All the handlebars tested are as follows- ordered in as close to 40mm rise as possible- and anything purchased from these links helps support my channel: Renthal FatBar: jenson.sjv.io/RenthalFatBarJKW Race Face Era: jenson.sjv.io/RaceFaceEraBarJKW OneUp Carbon E Bar: jenson.sjv.io/OneUpCarbonEBarJKW Enve M7: jenson.sjv.io/EnveM7HandlebarJKW PNW Components The Loam bar: jenson.sjv.io/PNWLoamBarJKW Santa Cruz Reserve Bar: jenson.sjv.io/SantaCruzReserveBarJKW Salsa Guide Bar: jenson.sjv.io/SalsaGuideBarJKW And I used the Pro torque wrench for install: jenson.sjv.io/ProTorqueWrenchJKW I used the same pair of ODI Elite Pro grips on all the bars: jenson.sjv.io/ODIEliteProGripsJKW Testing protocol was 2x runs down the world’s most famous jump/flow trail. Most runs were non-stop, 85-90% pace. As you may know, that trail is devastated this late in the season, with non-stop washboard and braking bumps. Even the best of bars (PNW, OneUp, Enve) still resulted in some hand and finger fatigue, and even the worst of bars (Santa Cruz, Salsa) were still very rideable. I really enjoy those ODI Elite Pro grips, and they made bars that I hadn’t enjoyed in the past much more tolerable.
I’ve tried a few of these bars. I’m now 56. For me, what has become the most important factors are width (which I can control regardless of the bar) and back sweep. I’m now using PNW because the extra back sweep puts my wrists in a more natural position which takes care of some joint pain. When I was younger, I didn’t care or notice my bars at all. When you get older, you start looking for things that hurt less. More back sweep hurts less. Thanks, PNW!
Funny you say that, I had to return my PNW bars and went to the OneUp as the 9 degrees back was a tad too much. I built a rig out of string and some extra grips to see what angle my wrist would hold grips naturally at various widths and the width changes the angle. For me 7 is perfect, 8 is good and 9 is too much. One degree totally matters.
I too am on the "older" end of the biking spectrum. I, unfortunately because of time in the military, have both carpel tunnel and cubital tunnel. For me numb hands and tingling fingers was the norm. I tried bars, grips, positions, and, and, and. I have to say that my OneUp bars paired with the very expensive RevGrips on their softest setting has been God send. I can now ride for hours with minimal hand issues. I had simliar results with PNW Loam bars and ESI Chunky grips. But the tingles still do set in on that setup after a while. OneUp and RevGrips for the win. Expensive....but worth it.
Yeah, me too. The oneUp’s came on my stumpy evo build from Jenson (thanks Jeff). They feel great to me, but I’ve never tried anything different on that frame.
Back in 2019, I bought a Specialized Stumpy expert. All carbon bike but with aluminum bars. Carbon bars is an upgrade I’ve been looking at for a long time. So stoked that you did this video! I’ve been following you for a while, so I have some idea of how your riding compares to mine. And here you’ve tested all the bars I’ve considered. Thanks again!
I've bought the Spank Vibrocore bars in 2022 when I've built my propain spindrift and these are to this day sill my favorite bars. The outer aluminum is very thin but its filled with foam for support. Does a good job of dampening the vibrations.
I just watched this here at work (yet again not signed in) and found this to be very informative. I have always run aluminum bars in the past because 1) cost, and 2) I just had never run carbon bars before. My Ripmo came with the 31mm carbon bars and while they were great for the 1st few years I really wanted to compare them with the Loam, since that's what aluminum version I had on my Specialized. The Loam carbon bars are hands down the nicest bars I've ever held onto, even over the OneUp. I too needed that 38mm rise to take the hunch out of my low back (it's a tall thing). My ONLY complaint with the Loam is the color options are decals..... I guess that's how they keep them so affordable. Thanks Jeff!
I recently swapped from PNW alloy bars to the new Raceface ERA carbon bar. First time on carbon bars, really loving the ERA bars. Was a splurge purchase just to see if it would help with numb hands, and they really did make a difference! Had two pwn range bars in the past, 31.8 and a 35mm. Great content as always, Jeff!
This review coming from a guy that mostly just pulls on bars🤣! There really should be a statue of Jeff pulling a manual somewhere in the PNW. Thanks again Jeff for your excellent and honest reviews, I have tried both OneUps, the ERA and PNW, and found the Loam is the best for me due to not only sweep but bar roll range. One thing for sure, the build quality is top notch, easy to see when you circ... er... shorten the bars. The consistency and smoothness of the inner wall is appreciably more even than the OneUps. I was also considering the Title bars but haven't had a chance to try them.
If you like that 10degree back sweep you may like the 12 or even the 16 from SQ lab. They are weird but pretty amazing. Having your hands behind the stem is actually pretty noticeable for better or worse(I say way better). I still like traditional bars better when climbing though.
I’m watching because I love your content, and because I know nothing about carbon bars except a buddy of mine broke his. I have some raceface atlas aluminum bars that I bought knowing nothing about handlebars. Thanks for the very nice educational video and it’s nice to see the Rocky Mountain Altitude make an appearance again!
Jeff you are the best Thanks for doing this I know it's a lot of work to change handlebars out with all the brake and shifter and dropper post levers. Also getting your bars set straight and even. This is definitely one of the harder component tests. I see you are riding the Rocky Mountain altitude, I miss it
First of all, I love your honesty. Carbon bars are the least important upgrade unless you’re wanting a different length/rise/back-sweep. From my amateur understanding I have always thought my 780mm 31.8 bars would be more comfortable than 780x35mm bars. Just pushing down on my ENVE M6,SQ Labs30x and Renthal bars all 780x31.8 they feel and I see a visible flex.BTW all have the same Ergon grips. Anyway thanks for the great videos!
Great review! I ride a marin san Quentin...I did not upgrade the bars until I crashed on stairs (broke 3 fingers) and bent the factory bars. with the factory bars my shoulders went numb and would have MAJOR arm pump on stairs and trails. Every rider I asked (buchanan, Mathews, you and quite a few others) EVERYONE of you said buy PNW loam bars and stem. my first ride back after fingers healed I wanted to test the new bars so I went down some stairs. I could not BELIEVE the difference- I did not purchase carbon bars- I did not have ANY arm pump and my shoulders did not go numb anymore. Even when I was on trails I did not have any issues with arms or shoulders. Funning thing is -- I am at 2 years on my bars and and will buy the same bars PNW Loam Bars and Stem. for the price you cant beat em. I dont ride carbon anything I designed the frames for Babolat...you dont know until its 2 late and you are face down in the dirt with carbon.
Dude man guy... fantastic review! Definitely helped me put my internal debate to bed in regard to what bars I should buy for my enduro/park bike. Currently running 25mm rise RF Aeffect alloy bars (stock on my Polygon N9), but I like more rise (40mm is ideal) and I've been undecided on carbon vs. alloy. I do primarily jump/flow park riding, so wasn't sold on carbon bars yet. Would have liked to see Trail 1 or Deity bars in the review, but 2xthumbs up all the same!
The old 31.8 renthal carbon bar was HORRENDOUS in terms of vibrations. So much that I blamed my fork for a while until I swapped it out. Never imagined a bar can make such a difference - which is where i disagree with you about it not being a important purchase. Been riding the OneUps for years - a big fan. Very comfy! SC carbon handlebars- indeed quite stiff, and the lack of published upsweep angle is surprisingly amateur and unprofessional by SC. As for pnw- too bad they dont make a lower rise option for more trail/xc/downcountry oriented bikes. Was just looking for a bar for my new bike, so your video came just at the right moment!
@@JeffKendallWeed Totally agree with the roll and I've found they work best paired with their stems so you can see the measurements and at least use them for reference. I even rock a set on my fat bike.
I would love a video on how you’ve dealt with numb fingers/hands… You mentioned gloves/grips and possibly other adjustments? For the first time in 30+ years of riding, I’m getting numb and falling asleep fingers/hand on longer descents. I run thin gloves
Chromag Cutlass Fubars. Compliant with enough stiffness to boost confidence while in control and still feeling the bike. Well balanced. Highest failure test compliance. 9 degrees of back sweep is noticeably more comfortable especially if your background includes BMX
As you mentioned to comment why I watched. Well,one I love your information and not to mention watching you ride. But this video is helpful to me as I have been considering upgrading my old bikes bars. My teenage son is on my old hardtail. finally feel the reach for him is a bit much and I considered adding bars with a higher rise to help bring him more upright and less reach. I might be wrong in this idea. If you have helpful insight I would appreciate it. Thanks for shredding and providing in my opinion the best non biased reviews
I have arthritis in my hands and bought the PNW Loam bars to replace the stock RF aluminum ones. I definitely notice an improvement, with the PNW ones leaving my hands intact at the end of the day.
WeAreOne revealed their updated carbon bar at Sea Otter that will work without their proprietary stem, but they have since gone quiet on them (due to the downturn?). I have the previous model on a bike and every time I get on it, I am impressed with them. Try to stay away from carbon when possible, but they're my favorite bars ever. OneUp e-bars are a good second choice.
I have a bar with 12 degrees of backsweep and have experienced far less arm pump. This means I can ride more that I could with my old bars. More comfort means more riding 😃
I bought a used BMC Fourstroke for cheap (from a BMC insider) and I am beginning to customize the fit and feel. Handlebars are on the list of changes. That's why I'm watching this. I'm leaning toward ENVE.
I have the One Up's. Love them. The only other carbon bars I've tried were Ibis carbon bars from circa 2015. I think the One Up's are just slightly more comfortable overall. Also...all carbon parts are optional upgrades. There is no "need" for any carbon parts...but they are nice to have.
It's just different. I like the PNW bend, it felt nice at 10, but the more aggressive posture of the Renthal was also fun. It's just great to have different feels.
@@JeffKendallWeed of course whatever works should be the bar people use. I had a Renthal and it caused discomfort in my hands, then I i switched to a bar with more backsweep and the discomfort went away. So people are different, just wish there were more options with bigger backsweep.
I've never even considered changing my handlebars. In fact, I rarely do any component "upgrades" on my bikes. When I do change out components, I always (almost) look for reliability and bang for buck. Carbon fiber handlebars are definitely not good value and I would have serious trust issues after crashing them. I'm here simply because I enjoy watching you ride and your general comments on mountain biking related stuffs.
I was quite surprised by the OneUp bars while at Whistler this summer. I always figured it was just marketing, but our rental bikes all had them and noticed a reduced arm pump from the DH bikes I've ridden in the past. It could have been a number of things, but we all agreed that those were pretty great bars.
I wasn’t happy with my Aluminum handlebars from Stanton on my steel steed from stanton. Tested different options. Here are my favorites: 1. Trail1 carbon. Really like them and the bar looks good too. 2. BH carbon, most comfortable one, like the OneUp. 3. PNW Aluminium. The backsweep shortens the reach and I have to lean more forward. Don’t like that. 4. Specialized Alu. Ok. 5. Stanton Alu, way to stiff. And …. Great video, highly appreciated! Thanx
Why do I watch? B/C you posted a video :). Me 5'9" 145lbs geared, I had lots of hand pain and some numbness at first, over time found 34mm foam grips like WT Karv which helped some. Then I tried out the OneUp carbon bars after all the glowing reviews but they seemed harsh to me, so I switched to 31.8mm Nukeproof Horizon V2 carbon bars and they feel better - I'm not sold on the 35mm bars hype yet. But TBH what really solved my hand problems was getting rid of the airspring and going to Vorsprung smashpot in my 160mm fork, that made 80% the difference and rarely get hand pain anymore. And I think the combination of the coil fork and switching to lighter lever action/stronger brakes also helped with arm pump (DHR Evo from G2s).
I got a Stumpy 15 and TBH I don't have any issue with the stock bars yet but I have always put carbon bars on my last few bikes to give it a softer feel. I'm not even shopping for bars but I saw your video and thought it might be interesting for when I do eventually put carbon bars on it.
I've got the loam bars with 25mm upsweep on my Norco Sight. I had had some very stiff aluminum bars that came with the bike before, but had issues with wrist soreness (in my wrist I had shattered the year before) after descending a number of trails. The loam handlebars are definitely way more comfortable on my wrist
Precut like most american men 😆. I am watching because I have absolutely felt too much stiffness in 35mm bars. I have since stepped down to 31.8, however they are mostly aluminum bars (like you mention in the end). That is due to price, but overall the 31.8 bars have felt better than all the 35mm bars I've tried (including OneUp). I am similar to your height but only weigh 150 so I am likely more sensitive to stiffness. Rad experiment!!!
Always use RENTHAL bars and RENTHAL Kevlar grips. I also have the Bontrager RSL (one piece) at the beginning i wasn’t a fan of those but those are comfortable therefore they grew on me, now I really like those bars. However Renthal grips are the best in the market hands down!!!
The reason I am watching this video is for researching bars for my dad because he has been loosing feeling in his arms while riding. He is currently running the stock aluminum bontrager bars. I am thinking of the one up bars.
OneUp e35/35. Had a Spank Vibrocore. I like the OneUp more. It has great dampening without feeling dead like Spank. Again, the OneUp steering has a solid not dead feel.
I've been curious about carbon bars before, but never enough to get a pair. As someone that can be a little harder on my gear, I'd always be slightly worried that I'd break them in a crash. I had a pretty gnarly OTB this spring at Angel Fire and bent the stock bars on a rental Commencal Supreme DH. I hit both thighs on the bar as a flew over them (and unfortunately fractured my wrist... it was a pretty hard landing). Both my wife and I have been running PNW aluminum bars on our enduro / trail bikes for at least a season and we're pretty happy with them. I find them super comfy with fat grips.
I watched to see how the Raceface ERA did. I almost pulled the trigger on them, but instead went for the new Raceface Turbine bars in a 40mm rise and 780mm width in order to see how I got along with the 40mm rise before dropping the coin on carbon. I also switched my grips out to Deity Lockjaw from DMR Deathgrip at the same time, so I cannot say what has made the difference but I have had no arm pump or hand fatigue since the switch. My previous bars were Spank Vibrocore in a 20mm rise on a bike with a short head tube. Again, I cannot chalk it up to the bars completely, but I have no complaints. I don't even think about the ERA bars now. It would be nice to see the new Turbine bars A/B'd against the ERAs.
I have been riding MTB since the late 80's. Material doesn't matter as much as fit. This is my opinion. If you have a set of bars that have the correct rise and sweep for your comfort then you found the right bars for you. I'm currently running SQLAB carbon bars 45 rise 12* sweep and 760 width and 135mm ESI chunky grips which makes my hands sit at 740mm. This is not for everyone but it works for me. Keep up with the awesome videos.
Renthal might have worlds more experience with bars due to their moto division than the others. It’s why I chose them many years ago and I’m still on them now as they feel great.
Hey Jeff, entertaining and informative as always. Thanks. You mentioned remedies for numb hands in your experience were a combination of gloves, grips and fit mores than a new set of handle bars. I've injured both my thumbs in the past and have challenges with pushing controls and holding onto the bars due to pain and lack of strength due to those injuries. Would you care to elaborate and do a breakdown sometime on how you find the specific attributes of each of these individual components add up to reduce pain, discomfort and numbness versus adding up to increase the numb nasties?
Watching this video because I like your videos, I appreciate your perspective and your riding is always ridiculous. I ride Spank Aluminum Vibrocore bars. Not interested in carbon bars personally. I seem to see more broken carbon bars and rims than aluminum bars come through the shop.
Recently tried some Deity Carbon bars. Came stock at 810mm. Cut them down to 790mm just to try it (I normally run 780). Felt way too stiff all of the time and would get some wicked hand and arm pump. Cut them down to my normal 780 and now they feel great. Still really stiff but they seem to really dampen the trail chatter. Didn’t think that bar width would affect that but I guess it does, at least in my case.
I have a few different carbon bars (Answer, Renthal, Thomson, OneUp, and Enve). So I wanted to see what your thoughts are! Great content as usual! Thanks!
Why watching? Curiosity about options. My bike came w 35mm aluminum Chromag bars and I could not sort out the arm fatigue. After a bit of research, I swapped out for the Oneup carbon bars. A very noticeable improvement in ride quality
I have Chromag carbon bars. Stiff as hell. I just watched the video because I watch all of your videos, but now I might look at the OneUp for a bit more compliance. Though the backsweep of the PNW is intriguing. The issue with bars is you're kind of just remembering what you don't like about your old ones and hoping minor differences in new bars help.
My Scott Spark (XC bike) came with Carbon bars but they had an integrated stem so I just changed it up so I could put a traditional stem and bars so that I can have more room. With the new stem and carbon bars I'm not hitting my knee on the bars anymore. I decided to try the Trail 1 bars though, I'd love to hear your thoughts on them eventually. I am starting a Norco Sight custom build though so that's why I wanted to watch this video.
My new bike came with them 25mm rise but looks more 15mm anyway i took them off brand new never used swapped out for ride high 38s burgtec alloy 35mm, im a heavier rider and just don't trust carbon at best of times never mind in bars but would have used them for abit if had the right rise, the burgtec 38s are just spot on for me! I did think it would be abit OTT but nah they are such a nice bar all round and the new monarch grips with them made them even nicer! Definitely my new favourite grips!
Great video, I currently have the one up on my canyon spectral on, renthals on Canfield nimble9 and spire and the enve on an izzo. Definitely prefer the enve and one up over the renthals but do prefer the renthals over any alloy bars, have been curious about the loams. Love the loam grips, droppers, lever and composite pedals.
Love the way oneup bars feel, but two small issues: takes large amount of torque to prevent sram brake clamps from slipping. I have been using carbon paste between clamp and bar to fix this (enve didn’t do this). The bars matte clear coat becomes gloss very easily from normal wear and tear
I'd probably like more back sweep on my bars. I have a set of carbon bars from Wren already on my bike though but they are 9 degrees. Definitely fixed most of my wrist pain but not all of it.
Already have Trail1 35mm rise carbon bars. Hands still go numb occasionally. Will try some different grips I guess. Really watching to hear your take on these matters
Running DEITY HIGHSIDE 760 HANDLEBAR with 80mm RISE. Gives me more room when I snap the bars to my chest on flat drops. I do miss the compliance of carbon but function trumps comfort. At 62 I can't (shouldn't) ride WFO anymore so I get sick satisfaction with multiple handlebar height drops to flat on my 2013 SC Nomad2. Anyone willing to swap handlebars so many times like you did for our benefit deserves a medal. One deg - one mm kills me on setup! How did you do it?
hate to say it, but I still prefer alu. Probably more of a trust thing as I do have a tendency to crash. I hear the oneups Alu bars are nearly as good and I personally use the burgtec 35s, same that Santa Cruz specs on their lower end, but I prefer the burley and direct feel, and would rather have my fork, tire pressure, quality wheel to take care of the most minimal small bump compliance. That said, I had owned the Renthal Fatbar and yeah... its still #1 in my books, though the 35 alu is a stiff bastard. Also I agree and think higher rise is better for a gravity oriented rider. If you're someone who rides park or rides where you typically winch your way up for the down, 40MM+ FTW
I'm the opposite, in that I find most aluminum bars make a bike feel very harsh on fast, rough, flowy trails. I've had an otherwise awesome bike feel like crap, IMO, due to being spec'd with aluminum bars.
@@ejhayes76 without a doubt, oneup carbon bars add additional compliance. Also... I think maybe 35mm bars may be the cause of this. Thinking about it, I had less issues with a 31.8 Alu bars.
Please do the same kind of test with Alloy bars, maybe bench mark them against the OneUp carbon or Enve M7, I want to get a new set of bars because my current bars are too low, 20mm rise OneUp, but I dont really want to go buy new carbon bars, your insight could prove rather invaluable
I'd like to see a review of the comfiest alu bars as well. I don't care about material but I'm sensitive to hand pain. I'm currently running the OneUp E35 but my Spank Oozy Vibrocore 780 31.8 were probably a bit more comfy, though also less precise in the turns. So I'd like a direct comparison of comfy bars of any material. (I hear titanium are the best, but spendy.)
Been thru 10 bars this year always wind back on 755 oneup carbons.. got evil carbons on full 820 now trying to spend the winter wide as im an og 90s tight bar rider with a new enduro bike… different game. The PNW 10 deg backsweep made me feel like i caught full blown AIDS on the trail… too many years w 8 / 5 . The one up feels fastest and most comfy to me. I did the pisgah enduro with spank vibrocore +70… comfy but the one up wouldvebeen a better choice, longest dh on the east coast- good bar tester ! One up bars bend does weird me out aesthetically but i feel they are comfyyyy…
if your cockpit is properly setup for your riding style and preference, than no, carbon bars are not game changers. That being said, I changed to oneup 35mm rise bars, 35mm stem and raised the stem by 5mm. My bike now feels amazing!
I am watching because I get too much arm pump with my hardtail, much less with my full sus. Rest of my cockpit is fine so bars where the ones to change in order to decrease arm pump. Went with DEITY Speedway 35s, so far so good.
I’m average size among my rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking friends at 5’9” 135 lbs. I remember in the 80s my doctor telling me I was completely average. Average height, average weight. Middle of the bell curve. I can’t comprehend weighing 200lbs.
I'm just not interested in carbon bars. I do enjoy your well thought out and executed videos! I'm 6'1" and 208lb, and ride three times a week, so I wear parts out and carbon just doesn't inspire confidence. I do ride the AL version of PNW Loam bars and sport them on a few of my rides. Just recently, riding since 1997, I had some numb hands, and cured it by going back to the old style OURY grips and ESI grips. The lock on ones have 50% less rubber and real hard plastic cores, which may have contributed to the numbness. Thanks for the videos Jeff!
My last bike I had Raceface Carbon Bars and I loved it. My new bike (rocky Mountain Altitude A50) has aluminum bars and I'm looking to change them out.
I’m watching because I really value your opinion and wanted to see if I was missing the boat on any particular bar, or my one ups were as good as it gets. P.S. I’m a Jett Lawrence fan too 👍
Those bars are just fine! I had a set with me, was hoping to include OEM Pivot and Ibis bars so more folks would have a valid reference, but bar swaps take so much longer than it might seem- I just ran out of time!
@@JeffKendallWeedno complaints- both these bikes are overkill for me at the moment anyway (‘24 Shadowcat and ‘24 Switchblade) haha. Thanks for the content!
I still have stock (carbon)bars and stock grips on my bike(pivot switchblade), and I have felt numbness to be an issue to be honest. That said I haven't tried anything else, so it's hard to say how good/bad it is without a personal comparison. I'll try new grips first, because it's best to start with the cheapest change first and see if that might be substantial or not, or if it can be a combination of both.
All the handlebars tested are as follows- ordered in as close to 40mm rise as possible- and anything purchased from these links helps support my channel:
Renthal FatBar: jenson.sjv.io/RenthalFatBarJKW
Race Face Era: jenson.sjv.io/RaceFaceEraBarJKW
OneUp Carbon E Bar: jenson.sjv.io/OneUpCarbonEBarJKW
Enve M7: jenson.sjv.io/EnveM7HandlebarJKW
PNW Components The Loam bar: jenson.sjv.io/PNWLoamBarJKW
Santa Cruz Reserve Bar: jenson.sjv.io/SantaCruzReserveBarJKW
Salsa Guide Bar: jenson.sjv.io/SalsaGuideBarJKW
And I used the Pro torque wrench for install: jenson.sjv.io/ProTorqueWrenchJKW
I used the same pair of ODI Elite Pro grips on all the bars: jenson.sjv.io/ODIEliteProGripsJKW
Testing protocol was 2x runs down the world’s most famous jump/flow trail. Most runs were non-stop, 85-90% pace. As you may know, that trail is devastated this late in the season, with non-stop washboard and braking bumps. Even the best of bars (PNW, OneUp, Enve) still resulted in some hand and finger fatigue, and even the worst of bars (Santa Cruz, Salsa) were still very rideable. I really enjoy those ODI Elite Pro grips, and they made bars that I hadn’t enjoyed in the past much more tolerable.
WELL DONE 🏁
Couldn’t care less about bars, but anyone willing to undo that may stem & brake bolts deserve a thumbs up and watch for support.
I’ve tried a few of these bars. I’m now 56. For me, what has become the most important factors are width (which I can control regardless of the bar) and back sweep. I’m now using PNW because the extra back sweep puts my wrists in a more natural position which takes care of some joint pain. When I was younger, I didn’t care or notice my bars at all. When you get older, you start looking for things that hurt less. More back sweep hurts less. Thanks, PNW!
Funny you say that, I had to return my PNW bars and went to the OneUp as the 9 degrees back was a tad too much. I built a rig out of string and some extra grips to see what angle my wrist would hold grips naturally at various widths and the width changes the angle. For me 7 is perfect, 8 is good and 9 is too much. One degree totally matters.
I too am on the "older" end of the biking spectrum. I, unfortunately because of time in the military, have both carpel tunnel and cubital tunnel. For me numb hands and tingling fingers was the norm. I tried bars, grips, positions, and, and, and. I have to say that my OneUp bars paired with the very expensive RevGrips on their softest setting has been God send. I can now ride for hours with minimal hand issues. I had simliar results with PNW Loam bars and ESI Chunky grips. But the tingles still do set in on that setup after a while. OneUp and RevGrips for the win. Expensive....but worth it.
Funny the opposite is true for me.
Came to see how my OneUp's faired in the test. Always try to watch every video, love the content, you deserve more subs!
Yeah, me too. The oneUp’s came on my stumpy evo build from Jenson (thanks Jeff). They feel great to me, but I’ve never tried anything different on that frame.
I run the One Up E Bars. Love them. Watching because I watch all of your videos👊🏻😎
Back in 2019, I bought a Specialized Stumpy expert. All carbon bike but with aluminum bars. Carbon bars is an upgrade I’ve been looking at for a long time. So stoked that you did this video! I’ve been following you for a while, so I have some idea of how your riding compares to mine. And here you’ve tested all the bars I’ve considered. Thanks again!
Thanks Adam! Yeah the Enve bars are sweet, the One Ups are great, and the PNW are a really comfy set up too. A lot of good choices!
I've bought the Spank Vibrocore bars in 2022 when I've built my propain spindrift and these are to this day sill my favorite bars.
The outer aluminum is very thin but its filled with foam for support. Does a good job of dampening the vibrations.
I just watched this here at work (yet again not signed in) and found this to be very informative. I have always run aluminum bars in the past because 1) cost, and 2) I just had never run carbon bars before. My Ripmo came with the 31mm carbon bars and while they were great for the 1st few years I really wanted to compare them with the Loam, since that's what aluminum version I had on my Specialized. The Loam carbon bars are hands down the nicest bars I've ever held onto, even over the OneUp. I too needed that 38mm rise to take the hunch out of my low back (it's a tall thing). My ONLY complaint with the Loam is the color options are decals..... I guess that's how they keep them so affordable. Thanks Jeff!
I recently swapped from PNW alloy bars to the new Raceface ERA carbon bar. First time on carbon bars, really loving the ERA bars.
Was a splurge purchase just to see if it would help with numb hands, and they really did make a difference!
Had two pwn range bars in the past, 31.8 and a 35mm.
Great content as always, Jeff!
This review coming from a guy that mostly just pulls on bars🤣! There really should be a statue of Jeff pulling a manual somewhere in the PNW. Thanks again Jeff for your excellent and honest reviews, I have tried both OneUps, the ERA and PNW, and found the Loam is the best for me due to not only sweep but bar roll range. One thing for sure, the build quality is top notch, easy to see when you circ... er... shorten the bars. The consistency and smoothness of the inner wall is appreciably more even than the OneUps. I was also considering the Title bars but haven't had a chance to try them.
4:37 Dead pan delivery. 😂
Glad I’m not the only one that caught that 😅
@@dayinnymtb I think it went over most people’s heads 😉
If you like that 10degree back sweep you may like the 12 or even the 16 from SQ lab. They are weird but pretty amazing. Having your hands behind the stem is actually pretty noticeable for better or worse(I say way better). I still like traditional bars better when climbing though.
I’m watching because I love your content, and because I know nothing about carbon bars except a buddy of mine broke his. I have some raceface atlas aluminum bars that I bought knowing nothing about handlebars. Thanks for the very nice educational video and it’s nice to see the Rocky Mountain Altitude make an appearance again!
Jeff you are the best Thanks for doing this I know it's a lot of work to change handlebars out with all the brake and shifter and dropper post levers. Also getting your bars set straight and even. This is definitely one of the harder component tests. I see you are riding the Rocky Mountain altitude, I miss it
First of all, I love your honesty. Carbon bars are the least important upgrade unless you’re wanting a different length/rise/back-sweep.
From my amateur understanding I have always thought my 780mm 31.8 bars would be more comfortable than 780x35mm bars.
Just pushing down on my ENVE M6,SQ Labs30x and Renthal bars all 780x31.8 they feel and I see a visible flex.BTW all have the same Ergon grips.
Anyway thanks for the great videos!
thank you jeff, best bar video ever made 😇
Great review! I ride a marin san Quentin...I did not upgrade the bars until I crashed on stairs (broke 3 fingers) and bent the factory bars. with the factory bars my shoulders went numb and would have MAJOR arm pump on stairs and trails. Every rider I asked (buchanan, Mathews, you and quite a few others) EVERYONE of you said buy PNW loam bars and stem. my first ride back after fingers healed I wanted to test the new bars so I went down some stairs. I could not BELIEVE the difference- I did not purchase carbon bars- I did not have ANY arm pump and my shoulders did not go numb anymore. Even when I was on trails I did not have any issues with arms or shoulders. Funning thing is -- I am at 2 years on my bars and and will buy the same bars PNW Loam Bars and Stem. for the price you cant beat em. I dont ride carbon anything I designed the frames for Babolat...you dont know until its 2 late and you are face down in the dirt with carbon.
My favorite is definitely the salsa bars. Great with chips!
Dude man guy... fantastic review! Definitely helped me put my internal debate to bed in regard to what bars I should buy for my enduro/park bike. Currently running 25mm rise RF Aeffect alloy bars (stock on my Polygon N9), but I like more rise (40mm is ideal) and I've been undecided on carbon vs. alloy. I do primarily jump/flow park riding, so wasn't sold on carbon bars yet. Would have liked to see Trail 1 or Deity bars in the review, but 2xthumbs up all the same!
good delivery, always learn something . . .we like the PNW the best!
The old 31.8 renthal carbon bar was HORRENDOUS in terms of vibrations. So much that I blamed my fork for a while until I swapped it out. Never imagined a bar can make such a difference - which is where i disagree with you about it not being a important purchase.
Been riding the OneUps for years - a big fan. Very comfy!
SC carbon handlebars- indeed quite stiff, and the lack of published upsweep angle is surprisingly amateur and unprofessional by SC.
As for pnw- too bad they dont make a lower rise option for more trail/xc/downcountry oriented bikes.
Was just looking for a bar for my new bike, so your video came just at the right moment!
To be fair, all of the first gen carbon bars and wheels were like that- just horrendously stiff haha. Remember old ENVE Wheels?
@@wumbobo Yeah but that didnt stop the brands marketing them as "vibration reducing" or compliant. It was a joke, at our expense as usual😂😂
Love ONE UP⬆️
LOVE Whistler!!
Great Video, You're fun to watch.
Subscribed!
Thanks!
New meaning for the term Bar Hoppin'🍻
Very interesting the enves and one up are similar in feel.
Thanks
Watching for new bar ideas, still runnnig stock aluminium RaceFace bars. Great work Jeff!
Don’t care about the bars, just watching you ride.
Same 😂
im watching because im hoping to get into mountain biking
I went through a few different bars before settling on the PNW Loam bars. I now have them on all 3 of my bikes
OneUp carbon e-bars on all my bikes (3). So good!
Same here -- I really like them and enjoy the same bar on all bikes
I have them and love them also
They've been great! Visually, it's hard to find the right roll angle. But they work awesome!
@@JeffKendallWeed there is some marking on bar to align with the center of the stem, it's even mark if you have 62, 66 or more fork angle.
@@JeffKendallWeed Totally agree with the roll and I've found they work best paired with their stems so you can see the measurements and at least use them for reference. I even rock a set on my fat bike.
I would love a video on how you’ve dealt with numb fingers/hands…
You mentioned gloves/grips and possibly other adjustments?
For the first time in 30+ years of riding, I’m getting numb and falling asleep fingers/hand on longer descents.
I run thin gloves
Chromag Cutlass Fubars. Compliant with enough stiffness to boost confidence while in control and still feeling the bike. Well balanced. Highest failure test compliance. 9 degrees of back sweep is noticeably more comfortable especially if your background includes BMX
As you mentioned to comment why I watched. Well,one I love your information and not to mention watching you ride. But this video is helpful to me as I have been considering upgrading my old bikes bars. My teenage son is on my old hardtail. finally feel the reach for him is a bit much and I considered adding bars with a higher rise to help bring him more upright and less reach. I might be wrong in this idea. If you have helpful insight I would appreciate it. Thanks for shredding and providing in my opinion the best non biased reviews
I have arthritis in my hands and bought the PNW Loam bars to replace the stock RF aluminum ones. I definitely notice an improvement, with the PNW ones leaving my hands intact at the end of the day.
WeAreOne revealed their updated carbon bar at Sea Otter that will work without their proprietary stem, but they have since gone quiet on them (due to the downturn?). I have the previous model on a bike and every time I get on it, I am impressed with them. Try to stay away from carbon when possible, but they're my favorite bars ever. OneUp e-bars are a good second choice.
WeAreOne is out of business
I have a bar with 12 degrees of backsweep and have experienced far less arm pump. This means I can ride more that I could with my old bars. More comfort means more riding 😃
I bought a used BMC Fourstroke for cheap (from a BMC insider) and I am beginning to customize the fit and feel. Handlebars are on the list of changes. That's why I'm watching this. I'm leaning toward ENVE.
Oneups all day! Great bars
I have the PNW Loam Carbon bars and find them very comfortable as well.
Another big comfort upgrade was the new Peatys Mushroom grips.
I chose 38mm rise PNW Loam. seem great so far
I have the One Up's. Love them. The only other carbon bars I've tried were Ibis carbon bars from circa 2015. I think the One Up's are just slightly more comfortable overall. Also...all carbon parts are optional upgrades. There is no "need" for any carbon parts...but they are nice to have.
I used to run the OneUp carbon bars on all my bikes but I switched to the Alloy OneUp bars and I love them!
Why the change ?
@@philrob4468 peace of mind. I’m heavy (250lbs) and I enjoy big jumps/drops. OneUp designed the alloy bars for DH and I’m more confident in them.
Yes! We need more manufacturers to provide more backsweep. So much more comfortable
It's just different. I like the PNW bend, it felt nice at 10, but the more aggressive posture of the Renthal was also fun. It's just great to have different feels.
@@JeffKendallWeed of course whatever works should be the bar people use. I had a Renthal and it caused discomfort in my hands, then I i switched to a bar with more backsweep and the discomfort went away. So people are different, just wish there were more options with bigger backsweep.
I've never even considered changing my handlebars. In fact, I rarely do any component "upgrades" on my bikes. When I do change out components, I always (almost) look for reliability and bang for buck. Carbon fiber handlebars are definitely not good value and I would have serious trust issues after crashing them. I'm here simply because I enjoy watching you ride and your general comments on mountain biking related stuffs.
I was quite surprised by the OneUp bars while at Whistler this summer. I always figured it was just marketing, but our rental bikes all had them and noticed a reduced arm pump from the DH bikes I've ridden in the past. It could have been a number of things, but we all agreed that those were pretty great bars.
I wasn’t happy with my Aluminum handlebars from Stanton on my steel steed from stanton. Tested different options. Here are my favorites:
1. Trail1 carbon. Really like them and the bar looks good too.
2. BH carbon, most comfortable one, like the OneUp.
3. PNW Aluminium. The backsweep shortens the reach and I have to lean more forward. Don’t like that.
4. Specialized Alu. Ok.
5. Stanton Alu, way to stiff.
And …. Great video, highly appreciated! Thanx
Thanks for watching, Andreas!!!
Why do I watch? B/C you posted a video :). Me 5'9" 145lbs geared, I had lots of hand pain and some numbness at first, over time found 34mm foam grips like WT Karv which helped some. Then I tried out the OneUp carbon bars after all the glowing reviews but they seemed harsh to me, so I switched to 31.8mm Nukeproof Horizon V2 carbon bars and they feel better - I'm not sold on the 35mm bars hype yet. But TBH what really solved my hand problems was getting rid of the airspring and going to Vorsprung smashpot in my 160mm fork, that made 80% the difference and rarely get hand pain anymore. And I think the combination of the coil fork and switching to lighter lever action/stronger brakes also helped with arm pump (DHR Evo from G2s).
I got a Stumpy 15 and TBH I don't have any issue with the stock bars yet but I have always put carbon bars on my last few bikes to give it a softer feel. I'm not even shopping for bars but I saw your video and thought it might be interesting for when I do eventually put carbon bars on it.
I've got the loam bars with 25mm upsweep on my Norco Sight. I had had some very stiff aluminum bars that came with the bike before, but had issues with wrist soreness (in my wrist I had shattered the year before) after descending a number of trails. The loam handlebars are definitely way more comfortable on my wrist
Really liking my Loam so far.
Precut like most american men 😆. I am watching because I have absolutely felt too much stiffness in 35mm bars. I have since stepped down to 31.8, however they are mostly aluminum bars (like you mention in the end). That is due to price, but overall the 31.8 bars have felt better than all the 35mm bars I've tried (including OneUp). I am similar to your height but only weigh 150 so I am likely more sensitive to stiffness. Rad experiment!!!
Always use RENTHAL bars and RENTHAL Kevlar grips.
I also have the Bontrager RSL (one piece) at the beginning i wasn’t a fan of those but those are comfortable therefore they grew on me, now I really like those bars.
However Renthal grips are the best in the market hands down!!!
The reason I am watching this video is for researching bars for my dad because he has been loosing feeling in his arms while riding. He is currently running the stock aluminum bontrager bars. I am thinking of the one up bars.
OneUp e35/35.
Had a Spank Vibrocore.
I like the OneUp more. It has great dampening without feeling dead like Spank.
Again, the OneUp steering has a solid not dead feel.
I run the one up on a 20 rise. I like them but want a higher rise and more sweep, so checking out the options. thanks for the test
Thanks Russ!
Trippy... That torque wrench, car, etc. looks identical to the one I've had for the last few years that's branded Spin Doctor
I dropped a OneUp Carbon Bar on a Santa Cruz Megatower and my hands are loooooovin it 👍👍🇺🇸
I've been curious about carbon bars before, but never enough to get a pair. As someone that can be a little harder on my gear, I'd always be slightly worried that I'd break them in a crash. I had a pretty gnarly OTB this spring at Angel Fire and bent the stock bars on a rental Commencal Supreme DH. I hit both thighs on the bar as a flew over them (and unfortunately fractured my wrist... it was a pretty hard landing). Both my wife and I have been running PNW aluminum bars on our enduro / trail bikes for at least a season and we're pretty happy with them. I find them super comfy with fat grips.
9-10 sweep is my sweet spot.
Regarding Salsa, here, up North, they're mostly known for their fatbikes -- much more than for their aftermarket parts.
I like to learn about things and stuff.
Me too
I watched to see how the Raceface ERA did. I almost pulled the trigger on them, but instead went for the new Raceface Turbine bars in a 40mm rise and 780mm width in order to see how I got along with the 40mm rise before dropping the coin on carbon. I also switched my grips out to Deity Lockjaw from DMR Deathgrip at the same time, so I cannot say what has made the difference but I have had no arm pump or hand fatigue since the switch. My previous bars were Spank Vibrocore in a 20mm rise on a bike with a short head tube. Again, I cannot chalk it up to the bars completely, but I have no complaints. I don't even think about the ERA bars now. It would be nice to see the new Turbine bars A/B'd against the ERAs.
I got the one up bars, cut to 770mm and a nice pair of revgrips.
I have been riding MTB since the late 80's. Material doesn't matter as much as fit. This is my opinion. If you have a set of bars that have the correct rise and sweep for your comfort then you found the right bars for you. I'm currently running SQLAB carbon bars 45 rise 12* sweep and 760 width and 135mm ESI chunky grips which makes my hands sit at 740mm. This is not for everyone but it works for me. Keep up with the awesome videos.
Renthal might have worlds more experience with bars due to their moto division than the others. It’s why I chose them many years ago and I’m still on them now as they feel great.
I know that HRC has always used rental.
Hey Jeff, entertaining and informative as always.
Thanks.
You mentioned remedies for numb hands in your experience were a combination of gloves, grips and fit mores than a new set of handle bars. I've injured both my thumbs in the past and have challenges with pushing controls and holding onto the bars due to pain and lack of strength due to those injuries. Would you care to elaborate and do a breakdown sometime on how you find the specific attributes of each of these individual components add up to reduce pain, discomfort and numbness versus adding up to increase the numb nasties?
I have the Whiskey bars and the Renthal, all in 40mm rise 760mm wide, I’m 6’4” and 210lbs. I’ve use these bars on a v10, Hightower and a 5010.
Watching this video because I like your videos, I appreciate your perspective and your riding is always ridiculous. I ride Spank Aluminum Vibrocore bars. Not interested in carbon bars personally. I seem to see more broken carbon bars and rims than aluminum bars come through the shop.
Would love to see an alloy 31.8mm bar comparison that goes over the differences vs these carbon bars!
Recently tried some Deity Carbon bars. Came stock at 810mm. Cut them down to 790mm just to try it (I normally run 780). Felt way too stiff all of the time and would get some wicked hand and arm pump. Cut them down to my normal 780 and now they feel great. Still really stiff but they seem to really dampen the trail chatter. Didn’t think that bar width would affect that but I guess it does, at least in my case.
I have a few different carbon bars (Answer, Renthal, Thomson, OneUp, and Enve). So I wanted to see what your thoughts are! Great content as usual! Thanks!
Why watching? Curiosity about options. My bike came w 35mm aluminum Chromag bars and I could not sort out the arm fatigue. After a bit of research, I swapped out for the Oneup carbon bars. A very noticeable improvement in ride quality
I have Chromag carbon bars. Stiff as hell. I just watched the video because I watch all of your videos, but now I might look at the OneUp for a bit more compliance. Though the backsweep of the PNW is intriguing. The issue with bars is you're kind of just remembering what you don't like about your old ones and hoping minor differences in new bars help.
Awesome comparison. Thought Enve's would be stiff af, like their old wheels. But seems like they're changing things.
My Scott Spark (XC bike) came with Carbon bars but they had an integrated stem so I just changed it up so I could put a traditional stem and bars so that I can have more room. With the new stem and carbon bars I'm not hitting my knee on the bars anymore. I decided to try the Trail 1 bars though, I'd love to hear your thoughts on them eventually. I am starting a Norco Sight custom build though so that's why I wanted to watch this video.
My new bike came with them 25mm rise but looks more 15mm anyway i took them off brand new never used swapped out for ride high 38s burgtec alloy 35mm, im a heavier rider and just don't trust carbon at best of times never mind in bars but would have used them for abit if had the right rise, the burgtec 38s are just spot on for me! I did think it would be abit OTT but nah they are such a nice bar all round and the new monarch grips with them made them even nicer! Definitely my new favourite grips!
A tragedy you didn’t get to try the Trail One Crockett carbon bars. Absolutely exquisite
Great video, I currently have the one up on my canyon spectral on, renthals on Canfield nimble9 and spire and the enve on an izzo. Definitely prefer the enve and one up over the renthals but do prefer the renthals over any alloy bars, have been curious about the loams. Love the loam grips, droppers, lever and composite pedals.
Love the way oneup bars feel, but two small issues: takes large amount of torque to prevent sram brake clamps from slipping. I have been using carbon paste between clamp and bar to fix this (enve didn’t do this). The bars matte clear coat becomes gloss very easily from normal wear and tear
Thumbs up for the beautiful kitty 😻
I the only number I’m looking for these days is
Great insight.. I wanted to learn if there is significant differences in the bars on offer (I use the Santa Cruz carbon bar)
I'd probably like more back sweep on my bars. I have a set of carbon bars from Wren already on my bike though but they are 9 degrees. Definitely fixed most of my wrist pain but not all of it.
Already have Trail1 35mm rise carbon bars. Hands still go numb occasionally. Will try some different grips I guess. Really watching to hear your take on these matters
Running DEITY HIGHSIDE 760 HANDLEBAR with 80mm RISE. Gives me more room when I snap the bars to my chest on flat drops. I do miss the compliance of carbon but function trumps comfort. At 62 I can't (shouldn't) ride WFO anymore so I get sick satisfaction with multiple handlebar height drops to flat on my 2013 SC Nomad2.
Anyone willing to swap handlebars so many times like you did for our benefit deserves a medal. One deg - one mm kills me on setup! How did you do it?
hate to say it, but I still prefer alu. Probably more of a trust thing as I do have a tendency to crash. I hear the oneups Alu bars are nearly as good and I personally use the burgtec 35s, same that Santa Cruz specs on their lower end, but I prefer the burley and direct feel, and would rather have my fork, tire pressure, quality wheel to take care of the most minimal small bump compliance.
That said, I had owned the Renthal Fatbar and yeah... its still #1 in my books, though the 35 alu is a stiff bastard.
Also I agree and think higher rise is better for a gravity oriented rider. If you're someone who rides park or rides where you typically winch your way up for the down, 40MM+ FTW
I'm the opposite, in that I find most aluminum bars make a bike feel very harsh on fast, rough, flowy trails. I've had an otherwise awesome bike feel like crap, IMO, due to being spec'd with aluminum bars.
@@ejhayes76 without a doubt, oneup carbon bars add additional compliance. Also... I think maybe 35mm bars may be the cause of this. Thinking about it, I had less issues with a 31.8 Alu bars.
Please do the same kind of test with Alloy bars, maybe bench mark them against the OneUp carbon or Enve M7, I want to get a new set of bars because my current bars are too low, 20mm rise OneUp, but I dont really want to go buy new carbon bars, your insight could prove rather invaluable
nice test! I would love to see the best of those bars vs a titanium one, just for fun.
I'd like to see a review of the comfiest alu bars as well. I don't care about material but I'm sensitive to hand pain. I'm currently running the OneUp E35 but my Spank Oozy Vibrocore 780 31.8 were probably a bit more comfy, though also less precise in the turns. So I'd like a direct comparison of comfy bars of any material. (I hear titanium are the best, but spendy.)
Been thru 10 bars this year always wind back on 755 oneup carbons.. got evil carbons on full 820 now trying to spend the winter wide as im an og 90s tight bar rider with a new enduro bike… different game. The PNW 10 deg backsweep made me feel like i caught full blown AIDS on the trail… too many years w 8 / 5 . The one up feels fastest and most comfy to me. I did the pisgah enduro with spank vibrocore +70… comfy but the one up wouldvebeen a better choice, longest dh on the east coast- good bar tester ! One up bars bend does weird me out aesthetically but i feel they are comfyyyy…
if your cockpit is properly setup for your riding style and preference, than no, carbon bars are not game changers. That being said, I changed to oneup 35mm rise bars, 35mm stem and raised the stem by 5mm. My bike now feels amazing!
I am watching because I get too much arm pump with my hardtail, much less with my full sus. Rest of my cockpit is fine so bars where the ones to change in order to decrease arm pump. Went with DEITY Speedway 35s, so far so good.
I’m average size among my rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking friends at 5’9” 135 lbs.
I remember in the 80s my doctor telling me I was completely average.
Average height, average weight.
Middle of the bell curve.
I can’t comprehend weighing 200lbs.
Watching because I love your videos and was wondering if my Burgtec bars will be in the mix.
@JeffKendallWeed 4:34 I see what you said there. Almost made me spill my coffee. But it’s not length, width or “snipped” but how you use it, right?
He slipped that one in nicely.
@@dsm664your comment is underrated sir 🫡
we like your cats tooooooo : )
I'm just not interested in carbon bars. I do enjoy your well thought out and executed videos! I'm 6'1" and 208lb, and ride three times a week, so I wear parts out and carbon just doesn't inspire confidence. I do ride the AL version of PNW Loam bars and sport them on a few of my rides. Just recently, riding since 1997, I had some numb hands, and cured it by going back to the old style OURY grips and ESI grips. The lock on ones have 50% less rubber and real hard plastic cores, which may have contributed to the numbness. Thanks for the videos Jeff!
Try Renthal.
Im 6"4" and 215lbs. I use the Renthal Fatbar. With RevGrip clamp on grips I have more comfort than I had with ESI chunky grips
Have my Enve bars already. Just watching because I’m curious what you think and just wanted to watch some riding.
My last bike I had Raceface Carbon Bars and I loved it. My new bike (rocky Mountain Altitude A50) has aluminum bars and I'm looking to change them out.
I’m watching because I really value your opinion and wanted to see if I was missing the boat on any particular bar, or my one ups were as good as it gets.
P.S. I’m a Jett Lawrence fan too 👍
Watching in background while working- have stock pivot carbon bars on both bikes.
Those bars are just fine! I had a set with me, was hoping to include OEM Pivot and Ibis bars so more folks would have a valid reference, but bar swaps take so much longer than it might seem- I just ran out of time!
@@JeffKendallWeedno complaints- both these bikes are overkill for me at the moment anyway (‘24 Shadowcat and ‘24 Switchblade) haha. Thanks for the content!
I still have stock (carbon)bars and stock grips on my bike(pivot switchblade), and I have felt numbness to be an issue to be honest. That said I haven't tried anything else, so it's hard to say how good/bad it is without a personal comparison. I'll try new grips first, because it's best to start with the cheapest change first and see if that might be substantial or not, or if it can be a combination of both.