Who wants to see engineers beat on handlebars?
As part of the recent release of Santa Cruz’s Minaar-replica V10 downhill bike we caught our first whiff of Enve’s new Minaarbar. A Greg-specific version of the brand’s downhill bar, the Minaarbar comes in at 808mm and 245g worth of black magic. So, if you miss the boat on the 25 replica bikes (or can’t find quite the requisite change between the sofa cushions), a Minaarbar will allow you to bring a bit of World Cup winningness to your ride.
The Minaarbar is made by Enve in Utah and is the same as that specified and used by Greg throughout the 2013 season. Reflecting the company’s experience and confidence in their product, the bars come with a 5-year warranty and lifetime crash replacement policy. Shipments within the US began yesterday, but UK distributors Saddleback aren’t expecting stock until February or March (pricing TBC).
And now on to the fun stuff:
Watching handlebar abuse testing never gets old, does it? At either end of the bar are 16lb weights, and the entire setup is repeatedly dropped to a hard stop. While the weight may not sound like a lot, with none of the give provided by a real-world rider’s tyres, fork, arms, and wrists it is quite an abusive test.
From Enve:
ENVE Announces Greg Minnaar Signature Edition Downhill Handlebar
December 16, 2013 – Ogden, UT, USA – In celebration of his repeat world championship downhill victory, ENVE is paying tribute to Greg Minnaar’s amazing accomplishment with the release of a signature edition downhill handlebar known simply as the Minnaarbar.
The Minnaarbar is an 808mm wide, 245 gram, full-carbon downhill specific handlebar that is produced and manufactured in Ogden, Utah. The Minnaarbar is an exact replica of the handlebar Greg ran throughout the 2013 World Cup season.
“ENVE continues to push the envelope on what is possible with composites in downhill racing. When we have feedback, ENVE listens and answers by producing the product we need to have a competitive edge. My signature edition downhill bar offers my preferred width, great strength, and a ride quality that is second to none,” stated Minnaar.
ENVE has been a sponsorship and development partner of the Santa Cruz Syndicate Team since 2009. According to ENVE Marketing Manager Jake Pantone, “Our partnership with the Syndicate race team has been integral to the development of our growing line of gravity specific rims and components. Each downhill specific part we produce gets a stamp of approval from the Syndicate Team and further validates our testing so we can confidently offer our industry leading 5-Year Warranty and Lifetime Crash Replacement.”
The Minnaarbar is now shipping and will retail for $225.
