OneUp Components Carbon Handlebars: Rider Review

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

OneUp Components carbon handlebars had a ton of excitement around them when they first came out. After we tested them thoroughly, we confirmed that the amount of vibration dampening from the bars was some of the best we have ever felt. Since then, they have continued to gain popularity. Our customer James saw them and immediately knew he found the perfect handlebars. Check out his review!

Overview

A few months back I decided it would be a fun idea to build a hardtail from the frame up, so I purchased a Kingdom Vendetta and went to work. It was cool being able to hand pick every component myself and when it came to the handlebar I put in a decent amount of research to try to find the perfect fit. Being a hardtail, I wanted bars that were touted as compliant, and being a Ti bike I wanted to stick with the lightweight theme. I settled on the OneUp carbon handlebar which appeared to fit the bill, and I’ve had good luck with OneUp stuff in the past.

I clicked the ‘buy’ button on the fancy Worldwide Cyclery website and shortly after a box showed up in my driveway. When I first picked up the box I thought I’d been duped, as surely it was too light for anything to be inside. Well to my surprise I opened the box and there were my new bars, looking very elegant in all black. This was my first piece of carbon bike bits, so I was a little paranoid I was going to destroy it during install, but everything went together without any hassle.

Rise Impressions

Now for my ride impressions. First, let me start by saying I’ve only ever rode with aluminum bars so that’s all I have to compare it to. However, besides the obvious weight difference I can honestly say I noticed a HUGE difference in comfort. It is hard to describe exactly what is happening but I can feel the bars absorbing some of the more jarring hits. I do most my riding in Tucson, Arizona so there is no shortage of hard pack littered with not so friendly rocks. On rides where I previously would get a good amount of hand fatigue three quarters of the way through I am now feeling great throughout the entire ride. And that’s with even thinner grips than I was rocking before.

I wouldn’t say I can actually feel the handlebars bend and flex but there is a sensation of them soaking up the chatter that doesn’t get smoothed out by the fork. I am happy I went with the 35mm rise, which along with the sweep of the bars feels like it puts my hands right where I want them. My previous bars were 780mm wide and I was a little concerned that I was going to have to cut down the 800mm width, but so far I have not had the desire. For reference I am about 6’2” with an average wingspan.

Final Thoughts

To sum things up, these bars look good, they feel good, and the price point seems right on for what you are getting. I am super happy with these bars and don’t think I would ever go back to aluminum.