For a long old while I have resisted the modern niceties in mountain biking 🙄 😆

However, I need a pair of bars for a new build and am contemplating some USE carbon bars.

Weight side are they worth it? Do they feel any different in use (trail buzz)? The prices seem to be evening out between good carbon bars and good alloy ones but I would not want to be spending more than £100. (£25 if the Misses asks 😳 )

So then what be your thoughts?

Cheers,

MArk

Forgot to say risers only….

If I was lightweight, did light xc then I would go for them.

I'm heavy and ride rough AM and not smooth as I used to be so I'll be using tough aluminum AM bars with cushy grips.

Some ppl are heavy and never had any problems ever, while others regardless of weight will moan about the fragileness.

They can take a bit of the sting out of the trail but not stop rocks etc.
Definately noticed on my roadbike but with XC I have only noticed it being smoother and mainly lighter.

That's the thing….

I weigh 100kg, ride smooth but worry about these things 😆

Bars would be for a Cotic Soul

Decent Carbon (read Easton) bars are great. They're stronger than ally, are lighter, and they do tend to damp a little bit of trail buzz.

Of course they are less "impact resistant" than ally though, and when they fail they fail in a big way.

Still, though I've broken many components on mountain bikes in the past, including bending a shimano XT crank arm, I've still not broken a set of Carbon bars!

I will still only trust Easton though, as I've heard of too many other manufacturers bars breaking. But that's just my prejudice…

Carbon bars do cost though, if you've got £100 burning a hole in your pocket to upgrade your bike with, there are many other ways you will get a lot more bang for your buck than buying a carbon bar.

MaverickBoy – Member

Carbon bars do cost though, if you've got £100 burning a hole in your pocket to upgrade your bike with, there are many other ways you will get a lot more bang for your buck than buying a carbon bar.

No burning of hole and its for a new build.

Hmm.

Do like the Easton stuff and run their monkey (alloy) bars on another bike…

I've had some easton monkey bars on my xc hardtail for ages, very happy with them.. I worry about ding resistance though, not sure I'd bother with again.

Alloy bars are so good these days I'm not sure what carbon bars add for the money.

I've used Easton carbon bars on all my mountain bikes from about 2000 or so. Never broken one, I've crashed, my bikes have toppled over onto carbon bars, all sorts, never had so much as a scratch. Buy with confidence. In fact, dunno why you're asking really…

I use Easton Monkeylites on both bikes, one of which is an SS and so the bars do get pulled on quite hard. They do flex as well 😉 They are both used as AM and although i am not that heavey and ride smooth they are excellent bars and deffo worth the £95…….

The main question is, is the extra £50 over some EA70s worth it for 100g odd for your build? Depends what the rest of the kit you're running is. 100g could be a lot, or a piss in the ocean depending.