Mountain Bike Handlebars Reviews and Recommendations

Getting the best handlebars for your mountain bike (MTB) is essential if you want to get a good ride. They’re a crucial part of controlling your bike and they have a significant impact on how your bike handles—essential when you’re dealing with all terrain surfaces.

Things to consider when shopping for the right MTB handlebars include the seat position, the width, the brake levers and hand position, whether you want backsweep, and the style itself like flat bars, riser bars, and drop handlebars. In most cases, you’ll be able to choose between titanium, aluminum, or carbon. Many pros consider carbon the best of the three because they are so lightweight, but you can get quality handlebars in any of these metals. They all have pros and cons, so you need to decide what’s important to you and go from there.

A few things about handlebar geometry you’ll want to consider:

The rise, which is the height differential between the center of the bar at the stem the center jut after the taper and the transitional bend, are often 0 or flat in MTBs. High rise bars are usually around 40 mm to 50 mm, which is two inches or less. Getting the rise right is usually based on your position when on the bike. Taller riders might feel like the flat rise is too low. Bikes for riding downhill also tend to have a slightly higher rise because it allows for more control. In general, riders just prefer what makes them comfortable, so there’s no right or wrong rise. Try out a few variations and see what makes you most comfortable.

Next, you’ll want to think about sweep. Upsweep is the vertical angle of the bars at the grip and affects the overall rise of the bars. It’s a separate measurement than rise, though. It really doesn’t have an effect on performance, aside from affecting how comfortable you are when riding. Most of the time it’s between four and six degrees.

Backsweep, the other type of sweep, is the angle at which the bars swoop toward the back of the bike. It can range from zero degrees to 45 degrees in specialty bars. Like upsweep, it’s all about comfort and has no bearing on a bike’s performance.

Next up is bar diameter. Mountain bikes are only available in one width at the grip, which is 22.2 mm. However, at the clamp, there are three diameters from which to choose, including 25.4 mm, 31.8 mm, and 35 mm. The clap diameter is the middle where the bar is clamped to the stem and larger clamp areas tend to be stronger and provide an increased surface area with the stem. The main thing you’ll want to know is that if you’re replacing your bars only, you’ll need to be sure what you buy matches your existing stem clamp diameter.

Width of Mountain Bike Bars

Now we’ll talk about the width of handlebars, which is arguably the most important consideration. The common belief is that wider handlebars are better. We tend to agree, at least, when it comes to modern riding and the need for steering control. It also makes your body mechanics better because the wider your arm and chest span with wider bars the easier it is for you to breathe properly when riding.

It’s possible to get handlebars ranging in width from 600 mm to 840 mm. Keep in mind that, despite the belief that wider is better, you still need to go with what makes you feel comfortable and secure. Also, remember it’s always possible to cut down wider bars. If you’re torn, invest in the wider option that you can try out for a while and cut down if necessary in the future.

Metal

Finally, before we get to our recommendations for best MTB handlebars, we’ll take a look at the various metals used to make bars.

Aluminum bars tend to be the cost-conscious option. There are plenty of great aluminum options available, but they are the heaviest, so you’ll need to keep that in mind.

Titanium bars are the most expensive and still have the heaviest weight. They tend to give the harshest ride when it comes to vibration and impact.

Carbon bars, which are quickly becoming the favorite of many, are forgiving and lightweight. Some riders prefer the other options because they believe carbon isn’t as strong, but, in most cases, carbon bars are fine as long as they are made by a reputable manufacturer.

MTB Handlebar Recommendations

Now for our favorites:

LIBRA Sports LHB001C Carbon Fiber Flat Handlebar for Mountain Bike or Road Bike - 31.8 mm Diameter

libra sports lhb001c carbon fiber flat handlebar image

This is a full carbon bar that’s ultralight at 145 g. It features a 720 mm length and 31.8 mm mounting diameter. We love its unique textured no-slip center section, as well as its UD matte finish with ghost black LIBRA Sports logo. This bar retails for around $50, so it’s a very economical choice.

Crank Brothers Iodine 11

This is also a carbon set of bars, making it super lightweight and flexible. They measure 30.7 inches wide with a 30 mm rise. They also have a nine-degree sweep and five-degree rise. These handlebars are perfect for all-mountain riding and feature a textured area on the stem for zero slippage. Its brilliant, low profile graphics look good and help make the bar a winner. These handlebars retail for around $120.