Help: can you find me a better value-for-money handlebar?

[InverseOfZero]

Hi all, this is my benchmark:

http://mtzoom.com/handlebars/mt-zoom-ul ... -bar-128g/

Incredible weight for the money. Because I'm in Australia, I also get this ex-VAT, plus a 5% discount (because I'm ordering other stuff) which brings the bar down to 74.41 GBP (ex. shipping) which is dirt cheap for a bar this weight. This price/benchmark is obviously for a brand-new product, not second-hand (though I am open to the suggestion if you find something in decent condition).

However, it's not ideal. I'd prefer it to be not as high a rise (as low a rise as possible whilst still maintaining an up-sweep as I don't want a flat bar), and wider. Can you guys help me? I'm aware that there is some crazy WW stuff like Extralite etc. but I'm looking for something of similar value (see below).

I'd be happy to compromise up to 15% in either price or weight for ideal measurements (i.e. lower rise <15mm AND wider bars >720mm). Otherwise I claim that the riser bar I have found is quite possibly the best value for money in WW territory. I'm talking brand-named too, not some dodgy no-name ebay knock-off (this thing has warranty and is tested etc).

I've been researching for hours and hours (maybe even days) and I have done lots of searching but I don't think I can come up with a better deal. I'd be willing to donate $5 USD (via PayPal) for someone that can find me a better deal within my parameters because I value you helping me save some research time. Alternatively if you guys say something like "this is about as good as it gets" that would be extremely helpful too (and I'll pull the trigger)...

Thanks in advance fellow WW!

Best wishes, many thanks, George (new to WW, my first thread so be nice )

[wingguy]

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[TheRookie]

I have some carbon bars from China, 123g for 680mm and cost about £20, checked internally with an endoscope before use and the quality looked very good.

[InverseOfZero]

Thanks for the offer and reply @Rookie, much appreciated. Unfortunately though I need much wider bars >720mm. Thanks anyway [emoji4]

Sent from my 0PJA10 using Tapatalk

[DanW]

Mt Zoom make great bars and the crash replacement policy is great. I picked up some Easton EC90's which are a fraction wider and lighter for the same price on CRC, just to have a change of scenery after many happyily used Mt Zoom bars

[InverseOfZero]

Mt Zoom make great bars and the crash replacement policy is great. I picked up some Easton EC90's which are a fraction wider and lighter for the same price on CRC, just to have a change of scenery after many happyily used Mt Zoom bars

Cheers DanW, are you referring to this item:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/au/e ... prod128691

If so, then it's actually not quite as good as the Mt Zoom, which is nearly 20g lighter, approx. $50AUD cheaper and 5mm lower rise (ideal for me as I want as low a rise as possible whilst keeping some upsweep).

In any case, thanks so much for your confidence-inspiring review on Mt Zoom products

[DanW]

Sorry, I missed the bit about requiring upsweep and looking at risers rather than flats. I can't even consider risers on a 29er as the bars are still too high on flat bar with a slammed -17 stem so my brain isn't aware risers still exist

I also find too much upsweep a little odd nowadays and a flat bar with a generous backsweep rotated slightly will give you varying combinations of back and up-sweep, depending on how much you rotate.

FWIW, my (flat) Eastons came out quite a bit under the claimed weight and are more like 740mm end to end so you may find the weights even out. That said, Mt Zoom make great products and you won't be disappointed and they are pretty damned hard to beat

[muntos]

I end up ordering a Race Face Flat Wide Carbon, as much as I wanted a very light handle bar I preferred one that holds a minor crash as I had with my Tune bar which broke lamentably ...

[InverseOfZero]

#UPDATE# - DanW wins the prize!

Kudos and many thanks to DanW. He found me a bar that is:
* Lighter
* Cheaper
* Bigger reputable name brand
* Quicker delivered
* Satisfies my geometry requirements (i.e. no rise but with upsweep by rotating a flat bar)
A promise is a promise, so if you PM me your PayPal email I'll send over the $5 USD as a token of my gratitude.

Details:
* I feel like a total git. The only reason why I wanted a riser bar was to get upsweep. If anything I didn't want a riser bar because my front end (due to Lefty) was already too high, and I too have to have a -17 deg stem to get the bar down lower (I may invest in a -25 degree stem for racing). So, simple geometry would say that a 9 deg flatbar becomes a 4.5/4.5 deg riser bar with back/up sweep once rotated 45 degrees relative to the horizontal. So embarrassing, and I'm doing a PhD in maths... So, a flat bar is actually optimal, after all that.
* I Took DanW's advice and bought the Easton. Just got home to do some measurements and indeed it's about 10mm longer at each end compared to my previous OEM Lapierre 720mm flat bar of the same sweep. So it's wider at around 740mm as he said.
* Chucked it on the scales and weighs a freakish 124g. You beauty!
* Got it dirt cheap at cyclingexpress.com with a 12% voucher code and express TNT delivery!
* I'm sure that Mt Zoom make excellent products, but I am a bit happier to have a reputable name behind my WW carbon handlebar; I trust Easton's carbon fibre products and engineering.

Thanks to all that contributed for the valuable discussion and insight.

Happy grooving!

[DanW]

I think the apocalypse must be nigh! It doesn't sound like me to be talking sense

Glad to hear you found something that meets your needs. I had completely overlooked the EC90sl and always assumed it to be heavy and expensive but actually it was a great little find and I love mine.

Nice gesture, but keep the $5 for even more weenie-ing

Happy trails!

[muntos]

I was initially for the Easton also, but this thread made me change my mind :
viewtopic.php?t=137933
Hope there was only a isolated problem, but there were a couple of persons that said the same..

Anyway, this is mine, not so light as the Easton but beautiful and seems much much solid than my previous Tune