Home › The Lost Co Blog › OneUp Components Carbon Handlebar | 35mm vs 31.8mm Clamp OneUp Components Carbon Handlebar | 35mm vs 31.8mm Clamp by Tor Weiland May 16, 2023 Intro Despite being right on the front of our bike, handlebars can often fade into the background when we’re riding. We’re more concerned about how our touchy our brakes are, how supple our suspension is, or how crisp the shifting is. All of that considered, handlebars are the only thing connecting our hands to the bike and they play a surprisingly big role in comfort on the trail. OneUp Components Carbon Bar At A Glance: Steering stiffness of 35mm bars Vertical compliance of 31.8mm bars 800mm width 20 or 35mm rise 8° Backsweep, 5° Upsweep 35mm Clamp vs 31.8mm Clamp The advent of 35mm bars came seemingly out of nowhere, and we were quickly convinced that those flimsy 31.8mm bars were holding us back. But the larger diameter made for stiffer bars that can make riding a bike feel like operating a jackhammer with all those vibrations going straight through your bars to your hands. OneUp aims to fix this issue and combine the responsive steering of 35mm bars and comfort of 31.8 into one super bar, which is exactly what they’ve done. The OneUp Components Carbon Handlebar uses a 35mm clamp diameter, but uses an ovalized shape between the clamp and your hands to create some compliance and keep the bad vibrations out. That 35mm clamp quickly thins out to the oval section to minimize the stiff 35mm section of the bar and save your hands on chattery sections of trail. Other companies can optimize the layup of the carbon in their 35mm bars, but without actually changing the geometry, they’re fighting an uphill battle. OneUp Carbon E-Bar Last summer, OneUp released their Carbon E-Bar, which shares a similar ovalized profile with their standard Carbon Handlebar but with a slightly thinner oval section and more compliance. Don’t worry, this E-Bar isn’t compliant to the point of being dangerous, as it passed the Zedler E-MTB Advanced Plus standard and the same international DH standard that all other handlebars are also held to. They also boast internal routing for the wires running out of your bar control unit to tackle the rat’s nest of wires on the front of e-bikes. Just because you’re on a non e-bike doesn’t mean you can’t use the e-bike specific bars, and some riders prefer the increased flex. Richie Rude, a two time EWS champion, rides the e-bike version of the bar on his normal bike to keep the arm pump at bay on those incredibly rough race tracks. Which Is Best For You? So which one should you buy? If your bike has 35mm bars and you feel like the stiffness isn’t an issue and your hands aren’t getting fatigued on the trails you ride, then there’s no need to get these bars, and you may even not like the added compliance! But, if you’re stopping halfway down your favorite trail to pry your hands off the bar, that’s a sign these bars are going to be a game changer for you. Or if you’re still using 31.8mm bars and are interested in the steering responsiveness of the 35mm platform but nervous about the increased stiffness and ensuing jackhammer effect, the OneUp Carbon Handlebars are a great option to get the best of both worlds. Shop OneUp Components Handlebars Sold out Sold out Shop All MTB Handlebars Got questions? Feel free to shoot us an email or give us a call! (360) 306-8827 sales@thelostco.com ABOUT THE RIDER/WRITER NAME AGE HEIGHT LOCATION Tor Weiland 24 5'11" Bellingham, WA Current Bikes: Transition Spire Custom Build Bike Size: Medium Favorite Trails: Oriental Express, Galbraith About Me: Hailing from the sunny landscape of California, Tor headed north and landed here in the cloudy town of Bellingham, WA. His riding style is "PINNED" and he loves to scope out those seemingly impossible triples. He loves riding and also loves sharing his experiences with others. You can catch Tor in front of the camera or behind the keyboard, but best of luck catching him on the trail! Share Share on Facebook Tweet Tweet on Twitter Pin it Pin on Pinterest
Skip to content
Skip to content
