Everyone’s getting high these days! I like to think our B Practice co-host, Stack Attack Dak, has played a part in the popularity of riser bars in recent years. PNW is the latest brand to join the movement, adding a 75mm rise alloy bar to its Range lineup. It maintains the same 10° backsweep and 5° upsweep as their other bars, which I believe makes it the tallest rise bar with the most backsweep.
Highlights
- 75mm rise
- 2014 alloy
- 800mm width
- 10° backsweep // 5° upsweep
- 35mm clamp
- MSRP (USD): $69
PNW’s reasoning for raising the bar:
1. Steep Terrain Control
If the trail tips toward the oh s*** type of grade, a higher rise can keep your weight back where it belongs, giving you a bit more front-wheel bite, more confidence, and more "I meant to do that" moments on the techy bits.
2. Wrist & Back Savers
Along with our tried and true Range Handlebar sweep numbers, this high rise version provides even more ergo benefits by easing the load on wrists, elbows, and shoulders.
3. Dial It In
If you've been stacking spacers to sit up taller, there's a cleaner way. A high rise bar lifts you upright and leaves the frame's intended reach right where the designer of the bike intend.
Q. Will higher rise bars pair well with modern MTB geos?
As reach numbers have gotten longer and head angles slacker on modern enduro/trail bikes, riders often find their front end feeling low and stretched out. A higher rise bar compensates by raising the grips back up, restoring a more balanced cockpit without changing the frame's reach/stack numbers.
Q. I hate arm pump, will these help?
Higher rise bars change the angle of your forearms relative to the grips, which for many riders reduces strain on long descents and can delay arm pump.
Q. We are seeing a lot of high rise bars on DH bikes...
For steep DH riding, longer-travel forks sit lower in their travel under braking and through chunky terrain; a higher rise bar helps maintain a consistent, controlled position as the front end dynamically changes height throughout a run. This makes for a more controlled, faster and ultimately safer body position.
Q. And we're seeing a lot of high rise bars on e-bikes...
For e-bikes, in addition to the reasons why DH riders are running higher rise bars, a lot of riders are also wanting a more comfy position in the saddle which can relieve lower back discomfort. The added weight of an e-bike also changes how the bike handles at speed, and many riders find a slightly more upright position gives better leverage for muscling the heavier bike through tight terrain or around corners, not just comfort, but control.
More information can be found at pnwcomponents.com
What are the negatives to going to a higher rise bar? What will you give up when you go to a more stood up position?
I think they look goofy and would rather split the rise between steerer tube spacers and bar height but that's just me.
@Jason_Schroeder any intel on the max clamping width? These look to have a wide one and hence could be the only option compatible with super wide stems like the Chromag BZA and the Title DM1 (85mm).
@marsch the Range High Rise Handlebar has a 70mm stem clamp width.
I think it's very rider specific, but I started to notice a loss of traction on steep descents and in flat corners. I'm sure there are other ways to compensate for that through bike setup, but I ended up going back to a more conventional setup. (50mm riser with 10mm spacers) That said, I'm riding an S3 Stumpjumper 15. If I were on an S5, I might have a different opinion.
Whatever get you to your RAD
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I'd like to see even higher bars available. I'm currently running 90mm but just bought some 120mm to test.
These are the best "budget" rise bars on the market imo. I started with the 38mm rise and just went to the 50mm -- loving the 50, though I did settle on a slightly different roll vs. the 38.
The 10 degree backsweep works wonderfully for me, the only negative is that the graphics are absurdly cheap. No amount of care will prevent them from scratching badly just from tightening clamps. It's a shame because they look really clean new, but by the time they're on your bike they're scratched.
As a fellow high bar user, could you share the brands your running? I’m on Deity 80mm but haven’t found higher ones that can handle DH.
Not too concerned about the appearance.
IIRC Dak has said something about it being harder to get weight on the front end in corners
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