Skip to main content

CarbonCycles eXotic Super Wide carbon bar


At 206g for the 800mm version (820 and 840mm widths also available), the eXotic SuperWide is very light even by carbon standards, and it’s cheaper than most alloy options that are 50 per cent heavier. It’s only available in a 31.8mm diameter and with a 25mm rise, but the eight-degree backsweep and five-degree upsweep feel fine. There’s no central grip strip, so we’d advise torquing up your stem bolts as tight as safely possible (8Nm) and adding some grip paste to stop the glossy unidirectional carbon finish slipping. There are no cut marks either. Ride feel is well balanced, with a bit of initial flex for comfort but a firmer feel under pressure for decent accuracy when you’re pushing the pace. Despite initial cost/weight concerns, the bar hasn’t made any worrying noises during testing. Our previous CarbonCycles sample was fine too, and the company have been trading for over 20 years, which is reassuring from a back-up point of view.

Price $87


Labels

Popular posts from this blog

Merida Big Nine 100

Wit the bikes swapped over, we head out on the same loop again, this time on the 29in Big Nine 100. Whereas the Big Seven was snappy off the line, the 29er takes a couple more pedal strokes to get up to speed. That said, once it's up there, it's easy to keep the big wheels rolling, allowing us to cover ground with ease. The fire road is at times a little rough, and the bigger wheels roll over the imperfections so we barely notice them.

READ MORE >>

Chromag HiFi 35 (50mm) stem

This is a seriously solid stem. Chromag use 5mm Allen bolts throughout, which makes it that bit easier to fit because you don’t have to swap tools. Once torqued up to the recommended 6-8Nm, it clamps both steerer and bar solidly, with no appreciable flex. We couldn’t get it to twist on the steerer, either in our static test or when riding. It’s also available in a 35mm length and three other colours. At 204g the HiFi is the heaviest stem on test by some margin, despite being one of the more expensive offerings here. Price $112

READ MORE >>

KONA SHRED

With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.

READ MORE >>

ENVE M50 29" Wheels

Utah based company ENVE have been making drool-worthy carbon components for some years now. Despite the fact that carbon rims are becoming more and more common on mountain bikes these days, you can guarantee that ENVE wheels will be a talking point when someone is eyeing off a steed. Instantly, the big bold logos on each rim scream "fast", "light" and to some extent, "expensive" The kids call this 'bling'.

READ MORE >>

COMMENCAL EL CAMINO 3

Commencal are going from strength to strength at the moment and they’ve taken their tough trail hardtail bang up to date with 650b wheels. With its skinny rims, crankset and fork, the El Camino certainly isn’t perfect and it’s the least hardcore bike here. The handling, smoothness, speed and all-round agility of the basic bike still make it a real blast for technical trail riding though, and it’s a great base for upgrading over time.

READ MORE >>