How To Choose Mountain Bike Handlebars?

Handlebars are the most important contact point between you and your mountain bike, so it’s important to get them right, taking into account a number of different factors before choosing the right setup for both you and your MTB.

As with everything in the world of mountain bikes, the choice of handlebars can be overwhelming - there are different brands, sizes, shapes, designs and materials to choose from. Variations in shape, size and design can make a dramatic impact on the feel and performance of your mountain bike.

MTB Handlebar Rise & Sweep

The rise & sweep of a mountain bike handlebar, is one of the areas with the most differences and choices. There are many different configurations to choose from. Typically, riders who ride steep terrain will benefit from a handlebar with a larger rise - which is measured from the centre of the bar to the end of the bar. A higher rise allows more weight to be transferred over the back of the bike, which is really important when riding steep and technical descents. Mountain bike handlebars which do not have any rise, or a low amount of rise - helps keep weight over the front wheel of the bike, which is important for cross country riders, who need speed across ascents and flat terrain.

Sweep refers to the bend in the handlebar, which can be in the upwards directions, and also sweep back towards the rider. MTB bar sweep is all about comfort, so it’s worth trying a few different setups on friends' bikes, and also taking your time to get used to a new level of sweep.

MTB Handlebar Materials

There are three main material choices for mountain bike handlebars, they are alloy/aluminium, carbon fibre and titanium - although titanium handlebars are quite rare. The most common choices are alloy and carbon fibre.

Both alloy and carbon fibre mountain bike handlebars have different advantages, and different price points. As you would expect, carbon handlebars are more expensive, but are lighter than alloy handlebars, and have been designed to soak up a lot of the vibrations from off road use. Aluminium handlebars are cheaper to purchase, and also are more resistant to impacts & scratches - meaning they can be categorised as tougher. Alloy bars do have some downsides however, they can feel too stiff.

MTB Handlebar Width

Handlebar width is another area of handlebar design which boils down to personal preference. There are however a typical bunch of rules about the right handlebar width for your body type, and your riding requirements. Although not hard and fast, the following usual rules apply - a shorter rider will typically use narrower bars Vs someone who is taller. A Cross Country Bike will also use narrower bars than a downhill bike or an enduro bike.

The science behind this, is that wider bars are more stable than narrower bars - making wider bars the best choice of bars for people riding trails. Narrower bars however, are lighter and are more aerodynamic - meaning they are better for cross country bikes and mountain bikers covering a lot of mileage. Another consideration to make is the terrain that you ride across, if you ride tight singletrack - then a wider handlebar may strike trees/bushes and branches on the route.

The best guidance we can give, is to experiment with some different widths - and get a feel of what’s comfortable and what allows you to feel most in control.

MTB Handlebar Diameter

There are two main handlebar clamp diameters in use - 35mm clamps which are a more recent introduction, and the old school 31.8mm option. A diameter of 35mm increases stiffness and durability of the bar, but many riders prefer the less stiff feel of riding with a 31.8mm clamp.

Downhill MTB Handlebars

Downhill Mountain Bikes typically have handlebars with the largest rise in, this allows the rider to push their weight over the back of the bike - when travelling down technical trails and steep terrain. There’s an argument for either alloy or carbon handlebars, and whilst there is no right or wrong choice - we believe that because downhill mountain bikes can take the most punishment, alloy bars - with their tough design and cheaper price point, make most sense.

Trail/Enduro Handlebars

Trail and Enduro Bikes have some of the largest array of handlebar setups. Carbon fibre handlebars are popular choices here, with their damping taking a lot of buzz out of trails - the most important factor here though, is rise and sweep - typically enduro riders choose a handlebar sweep of between 10mm to 35mm.

XC Handlebars

XC Handlebars are usually best setup with a low rise, this design allows the rider to get themselves over the front wheel of the bike - allowing for greater progress on climbs, including technical climbs. A lower bar with a longer stem helps assist in increasing efficiency, and carbon fibre handlebars are perfectly suited to XC bikes because of its lightweight design.