Race Face Next 35 Handlebar

I have always been a hard charging rider and I tend to break pretty much everything I own without prejudice. For that reason I have never been much of a carbon guy, I always tend to go with the burliest option without worrying too much about weight. That being said after riding a set of carbon bars and realizing how stiff my current setup was and how little damping they provided, I wanted to try a set of carbon bars.

The next 35 bars I used were in a 760mm width and were comfortable in terms of width, rise and backsweep and I didn’t have any issues getting them setup. I immediately noticed that they do take a bit of the shock out of the rougher trails, but not to an extent where I would say it was a game changer. As previously mentioned I am no weight weenie, so I didn't notice the weight difference, but the overall looks and styling were appreciated. I did get a pretty sizeable chip in the topcoat early on in owning the bars, but it looks to be pretty much cosmetic. If I had to go back and do it again I would opt for a cheaper and more burly bar like the Chromag carbon bars, but the Next bars have still been a solid upgrade and a great bar.

The last carbon handlebar that I owned came on a circa 2005 SC Heckler.  I wasn't one of those with carbon phobia, I just didn't think it was worth the cost.   Plus, I rode mostly downhill and lived near a bike park.

Nowadays, I ride mostly trails so I splurged on a carbon handlebar upgrade on an aluminum Transition Scout.  The RF Next 35 handlebar is optimized for trail use and it's been a sweet addition to my daily driver.  The dampening characteristics were noticeable especially in rough terrain and I found the Next 35 handlebar to be compliant and comfortable.     

So is it worth it?  Certainly not for the weight savings.   But for the ride quality alone, it's a worthy investment.