Review: RSP Ego Carbon DH Riser Bar

By Stu Taylor

Handlebars. A pretty fundamental bit of bike. An approximately straight tube, upon which to hang levers, grips, and whatnot. Aluminium, or (increasingly) carbon is the material of choice (or steel, we suppose, if you’re seriously old school) But this aside, is there much to distinguish one bar from another? One carbon bar is pretty much like another, right? Well read on…

This is the RSP Ego Carbon DH Riser Bar. Catchy. Upon initial inspection I was happy to see that the bar looked pretty cool with nicely angled gloss white graphics complementing the gloss black carbon finish – it all gives the bar some racer styling.

But (I hear you cry) what is this mysterious ‘RSP’? Well, RSP stands for Raleigh Special Products who have a stated philosophy to “source the very best in bicycle accessories at an affordable price”. Well heck yes, that sounds like a fine idea.

The RSP Ego (I’ve abbreviated for ease) is made from full carbon construction and measures 780mm wide, with a31.8mm diameter clamp, 15mmof  rise, 9 degrees of back sweep and 4 degrees of upsweep. The bars claimed weight is 208g; mine hit the scales slightly over at 212g – which with carbon layup is within tolerances. And this is still – as Raleigh say – an “ideal way to shave some weight off your ride” at a great price too.

For this test I bolted the bars to a rigid bike with the aim of improving the handling and removing some of the harsh feedback felt through my current alloy bars.

On the test rides the Ego did a great job of reducing the trail buzz, which is down to a slight degree of flex in the carbon which reduces the vibrations felt. So it’s more comfortable and it also helps to ward off any hand fatigue or the chances of arm pump on long rocky descents.

After a few months of testing on a variety of rides – including local XC loops, the South Lakes 100 mile #Jennride and  full on enduro descents, the bars continue to do their job to a tee. They have weathered well too with no chips or dulling to the lacquered finish, and I have so far managed to avoid any crashes! …uh, probably just jinxed myself there…

Overall: RSP`s claim to “source the very best in bicycle accessories at an affordable price” is bob on with the Ego bar. It has performed way above expectations at a bargain price – what more can you ask?

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Review Info

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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