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Stiff 31.8mm Handlebars, what's out there?

HardtailHack

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,721
5,603
I'm trying to find a stupidly stiff 31.8mm handlebar, I don't care about weight or how well it absorbs "trail buzz". I currently have Vanderham's and some Controltech Venoms and both flex more under power than I'd like so I'd ideally like something a normal human would deem too stiff. Also they will be chopped to 750mm and will need at least 20mm rise.

I do have a 35mm Easton bar but can't get a low enough stack height stem to run it with this fork(DMR Defy stem would work but they are ****!).

Cheers, gents.
 
norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,366
1,602
Warsaw :/
Chromag makes stiff bars and they offer them in higher rise (Don't remember what's the exact number).

Also aren't those butt ugly renthals quite stiff?
 
Wetbed0

Wetbed0

Chimp
Dec 17, 2013
73
2
Colorado
I feel the spank 777's are pretty stiff. Front wheel shuffles side to side as you crank if you don't have enough sag.
 
Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,961
9,630
AK
I run the 780 Protaper carbon bar, the carbon layup is impressively thick IMO and it's stiff.
 
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aenema

aenema

almost 100% positive
Sep 5, 2008
306
111
I thought the Atlas bars were flexy, I could stand over the bike and move the. If you want stiff, go renthal. Best bars I have run and love the angles of it. Can't believe I am the first to suggest them in fact.
 
jackalope

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,605
5,913
in a single wide, cooking meth...
aenema said:
I thought the Atlas bars were flexy, I could stand over the bike and move the. If you want stiff, go renthal. Best bars I have run and love the angles of it. Can't believe I am the first to suggest them in fact.
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You must be several orders of magnitude stronger than me - guess I need to break out the needles and hit the gym.

But I do agree about the Renthals based on my highly sensitive parking lot flex test...Then again, this is coming from someone with lady strength it seems.
 
Jeremy R

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,698
1,053
behind you with a snap pop
jackalope said:
Don't have tons of experience to draw from, but IMO, the Race Face Atlas alum bars are brutally stiff - even uncut.
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Out of the all bars that I own, the Race Face Atlas actually has the most give. Even the Renthal light bar is stiffer than it is. I have a Chromag 2 inch rise bar on my dj bike and it is really stiff too. That said, I actually prefer the feel of the race bars as they are more comfortable. The best bar I have ever ridden and owned is the race face 35 carbon bar. It is really solid feeling in all conditions, but really comfortable as well.
 
jackalope

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,605
5,913
in a single wide, cooking meth...
Wow, I feel really girly now. Bitch hands indeed. I will say I feel like my RF Six C bar (31.8) is plenty stiff, yet doesn't transfer harsh trail chatter like my alum Atlas bars did. Although that may because they cost more and are made of plastic, therefore must be better.
 
ZoRo

ZoRo

Turbo Monkey
Sep 28, 2004
1,224
11
MTL
Jm_ said:
I run the 780 Protaper carbon bar, the carbon layup is impressively thick IMO and it's stiff.
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This. I've been running these bars last season and this season (740mm and 780mm). Plenty plenty stiff and cool looking also.
 
Jeremy R

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,698
1,053
behind you with a snap pop
jackalope said:
Wow, I feel really girly now. Bitch hands indeed. I will say I feel like my RF Six C bar (31.8) is plenty stiff, yet doesn't transfer harsh trail chatter like my alum Atlas bars did. Although that may because they cost more and are made of plastic, therefore must be better.
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Don't feel bad. I only know all this BECAUSE of my bitch hands. Both have been broken before and they are the first thing to go on me doing DH runs. Ha, every time I complain about them, people start giving me arm pump tips. I don't get arm pump, just the hands. By the end of the day I a normally have to physically pull my fingers off the bar from cramps.
 
descente

descente

Monkey
Jul 30, 2010
430
0
Sandy Eggo
another vote for the renthal fat bars. i ran them on my trail bike for a while too and didn't think the stiff ness was uncomfortable, and they fit my reach and wingspan nicely.
 
D

dereka15

Chimp
Mar 10, 2011
11
0
A, A
Renthals! Stiff as ****, but will destroy your hands... Im running the protaper carbon 780s now, still stiff but wont hurt your hands.
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,061
5,970
borcester rhymes
I thought my Atlas DH/FR/Flat DH bars and protaper 780s (all 7050 alu) are pretty stiff. That's compared to my 800mm kore torsion bars in 2014 alloy or whatever they were.
 
wydopen

wydopen

Turbo Monkey
Jan 16, 2005
1,229
60
805
dereka15 said:
Renthals! Stiff as ****, but will destroy your hands... Im running the protaper carbon 780s now, still stiff but wont hurt your hands.
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my right hand has been cramping badly lately....i recently switched from 740mm fatbar lites to 760mm fatbars...

didnt even think about it being the extra stiffness as its only one hand...might have to stick the old lites back on and try it again
 
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aenema

aenema

almost 100% positive
Sep 5, 2008
306
111
I have found that if hands are hurting, its more a combination of grip diameter and brake lever setup than bar stiffness. Personally, I like the Odi Rogue grips as they offer good cushion and being larger diameter because of that, more surface area. Levers are a personal preference for some but properly focusing on them and setting them up will greatly reduce the hand strain over a long day.
 
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HardtailHack

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,721
5,603
Damn, I'm not usually a person that won't run something because it looks ugly as hell but the Renthal bar looks disgusting and will have no place on my bike.

I might try a Chromag then, I have shot a few emails off to them and they have been super helpful with replies and the saddle they sent me rocks. As soon as I swap my fork out I was going to get their high rise 35mm BZA carbon bar.
 
aenema

aenema

almost 100% positive
Sep 5, 2008
306
111
Understand. I like it but realize its not everybody's taste. And not like it is the only option out there. Chromag is an awesome company.
 
ChrisRobin

ChrisRobin

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2002
3,349
192
Vancouver
I'm liking my RF SixC bar. Comfy and feels stiff. I expected a bit of a smoother feel coming a Deity riser alum bar (forgot which one), but it didn't feel that much different.
 
VMARTINEZ

VMARTINEZ

Monkey
May 23, 2005
303
18
I ride a set of Enve DH bars on my DH and XC bike. I rode a friends new GT and he was running some Funn bars. Way stiffer and less forgiving then my carbon bars.
 
HardtailHack

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,721
5,603
gemini2k said:
How come you guys want ultra stiff bars? What benefit is there to that over "regular" stiffness bars?
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I just find that a bike feels a lot quicker under power when you have a nice stiff crank, bar and stem combo. I went down the expensive/light path a while ago but found the bike felt like **** in sprints, now I have a 14kg hardtail that feels more responsive than my previous one that was over a kilo lighter.
I am a fatty boombalatty and trying to move my immense mass tends to bend bars upwards from time to time so I'd like to find something strong.
 
gnarbar

gnarbar

Monkey
Oct 22, 2011
136
3
ChrisRobin said:
I'm liking my RF SixC bar. Comfy and feels stiff. I expected a bit of a smoother feel coming a Deity riser alum bar (forgot which one), but it didn't feel that much different.
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+1 for SixC or Enve - both stiff as a rapist on Viagra
 
demonprec

demonprec

Monkey
Nov 12, 2004
237
15
Whonnock BC Canada
aenema said:
I thought the Atlas bars were flexy, I could stand over the bike and move the. If you want stiff, go renthal. Best bars I have run and love the angles of it. Can't believe I am the first to suggest them in fact.
Click to expand...
i ride Atlas bars and prefer them too the Renthals which gave me sore elbows and bad hand cramps
 
wydopen

wydopen

Turbo Monkey
Jan 16, 2005
1,229
60
805
HardtailHack said:
Damn, I'm not usually a person that won't run something because it looks ugly as hell but the Renthal bar looks disgusting and will have no place on my bike.
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:confused::confused:

Renthal bar and duo stem combo is the best looking cockpit out there....

I like my mtb to resemble my moto..
 
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