Mountain Bike
Handlebars

Mountain Biking is one of the most demanding sports in the world, and the handlebar of a mountain bike is the most critical contact point on the bike. Although many riders stick with the handlebar fitted on the bike from the factory, many choose to change their handlebar and handlebar setup to their exact requirements and preferences.

The handlebar on a mountain bike affects how the bike handles and affects how comfortable the bike is to ride. As a general rule of thumb, the more demanding the mountain bike terrain and riding - the better suited the bike and rider are to a broader handlebar. Those riding downhill mountain bike trails will do better with a wider handlebar, providing greater control. These wider mountain bike handlebars usually rise, allowing the rider to place more weight over the bike's back wheel when riding steep descents.

It’s not about fitting the widest possible handlebars to a mountain bike. However - if you are riding a cross-country mountain bike, a narrower, flatter bar, with less of a rise - will do a better job of getting your weight over the front of the bike, which is better for cross-country riding and climbing. The full range of mountain bike handlebars above typically sit between 700mm and 800mm in width. XC bikes are better suited to narrower bars, and downhill and enduro bikes are more suited to wider bars. This is not always the case, however, and for riders who ride a lot of singletracks, narrower bars may suit - as wider bars can catch on trees and foliage.

As well as choosing the most suitable handlebar width, there is also the choice of what material your handlebar should be made from. Most mountain bike handlebars are made from aluminium, with a combination of lightweight and toughness - making sense for most, especially those riding downhill trails. The weight savings of a carbon fibre handlebar is best suited to those riding cross country; there are other advantages to carbon fibre handlebars - they provide a more comfortable performance VS alloy handlebars, but they are significantly more expensive.

As well as providing a complete range of MTB handlebars, we also supply a full range of mountain bike grips. Buying online is simple, and please get in touch if you have any questions about the range.