Hi Folks,

So I’m thinking about getting a shorter stem and wider bar for my Five. I’ve currently got the ones that came with it on, but want to shorten up my cockpit and get a bit more zippy control.

Any recommendations?

Easton Haven bits are reduced all over at the moment, picked up some new 711mm low rise alloy bars for £38 last week from Merlin. Wiggle have them reduced as well.

Edit: How many seconds before I get told 711mm is narrow these days 🙂

Thanks Toasty. I’ve been looking at the Easton stems on Merlin. I take it they are reduced because they are last seasons?

I’m looking at the Nukeproof warhead 760 as a bar. I’m not sure how wide is wide so I figured something like that with the option to cut down would be good?

Renthal Fatbar Lite – wide, great shape, loads of options, almost as light as carbon, way cheaper than carbon.

Thomson Stem ( of your chosen length)
Renthal Fatbars.

This would be my prefered set up.

Infact, it is my set up.

On all of my MTBS. 🙂

I do see a lot of Renthals out on the trails. Maybe that’s because they are such a distinct colour that I notice them 🙂 Are they significantly lighter than other bars then?

Not sure I can get on board with the colour. The designer in me wants to run away…

With the Easton haven being 711mm. Is that wide enough? I’m only a skinny chap so don’t have a massive frame. Looks like it’s weight is 270g which is around the same as the renthals…

I’m not actually sure what the standard orange 5 crossfire width is. Can’t seem to find that vital stat online either!

The ‘Lite’ version is very light for a metal bar.
+ 1 for Thomson, 50mm on my Five.

Just put a fatbar cut to 740 mm and a Renthal duo on my Alpine, the stem is nice and light but fiddly to fit ( lots of bolts to undo before it will slide up or down steerer )and was a bit spenny …I bought it because I thought it looked good though 🙂

hope or renthal stem with renthal lite bars

Renthal really do get a lot of love. What do you guys like about them?

Looks like the standard orange bars that I have at the moment are 680mm.

Renthal really do get a lot of love. What do you guys like about them?

they are british made. they have a great reputaion. build quality is fantastic. amount of options availible are great. they way they feel is spot on.

Looks like the standard orange bars that I have at the moment are 680mm.

Tiny. I say try those 760s.

Edit: How many seconds before I get told 711mm is narrow these days

POSTED 1 HOUR AGO

3,600 😉

Thanks Toasty. I’ve been looking at the Easton stems on Merlin. I take it they are reduced because they are last seasons?

Indeed, the Haven bits are lovely, very pleased with them. 6’6″ skinny chap here, I’ve tried wider but didn’t get on with them, 711mm seems to be about my limit.

That said, it’s better to overestimate and cut down, than to buy too small and be stuffed. 🙂 Renthal are a good 20% heavier, bet they’d last forever though. Haven stem is a very similar beast to the Thomson equiv.

3,600

Nah, you weren’t the first 😉

With the Easton haven being 711mm. Is that wide enough?

Ah I didn’t realise Renthal were British. That does tie in with my British bike then…

What rise are people using with the Renthals?

Easton havoc bars n stem combo

Had some Renthal Lites, 20mm rise I believe. Sold them as they weren’t wide enough (740mm) for my tastes.

I have some Raceface -Atlas I think. Cut down to 740mm which feels spot on. I wanted less of a rise than the Renthals IIRC.

Gravity stem – 50mm? All seems perfect now!

What rise do you have Wallop?

Renthal seems to offer a fair range of rises. 20degrees is probably what i’d go for.

Just need to do a photoshop mockup to see if the colour works with my gold hardware 🙂

1/2 inch rise, I went for.

Colour was a consideration for me too! Only black components wanted on my Five Black Gold. My cranks need replacing but I can’t go for SLX (as I normally would) because they aren’t black enough! 😆

I like your style Wallop.

The reviews of the renthal are so good I make have to rethink my colour strategy. Maybe I should go down the junk shop mix and match look. It’s an Orange 5 for chuffs sake. Looks like crap next to my mates IBIS no matter what I do!

Yep, too true, and when you’re rattling down the mountain it’ll sound like a tin of spanners no matter which bars you fit.

Using the warhead bars, at full width, with a 50mm warhead stem at the moment. Steering is precise, but it took a couple of crashes to judge the new width accuratley.

You’re biting over the cherry if you’re stressed about colour matching a 5. It’s meant to look like a dented Cortina from a 70s Sweeney episode.

The puppy bloke is dob on IMO, I got 800mm flat Nukeproof Warheads for about 25 quid a couple of months ago. I’d link it on CRC but they seem to have broken their site.

How tall are you? I’m a 5′ 8″ girl – 740mm was enough for me.

5’8″ wide shoulders for my height, but height has nothing to do with it

imagine you’re picking up an iron bar, you don’t do it with your arms at shoulder width

good vid here: http://www.pinkbike.com/video/192057/

try with a retracting tape measure, holding the end in one hand and the body in the other and see where your hands feel good

5’8″ wide shoulders for my height, but height has nothing to do with it

You are right to a point, but generally speaking – the taller you are, the wider your shoulders will be (a generalisation, I know – but it’s only a guide).

sure, and I don’t doubt shoulder width is a limiting factor on max bar width. I have 42″ chest and have ridden up to 800mm bars comfortably for XC, not extreme DH.

horses for courses of course

Just tried that tape measure trick. Closed my eyes so I didn’t cheat 🙂 740 was where I stopped.

Handy trick that.

I have Sunline V2 bars and a V1 stem on my Alpine 160 – light as you like, 740mm wide, cheap as.

If you fancy the Nukeproof bar, go for it, they are light and at 760, plenty to take off should want to do so.

Then Thomson for the stem.

Wide & Short you say?

Thomson 50mm Stem (http://bikethomson.com/stems/elite-x4-31-8-mountain/) and DH bar 780mm 295g(http://bikethomson.com/handlebars/downhill/)
Stiffer than a stiff thing 🙂

Wah so many options!

I’m thinking 50mm Thomson stem now – people seem keen.

I’ve watched a few videos about Renthal products and I’m growing fond of them. I should probably just stop fretting, buy something and get out on my bike 🙂

@popmatik I’d say add at least 20 for end caps and a bit of fidget space. I use the Superstar Size Zero grips which are pretty wide so lots of options for hand positioning

Also it’s interesting how effect much arm position has.

Mike’s on the money up there, tho I run a 60mm stem on my Yelli Screamy (68 degree HA).

I’m thinking 50mm Thomson stem now – people seem keen.

Can you not scrounge various bits from your mates to try different sizes? Alternatively get stems off ebay in the 20 – 30 quid mark.

Unfortunately I’m the trail blazer amongst my mates for trying out new bits, so they don’t have anything to try 🙂 I make all the mistakes for them!

A trail blazer in trying out wide bars and short stems?! Is it a retro cycling club or something? 😉

I’ll get on ebay and see if i can pick one up. They look like bits of a tank so I’m guessing second hand won’t be an issue.

Ha! I’ve just been concentrating on riding my bike till I was good enough to think I could hang out with the cool kids with their wide bars.