Easton Haven Carbon Handlebar

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I've been using this bar for almost two seasons now and it's held up better than I expected. As this is my first carbon bar, I did my research and spent a little bit more than I would normally on a handlebar. I settled on Easton due to its reputation/experience with carbon and because I also have the aluminum version of this bar and liked it.

Installation was easy and I made sure to get carbon paste and use a torque wrench. So far no slippage, creaks, or anything that would cause alarm. On the trail, I could immediately tell the difference between the carbon and aluminum bar, however it wasn't as large of a difference as I thought it would be. Vibrations were a little more muted but not as much as I had anticipated. This is a stiff bar. Not a bad thing, just surprising since I've read so many reports about how carbon dampens the trail so incredibly well. The rise, sweep, and bend is pretty standard and feels good. At 711mm the bars are a little on the narrow side by today's standards. It would be great if they offered a 725mm or 740mm version. At 170 grams this bar is really light. It took about 100 grams off of my aluminum haven setup.

I've laid this bar down several times on some minor crashes and the ends have held up surprisingly well. The ends have no damage, and just a few scratches near the bend that didn't make it past the clear coat. I really like this bar as it suits me and my riding style perfectly. However, I'm not sure of its broader appeal. At 711mm it seems too narrow for most folks, it's virtually as stiff as the aluminum version (so very little magical carbon dampening qualities), and it's got a hefty price tag (relative to aluminum bars). If you're looking to save weight, the 100g might be better coming from the tires or rims. All this said, I really love these bars, just wish it was a tad wider.