar

           Enve M6 Handlebar

          Enve designed the M6 handlebar to be a lightweight and expertly tuned carbon fiber bar for trail riding. Enve claims that the M6 handlebar is a dream combination of responsiveness, compliance and high strength. The M6 uses a 31.8mm clamp diameter, a modern mountain bike handlebar width of 780mm, and a proven 9 by 5 degree geometry. The unidirectional carbon layup gives the M6 excellent vibration and damping. Enve is known for their top notch quality with a no compromise mentality when it comes to material, layup processes, and performance. 

          Specs:

          • Material: Unidirectional carbon fiber
          • Intended Use: Trail / Enduro
          • 31.8mm clamp diameter 
            • 780mm width
            • 7mm and 25mm rise options available
              • 9° back sweep and 5° up sweep
              • Weight: 200g
              • Clearcoat over raw carbon with 7 different color decal kits

              Enve M6 Handlebar

              3. Race Face Next R 35

              RaceFace Next R Handlebar

              Race Face claims that their Next R 35 handlebar meets the same dh strength standards you will find with the Race Face SixC handlebar but delivered at a weight competitive with other trail/enduro handlebars. The 35mm clamp diameter is what allows Race Face to achieve this strength to weight ratio. The R in Next R stands for Rally and that is exactly what the full lineup of Next R components are designed to do. The Race Face Next R handlebars are a strong and powerful set of handlebars ready for anything you throw at it. 

              Specs

              • Material: Unidirectional carbon fiber
              • Intended Use: Enduro
              • 35mm clamp diameter 
              • 800mm width
              • 10mm, 20mm, and 35mm rise options available
              • 8° back sweep and 5° up sweep
              • Weight: 215g (20mm rise)
              • Matte clear coat over raw carbon with 4 different color options in 20mm rise

              RaceFace Next R Handlebar

              4. Renthal FatBar Carbon V2 Handlebar

              RENTHAL CARBON HANDLEBARS

              The Renthal FatBar Carbon V2 handlebar is designed for anything from all mountain to downhill. One thing Renthal does better than most other handlebar manufactures is the variety of offering they have. The Fatbar Carbon handlebar is offered in either a 35mm or 31.8mm clamp diameter, both with 10mm, 20mm, 30mm, and 40mm rise options. Each of those 8 different combinations use a 7° back sweep and 5° up sweep, the bend you will see across the board from Renthal. The Fatbar Carbon is the handlebar you will find on the front of Aaron Gwin and Gee Atherton's race winning bikes. 

              Specs

              • Material: Unidirectional carbon fiber
              • Intended Use: Enduro / Downhill
              • 35mm and 31.8mm clamp diameter 
              • 800mm width
              • 10mm, 20mm, 30mm, and 40mm rise options available
              • 7° back sweep and 5° up sweep
              • Weight: 305g 
              • Matte black with Renthal's famous gold accent

              RENTHAL CARBON HANDLEBARS

              5. Deity Skywire 35 Handlebar

              DEITY SKYWIRE CARBON HANDLEBARS

              When Deity jumped in to the 35mm clamp diameter game, the Skywire handlebar has been their centerpiece for the trail and enduro category. The Skywire is Deity's approach to a handlebar that balance both strength and bump compliance. This is a no compromise handlebar with a focus on performance and long days in the saddle. The fact the Skywire is number 5 on this list doesn't mean it can't hang with any of the other handlebars we have mentioned above. 

              Specs

              • Material: Unidirectional carbon fiber
              • Intended Use: Trail / Enduro
              • 35mm clamp diameter 
              • 800mm width
              • 15mm and 25mm rise options available
              • 9° back sweep and 5° up sweep
              • Weight: 226g 
              • Matte Unidirectional Black Carbon with Stealth, Chrome, White, Red, Green, Blue, Orange, Turquoise and Bronze Graphics

              DEITY SKYWIRE CARBON HANDLEBARS

                Our Five Favorite Handlebars Under $100

                1. PNW Range Handlebar

                 PNW RANGE HANDLEBARS

                The PNW Range Kyle Warner signature handlebar takes a unique approach to the ongoing evolution of modern bike geometry. The Range handlebar features a unique 10 degrees of backsweep in an attempt to keeping a more ideal body position with how long bikes have gotten these days. The 2014 aluminum alloy is lighter than 6061 and more supple than 7075 series alloys. In an effort to get more kids stoked on bikes, PNW has pledged to give 5% of its Range handlebar sales to NICA, the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. How cool is that?

                Specs:

                • Material: 2014-T73 heat treated alloy
                • Intended Use: Trail / Enduro
                • 31.8mm clamp diameter 
                • 780mm width
                • 30mm rise
                • 10° back sweep and 5° up sweep
                • Weight: 334g 
                • Anodized black with, Cement Gray, Safety Orange, Seafoam Teal, and Really Red color options

                 PNW RANGE HANDLEBARS

                2. Race Face Chester Handlebar

                 RACEFACE CHESTER 35

                The Race Face Chester handlebar is an extremely durable and fatigue resistant handlebar that can take any beating you throw at it. The Chester is made from a triple butted 6061 aluminum alloy and offers two different bend options. The Chester is a strong and robust handlebar that won't hurt your back pocket.

                Specs:

                • Material: 6061 aluminum alloy
                • Intended Use: Trail / Enduro / Downhill
                • 31.8mm and 35mm clamp diameter 
                • 31.8mm clamp diameter offering, 740mm width, 1 inch rise, 9° back sweep and 6° up sweep
                • 35mm clamp diameter offering, 780mm width, 10mm, 20mm, and 35mm rise options, 8° back sweep and 5° up sweep
                • Weight: 400g 
                • Shot peened and black anodized durable finish

                 RACEFACE CHESTER 35

                3. Renthal FatBar V2 Handlebar

                 RENTHAL FATBAR V2

                The Renthal Fatbar has proven itself as a race tested and race winning handlebar. With 8 world championship gold medals under its belt, the Fatbar has certainly earned the great reputation it has. Renthal designed the Fatbar to be lightweight, durable, and strong. Just like the Fatbar Carbon, the aluminum Fatbar is offered in both 31.8mm and 35mm clamping diameters in 4 different rise options from 10mm t0 40mm. There is a Fatbar for every bike and rider combination out there!

                Specs:

                • Material: 7 series aluminum alloy
                • Intended Use: Enduro / Downhill
                • 35mm and 31.8mm clamp diameter 
                • 800mm width
                • 10mm, 20mm, 30mm, and 40mm rise options available
                • 7° back sweep and 5° up sweep
                • Weight: 315g 
                • Anodized Black or AluGold finish

                 RENTHAL FATBAR V2

                4. Spank Spoon Handlebar

                 SPANK SPOON HANDLEBAR

                The Spank Spoon handlebar is a freeride inspired bar with geometry suited for trail and enduro bikes as well. The Spoon is a simple but still great upgrade for your bike. Just like the other aluminum handlebars on this list, the shot peened and anodized finish increases overall durability of the handlebar. With 4 different color options available, the Spoon handlebar might be a great your next handlebar.

                Specs:

                • Material: MGR 6 series aluminum alloy
                • Intended Use: Enduro / Downhill
                • 31.8mm clamp diameter 
                • 800mm width
                • 20mm and 40mm rise options available
                • 8.5° back sweep and 5° up sweep
                • Weight: 350g (20mm rise) 
                • Shot peened and anodized finish, available in black, green, red, and blue colors

                 SPANK SPOON HANDLEBAR

                5. Deity Blacklabel 800

                 DEITY BLACKLABEL 800 HANDLEBARS

                The Blacklabel handlebar from Deity has been the centerpiece of their product lineup for years now. The Blacklabel features a 31.8mm clamp diameter and 800mm width. The Blacklabel is best suited for aggressive enduro and downhill bikes and is available in three different rise options. The Blacklabel is a handlebar that looks good and just flat out performs out on the trail. 

                Specs:

                • Material: Custom butted 7075 T73 aluminum utilizing Deity's proprietary Gradient Butting Technology
                • Intended Use: Enduro / Downhill
                • 31.8mm clamp diameter 
                • 800mm width
                • 15mm, 25mm, and 38mm rise options available
                • 9° back sweep and 5° up sweep
                • Weight: 333g (15mm rise), 342g (25mm rise), and 343g (38mm rise)
                • Black ano finish with bronze, stealth, white, red, green, blue, turq, or orange graphics, and platinum ano finish with phantom graphics

                 DEITY BLACKLABEL 800 HANDLEBARS

                Be sure to check out our MTB Stem Buying Guide to find your favorite handlebar and stem combination!

                If you're one strange human and would like to read the transcript of the video above, continue reading below!

                Hello mountain bike friends! This video is going to be your guide to everything mountain bike handlebars and, well, what we'd like to call a buyer's guide. We are going to cover everything from materials, rise, and sweep, width, diameter, compliance and stiffness, common rider preferences including my own, and really just everything you need to know about a handlebar.
                 
                Materials. Well that's kind of just carbon and aluminum. Yes there are titanium bars but they are extremely rare and a very odd class of their own. So if you're buying mountain bike bars you're wondering about carbon versus aluminum. There are some major differences: price and weight. Like a lot of things in the mountain bike world, alloy is going to be much cheaper and quite a bit heavier than carbon handlebars which are much more expensive and a lot lighter. So if you're concerned about either of those things then this topic is probably over, but if you're also wondering is there more than just price and weight, there kind of is. Carbon bars, because they're just manufactured and designed differently, they can do a lot more unique things with the compliance and the stiffness and sort of how they feel and the damping that the bar has. So do you get a nicer ride quality and feel out of a carbon bar? Yes, absolutely. Is it much lighter? Yes, absolutely. Is that worth the price? That's up to you, but you typically see carbon handlebars around 125 bucks and up and you typically see aluminum handlebars around 50 to 75 dollars so there you go. That's materials.
                 
                Rise and sweep. To touch on rise, we actually made a whole video about why higher rise mountain bike bars are becoming more popular. In that video, I broke down the various different types of bikes and why you would want a lower rise bar versus a higher rise bar and then why higher rise bars such as this have been becoming more popular than lower rise bars such as this. Part of that does have to do with the bike that it goes on but it's also what you're going for and there are a lot of reasons why people are going to higher rise bars. The most common that you're going to see on trail slash enduro just general modern mountain bikes is about a 20-25 millimeter rise bar. That's the most common. You lean more towards cross-country when you're concerned about lowering your body position and aerodynamics, you might see 10 millimeter rise or even flat bars. You go towards you know wanting to be more upright on an enduro bike downhill bike or even a dirt jump bike or just wanting to lift your you know chest off of the bars more for different handling, you might see 35mm to 45mm rise bar so check out that video if you want to dig more into rise. But most common is 20-25 mil. When it comes to sweep, you basically have your back sweep and your up sweep, and eight degrees back and five degrees up is the most common. Almost every bar you're gonna see out there has that. Some will have a nine and a four or a nine and a five but eight and five are the most common and that's kind of what I feel like everyone's sort of settled on for the most part. It's what I prefer myself, it's what I think every person in our entire company rides, and oddly enough things like back sweep and up sweep once you get used to a certain kind, it feels really weird to change because then all of a sudden your elbows are in a different position and your wrists are in a different position and it really changes the feel of the bike. So once you get used to eight and five you probably just want to stick to it and odds are you already have eight and five on your bike right now so that is rise, back sweep and up sweep.
                 
                How wide should your bars be? This is a topic that we made an entire video on I think three years ago and although that's an old video, I think the information is still really good and valid. A lot of people have covered this topic and bar width is something that mountain bikes evolved with very small tiny bars because they thought that made sense for some reason for aerodynamics I have no idea why. You can see a lot of old videos and old riders on these bikes from the 80s and 90s with these tiny handlebars then motocross sort of mixed in with mountain biking more and bars got a lot wider and people realized that a wider bar shorter stem gave you a lot more control especially at speed and in rough terrain and people started experimenting with wider bars and realized it was a great addition and upgrade and now they're kind of commonplace for the most part. When I say wide bars I'm pretty much saying 740 to 800. That's you know basically that wider-ish mountain bike range. Part of it is personal preference, part of it is body size, depending on how wide and broad your shoulders are is going to make a difference what feels comfortable for you. If you're weaving in between trees all the time when you ride or if you're riding out in the high desert and there's no trees and it's very high speed that's going to play into that factor but watch that video on bar width if you're really worried about that. Most handlebars you can cut quite a bit, carbon or aluminum, so you can buy an 800 mil wide bar and you can trim it all the way down to 760 or 740 most of the time. Sometimes they say there's a limit on that so pay attention to that. My personal preference is 760 which is what I have my own bike but we'll get more into preferences later. Width is a bit of a preference. Watch the video if you're curious, but 760-780 those are like the most common widths that you're going to see on everyday trail, enduro, and all mountain bikes.
                 
                Diameter, also known as girth,or the bar clamp diameter for your stem is basically either 31.8 or 35 millimeters. 35mm is kind of new, they made that a handful of years ago for various reasons such as making the bars lighter and stiffer and giving them more ability to weave carbon in different ways. 31.8 has still really hung on and then there's sort of these, I won't call them conspiracies, about 31.8 bars having more compliance and flex which some people think is a good thing, some people think is a bad thing, and you can go down the rabbit hole on 31.8 versus 35. So 31.8 or 35, those are your two most common diameters. 35 more so on the higher end stuff. One up components, we made an entire video about their handlebars which is what I have on my bike right now, they were I think the first people to ever re-engineer the handlebar to have compliance and specifically, so their whole idea was vertical compliance, meaning the bar actually does have some flex this way but not this way so it doesn't have flex when you steer. So some people were saying 35 millimeter bars are just too stiff in general so it's just giving me fatigue in my hands and so I want to ride a 31.8 bar or even an aluminum bar because it has more flex to it than a certain carbon bar would but then it has uh you know flex laterally which you don't want you don't want to be trying to steer in rough terrain and having the bars flex this way you only kind of want it this way. So one up engineered and I believe patented is strange design shape right here on their handlebar that does give it that vertical compliance or flex and lateral stiffness it's a very good and interesting idea and we made a whole youtube video comparing it back to back with all these other bars and I was shocked at the results. Check that video out if you're curious but this does boil back down to carbon versus aluminum. Aluminum you can't really do things like that whereas carbon you can ride five different carbon bars and they all might have a very different feel in terms of being really stiff or compliant and again there is some preference there right? Like the more of a bike nerd you are, the more handlebars you've tried, you might actually want a really stiff bar because you're just interested in that feeling and it might feel really good and efficient when you're really on the pedals and powering down. Could be more important for an xc rider whereas if you're a downhill rider or enduro and you're hitting bumps all the time you might want that vertical compliance that something like the one up bars will give you. So that's materials, one up is really the only brand that's doing anything unique there. Is it extremely relevant and meaningful? That's a very personal preference, if you're trying to solve a problem like you're getting arm fatigue or wrist fatigue or whatever pain in your hands then yeah that could be a really good benefit to your ride. If you're not experiencing that, then maybe it's not a big deal but that's diameter and that's sort of compliance and stiffness.
                 
                Common rider preferences, including my own. So I think I kind of already touched on that but common rider preferences eight and five in terms of backsweep and upsweep is very common. Diameter, it's hit or miss. I don't think anyone really cares too much about that. I think most people on the higher end spectrum meaning bikes over three thousand dollars are all using 35 millimeter clamp bars. Below that, 31.8 is still very much common and accepted. Preferences on width definitely go all over the place. I think most common is probably 780 if I were to try and throw a nail at the specific size that most people, most mountain bikers would like, I would pick 780. I personally like 760, but I think the majority of our staff and mountain biker friends of mine, most of them are running 780. Some of the bigger guys or the downhill focused guys might be running 800, some of the more xc guys might be running 740s and some of the more trail riders like myself might be running 760. But those are kind of your common widths and preferences and again remember you can cut handlebars and most of them are sold to be cut. Like most bars are sold at 800 with the assumption they're going to be cut down somewhere between 740 and 800. So that's that's a common thing, so don't go scouring looking for a 760 bar that might not exist. You might need to buy that bar in an 800 and they might have made it in 800 to basically please people who like 800 780 760 etc. So that's kind of preferences. Again, I like the one up bars, I like the compliance and again 760 for me and 20mm rise on this particular bike, I think that's again the most common that people are doing. Higher rise bars, watch that video if you're curious, if you have lower back pain, if you feel like you want to be more upright when you're riding, if you want to be easier to lift up that front end, that's when you should start considering higher rise handlebars. All of this information and more is in an article linked below in the video description where we also talk about our top five carbon bars and aluminum bars, our favorite picks of just good brands, good models from reliable brands, so check that out. Thank you very much for watching, please hit that subscribe button if you're not already subscribed and we will see you guys in the next video cheerio.

                May 24, 2021

                Bike Knowledge › Buyers Guide › Deity › ENVE › Handlebars › OneUp › OneUp Carbon Handlebar › PNW › RaceFace › Renthal › Spank › Video ›

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