Syntace had a few new tidbits they announced at the 2011 Interbike and Eurobike shows, and I’ve been testing them over the last couple of months. The two new trick components are the Syntace P6 Carbon HiFlex seatpost and Megaforce 2 stem. The carbon post has an interesting layup which provides some fore-and-aft flex, but side to side stiffness, while the lightweight yet stiff DH/AM stem has a rectangular shape and low stack height, and is offered in 30mm to 80mm lengths. Syntace backs up their excellent products with an outstanding 10 year warranty on all material and manufacturing defects, as long as their installed and used per their owner’s manual.

P6 Carbon HiFlex
The Syntace P6 Carbon HiFlex seatpost uses a full carbon tube that is bonded to a 7075 aluminum cold forged 3D alloy head, which has a two-bolt micro adjustment system for the clamp. The carbon tube layup orients its flex longitudinally along the bike frame axis, instead of out towards the sides, by their specific combination of uni-directional and load-orientated fibers, and offers a sturdy yet resilient ride, with excellent damping. The innovative adjustment system utilizes a short 30mm upper clamp, and a long 53mm bottom one, allowing for a great deal of saddles rearward positioning, and the extended lower length supports fragile titanium and carbon rails. The two-bolt’s are pivoted and are situated symmetrical in the direction of force, and give infinite micro-adjustability. The bolts are easy to access and adjust, and can be cranked down with a stout 8 Nm of force, and the system allows a useful 30° pivot range. The post is available in diameters of 34.9mm, 31.6mm, 30.9mm, and 27.2mm and 300mm and 400mm lengths, and an optional 480mm for 34.9mm. It comes in black, and retails for $274, and weighs in around 220 grams.

Impressions
The P6 Carbon HiFlex is a gorgeous post, with the atypical Germanic industrial ascetics, that has a solid feel in the hands. I squirted a bit of my trusty LPS-1 greaseless lube onto the shaft to make insertion easier and to prevent any sticking issues, and placed the post into my Ibis Mojo HD and clamped it down. I loosened the head bolts about halfway out, and jammed the fat SMP saddle rails into the clamp, without much effort, which is usually not the case with most systems. I alternated tightening the bolts until I got the horizontal angle close to my personal requirements, and gave the saddle some taps to move it rearward, and then tightened everything up to the correct torque specifications. I really liked how simple it was to get the saddle tilted, and that the bolts were located in a spot in which a hex wrench didn’t interfere with the post’s tube. The system was bombproof, stout and very stable, and the beefy bolts could easily be cranked down to a massive 8 Nm, and I never had anything slip, loosen or squeak on me. Even after multiple months of use, it has remained quiet, and my regular adjustment of its height has barely shown any scratches or wear marks on the tube’s surface, which is a great testament to the post’s toughness.

The post offered a very interesting ride, and depending on which way the post was loaded it offered a plush or stiff response. When seated in the saddle jamming down through rough terrain, the post gave a resilient and softened feel, with superb damping, and while pushed off axis for steering and control, the ride was stable and stiff. The characteristics were easily perceived on a 6-inch suspension bike, and it removed the harsh edge off things, and give the impression of the silkiness that titanium can provide. When you cranked the saddle hard on its side, and wanted precision and control, for technical maneuvers and railing through turns, the seatpost provided an ample amount of stoutness and stiffness. Depending on how you worked the saddle, the seatpost connected you to the bike with excellent damping and micro-suspension and ride feel, or precise laser-like control. The post went through extensive FEM (finite-element method) and brutal testing, including being subjected to their torturous VR-3 machine, highlighting its toughness and strength and high-quality standards.

Measured spec (31.6mm x 400mm):

• weight – 210.8 grams
• length (rail to bottom) – 401mm

The excellent two-bolt micro adjustment system, its silky or stiff ride depending on load direction, along with its extensive testing, make the Syntace P6 Carbon HiFlex a superb and rugged seatpost.

Pros:

• Excellent two-bolt micro adjustment system
• Superb damping and micro absorption when loaded longitudinally
• Stiff and precise when loaded on the side
• Tough and strong
• Long lower support and short upper – stable, great for fragile rails and gives maximum fore and aft tuning

Cons:

• Expensive

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Specs:

• MSRP – $274
• Visit the Syntace P6 Carbon seatpost website
• Weights – Ø 34.9 mm – 232 g (480 mm),  Ø 34.9 mm – 219 g (400 mm), Ø 31.6 mm – 214 g (400 mm), Ø 30.9 mm – 213 g (400 mm), Ø 27.2 mm – 226 g (400 mm)
• Diameter – Ø 27.2 mm, Ø 30.9 mm, Ø 31.6 mm and Ø 34.9 mm
• Available Length – 300 mm, 400 mm and 480 mm
• Minimum insert tube – 90 mm (120 mm at Ø 34.9)
• Material – Carbon fiber/ Aluminum
• Color – Carbon/ Raceblack

Syntace Megaforce 2
The new Megaforce 2 stems are designed for 31.8mm bars and 1 1/8 inch steerer diameters, have a 36mm stack height and flip-flop 6° rise. The stem has a rectangular shape for increased torsional stiffness and lower weight, and has a wide front clamp, all of which help with running uber wide 800mm bars. It is available in 30mm, 40mm, 50mm, 60mm, 70mm, and 80mm lengths, with weights between 107 to 149 grams (respectively), and retails for $150, and comes in black only with a flush mounting steerer cap.

Impressions
The Megaforce 2 stems are well built, and are stout and burly beasts. The rectangular cross profile of the stem and the front clamp’s width, make for a very stiff and minimally flex-free bar and stem interface, even when using bars of 740mm and greater. I never felt any sort of movement even when really torquing the bars hard, so the new design works extremely well. I used the stem predominately with their 740mm Vector bars, and not a hint of sloppiness pulsed back to the steering.  The bolts screwed in with precision, and the clamps all fit snugly when torqued down, showing the tightly engineered tolerances. I think the shorter length versions, and especially the 30mm will be greatly appreciated by a lot of riders. As always, the stems were subjected to their torturous VR-3 machine, highlighting its toughness and strength and high-quality standards.

Measured Spec (80mm length):

• Weight – 158.2 grams
• Length – 83mm
• Stack height – 36mm
• Front plate width – 48mm

Not much to say about this beast. It’s a plainly adorned stem, that does the job well, and performs its simple activity in the background, and is never noticed. Simple  is, as simple does!

Strengths

• Stiff and burly
• Excellent length coverage from uber short 30mm to longer 80mm
• Clamping system – no slippage
• Precise bolt interaction

Weaknesses

• Expensive

Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Specs:

• MSRP – $150
• Visit the Syntace Megaforce 2 stem website
• Lengths & Weights -30 mm: 107 g, 40 mm: 116 g, 50 mm: 122 g, 60 mm: 127 g, 70 mm: 138 g and 80 mm: 149 g
• Steerer Ø – 28.6 mm (1 1/8″)
• Steerer Height – 36 mm
• Minimum Insert (steerer) – 30 mm
• Handlebar Clamp Ø – 31.8 mm
• Angle – 6° FlipFlop
• Color -Raceblack

Vector 31.8 Carbon Bars
The Syntace Vector 31.8 Carbon handlebars have a 10mm rise, 31.8mm clamp, 680mm or 740mm width and a 9° or 12° sweep. The stem clamp area has an ‘in-molded titanium lattice’, which helps protect the handlebar from any crushing loads, and acts as an anti-slip zone. There is an increased wall thickness under the area where the shift and brake clamps reside for additional protection in those sections. Syntace utilizes a complex arrangement of the individual fiber layers, combined with loading them in an optimized cross section to give a resilient, strong and stiff bar. It comes in black, weighs from 190 -220 grams, and retails for $185.

Impressions
The Vector 31.8 Carbon is not only strong, but they have the excellent absorption and damping qualities that are common to the carbon fiber material. Even with the damping attributes, the bars still have a great stiffness to them, and the two properties together give incredible steering abilities, giving rise to laser-like qualities even while bashing them through the roughest terrain. The titanium lattice kept the bars from moving and slipping at the stem interface, even when using less than the recommended torque specifications. I liked the 740mm width (as tested), which I find optimal, and it gave great power and control, especially in ugly gnarly terrain, allowing me to apply maximum torque when required. I also enjoyed the extreme sweep of the 12° version, as they provided a comfortable and ergonomic platform, giving me less fatigue and better grip. I took some great diggers and crashes, and the bars are none the worse for that wear and tear. Like all of their cockpit components, the bars spent some up close and personal time on their killer VR-3 machine, meaning they can take a monstrous amount of realistic abuse, and once again highlighting the amazing toughness and longevity of their product.

Measured Spec (12° x 740mm) :

• Weight – 215.6 grams
• Length – mm

The wide Vector 31.8 Carbon are an excellent handlebar, as they’re strong, stiff when needed, yet provided a small degree of damping for a superlative ride, and the comfortable sweep was a welcome change.

Pros:

• Anti-slip titanium lattice
• Just the perfect combination of damping and control and stiffness
• Excellent ergonomic 12°  sweep
• Tough and strong

Cons:

• Expensive

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

 Specs:

• MSRP – $185
• Visit the Syntace Vector 31.8 Carbon handlebar website
• Weight – 680 mm: 189 g, 740 mm (8°): 208 g and 740 mm (12°): 219 g
• Width -  680 mm can be shortened up to 640 mm, 740 mm can be shortened up to 700 mm
• Rise – 10 mm
• Clamp Ø – 31.8 mm
• Sweep – 8° or 12°
• Color – Carbon

Syntace and their Testing
Syntace is located in Tacherting, Germany, just north of Salsberg near the Austrian border, and has been around a long time. They manufacture excellent products, including handlebars, stems and tools, in the usual highly engineered German fashion. What sets Syntace apart is their extensive testing of their products. They literally abuse their products to death, doing intensive corrosion, impact and hardness testing, along with a lot of detailed hand measurements to keep everything to their exacting standards. They test their products with the VR-3, which is a spiffy computerized tester, that can simulate pushing and pulling loads, alternate those loads on either side of the bars, stems and posts to simulate light to hard impacts, and do those simulations in an iterative process over long periods of time. What that means is they can reproduce, in a short period of time, all the punishment that we would replicate over many years of use. Very real-world testing!

The aluminum stem is stiff, well-made and has a unique stem clamp, and has an assortment of hidden technologies and features. The carbon handlebars are light, strong, with a nice resiliency and feel, and have an optimal rise, and come in several extended All Mountain widths. Crank Brothers has been realigning their product suite, and they have divided it up into collections (cobalt-Cross Country, iodine-All Mountain, sage-Freeride and opium-Downhill), and then levels within each product line (11-Best, 3-Better, 2-Good, 1-Entry), except for the pedals, which are only categorized by their numerical level.

iodine 3 stem
The All Mountain iodine 3 stem is made with 7075 aluminum, with a carbon faceplate and a unique aluminum plunger for the steerer clamp. The innovative plunger system uses a single Torx bolt at the steerer, which pushes out in a uniform manner, giving a cleaner surface area and a more distributed load, and allows a much higher torque setting. The stem has a 6° rise (+/-), 45mm clamp height, and comes in 65mm, 80mm, 90mm, and 100mm lengths, weighs 158 grams (100mm), and retails for $130.

Impressions
The iodine 3 stems are plenty stiff, and I never felt any flex coming from the 80mm test unit. Installation for the bars was pretty straight forward, and the wide four bolt carbon faceplate with Torx heads offered a smooth and even surface for clamping things down. The steerer clamp plunger system was a joy to use, and it made slipping the stem onto the fork easy, and the tightening simple. You need a T25 Torx key to tighten the single bolt on the plunger, which clamped down effortlessly onto the steerer, and provided a creak free and tight fit. It kept the rear of the stem tidy and neat, without anything to catch a knee on. The carbon faceplate and the steerer plunger, reduce weight and give a clutter-free design, and the wide faceplate and rectangular profile provide excellent stiffness. I really liked only needing one T25 tool to tighten everything on the stem, outside of the cap bolt, which I ended replacing with a Torx head. One tool type simplified things when setting up the stem and adding bars, although on shorter stems, the Torx wrench handles can bump into the bars when adjusting the rear bolt.

Measured Specs (80mm):

• Weight – 147.9 grams
• Clamp height – 47mm
• Length – 81mm
• Faceplate width – 50mm

Pros:

• Stiff
• Wide carbon faceplate
• Rectangular profile
• Light
• Trick and innovative steerer clamp

Cons:

• Sort of odd graphics
• Torx wrench handle can bump into bars when tightening rear

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

iodine 3 stem specs:

• Visit the CrankBrothers iodine 3 stem website
• Weight – 158g (100MM)
• Material – 7075 aluminum
• Plunger material – aluminum
• Faceplate material – carbon
• Bar clamp – 31.8mm
• Lengths – 65mm – 100mm
• Rise – 6°
• Color – iron/black
• Warranty – 5 years
• MSRP -  $130 / €130

iodine 11 bars
The iodine 11 handlebars are made with high modulus uni-directional carbon fiber, have a 30mm rise, 31.8mm clamping diameter and 5° upward sweep. It comes in several width options, a 680mm with a 6° back sweep, and 700mm, 740mm and 780mm with 9° back sweep. They come in carbon black, weigh in at 178 grams (700mm), and retail for $120. The stem clamp section has a functional grip tape strip for anti-slippage, and markings for cuttings and component angling.

Impressions
The top of the line iodine 11 carbon bars are quite nice looking, as they are subtle, with quiet and subdued graphics. Installation was nice with the anti-slippage grip tape, and once the bars were clamped down; they never moved, though the tape was too thick on initial insertion into the stem. After sliding the brake and shifters onto the bars, there was a useful set of tick marks to get those components evenly angled. Depending on the bar width, there are cutting marks every 20mm at the bar ends to shorten them down to 680mm. The 740mm test bars had a nice resiliency, and did a good job of damping vibrations, especially during forays into rock gardens and when going downhill. I found that they had a bit too much flex/give for my taste during uphill maneuvering, during climbs, technical trial type movements, and anytime you were moving slower and were torquing the bars hard. Although it was subtle, it made for a loss of control, and precision steering, and I felt as though I lost laser-like accuracy. I think they would be a better candidate for a bike with 3-4 inches of suspension, and not the typical All Mountain beasts? They are a good set of bars, with great damping properties, an excellent price, but have a slight flex or give when pushed hard, although the 740mm test width might have exacerbated the issue?

Measured Specs (740mm):

• Weight – 219.8 grams
• Length – 744mm

Pros:

• Good pricepoint
• Great damping
• Nice width spectrum
• Tick marks to angle brake/shifters and cut ends

Cons:

• Slight flex when torqued hard – may be an issue with the wider versions?
• Stem clamp grip tape too thick

Overall Rating: 3.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

iodine 11 handlebar specs:

• Visit the CrankBrothers iodine 11 stem website
• Weight – 178 grams
• Material – high modulus carbon
• Rise – 30mm
• Width 680mm w/ 6º back sweep, 700mm, 740mm and 780mm w/ 9º back sweep
• Up sweep – 5º
• Back sweep – 6º and 9º
• Bar clamp – 31.8mm
• Color – carbon
• Warranty 2 years
• MSRP – $120 / €120

The handlebars are an excellent set of carbon riser bars, that are light, strong, with a wonderful resiliency and feel, and have an optimal width and rise. The made in America stem is one stout beast, that is stiff, well-made and overbuilt, with an assortment of hidden technologies and features. Answer makes some great products, and their AM line of handlebars and stems is a fine introduction to their tough, durable and strong set of components.

ProTaper 720 Am
The ProTaper 720 AM comes in two versions, a 7050 aluminium alloy and the tested carbon model, which is built with a  unidirectional 12 outer layer. The ProTaper technology adds material at the clamp and riser for strength and stiffness (the stress areas), and decreases it elsewhere for lightness, and it uses internal and external tapered walls to accomplish those goals. The bars are 720mm wide, with 8 degree rearward bend, and 4 degrees upward sweep, a 31.8mm clamping diameter, and either 12.7mm (only carbon), 25.4mm (tested) or 50.8mm of rise. The clamp section has a trick “Grip Grit” taped layer for anti slippage, and the graphics choices are Gold or White/Smoke.

Impressions
The ProTaper Carbon 720 AM are a superlative set of handlebars, that are stiff, with a perfect amount of carbon resiliency, which gives a hint of titanium like silkiness, which helps take the rough edges off terrain. The 720mm of width and 25.4mm of rise were ideal, and the width is optimal for most trail conditions that will be encountered, especially when dealing with tight trees. They look nice,  and have a cool large weave pattern, and really stand out in bright sunlight,. They were easy to install, and the grip tape section where the stem attaches, made slippage non existent. I abused them pretty hard, and tossed them into rock gardens, ledge drops and heinous terrain, and then preformed admirably. They sustained multiple crashes, close encounters of the tree kinds and lots of sideways fall overs, and are none the worse for wear and tear.

Measured Specs:

• width – 720mm
• weight – 206.6 grams

Bottom Line
The ProTaper Carbon 720 AM are one of my favorite sets of handlebars. They are light, have an excellent silky tactile feel while still remaining stiff, and have a very functional rise and width (25.4 x 720mm), which  is about perfect for a variety of terrain. They have survived crashes and lots of abuse in ugly terrain, and have shown themselves to be durable and tough. They are somewhat expensive for a set of handlebars, but can usually be found for less, and the three rise heights allow a great deal of variety for individual requirements.

Strengths

• Light
• Stiff
• Silky resiliency
• Grip tape for non-slippage at stem interface
• Optimal width and rise (720mm x 25.4mm)

Weaknesses

• Expensive – although reasonable for carbon bars

 
Overall Rating: 5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
 
ProTaper Carbon 720 AM handlebars Specs:

• MSRP: $140
• Visit Answer Rove AM website at http://www.answerproducts.com/components/protaper-carbon-720-am/
• Width – 720mm
• Weight – 205g & 225g (50.8 rise bar )
• Clamp diameter – 31.8mm
• 3 Rise Options – 12.7mm, 25.4mm, 50.8mm
• UP Sweep – 4°
• Back Sweep – 8°
• Material Carbon with unidirectional 12 outer layer
• Color Carbon
• ProTAPER® Patented Technology – Lighter, stiffer, stronger
• Internal and External Tapered Walls – Increase strength to weight ratio
• Grip Grit area – Non slip surface

Rove AM
The Rove AM Stem is made from 6066 aluminum alloy, that is 2D forged post CNC machined, and uses internal and external tapered walls for strength and stiffness, and decreased weight. The stem has a 40mm stack height, an 8 degree rise, and come in 60, 70, 80 (tested), 90 and 100mm lengths. It comes with a 3 and 5mm spacer, top cap and star nut, and is available in Black, White and Charcoal (tested).

Impressions
The Rove AM is a massively built beast, that is stiff, durable, and moderately light. The clamping system works exceptionally well, and it uses a 2 bolt opposed steerer, and 4 bolts for the handlebar. The bar clamp section is wide, and the X hashed face plate snugs down tightly, and the pattern helps with alignment, and adds a nice flair to the front end of the bike. During installation, everything had a very burly, and overbuilt feel, with large steel bolts and additional material used throughout the build. The stem comes with two spacers with Answer logos, and a nice top cap with a rubber insert that covers the bolt hole. The ride feel was extremely stiff, and no slippage was felt with the handlebars or the steerer.

Measured Specs (80mm version):

• Weight – 177.5 grams
• Size – length 81mm, Stack height 40mm, front plate width 49mm

 
Bottom Line
The Rove AM Stem is a big tough burly beast, that is stiff, and the clamping system works well, without any slipping issues. I really liked the front clamp, as it was wide, with a nice cross pattern to give full coverage and strength, and it added some nice bling. The stem comes with a variety of additional parts, 2 spacers, a starnut, a top cap and a rubber insert.

I like Answer’s statement about the Rove, “This ain’t no Taiwan off the shelf POS!”

Strengths

• Stiff and burly
• Clamping system – no slippage
• Face plate looks nice and assists with alignment

Weaknesses

• Heavy
• Bulky and boxy looking

 
Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
 
Rove AM Stem Specs

• MSRP: $72
• Visit Answer Rove AM website at http://www.answerproducts.com/components/rove-am/#
• Rise – 8°
• Stack Height – 40mm
• Length options – 60, 70, 80, 90, 100mm
• Material – 6066 2D forged post CNC machined
• Color options – Black, White, Charcoal
• Hardware Stainless with thread lock patch
• 6066 3D forged post CNC machined
• Internal & External Tapered walls in stem body -Allows for stiff bar clamp interface without sacrificing weight
• Includes 3 & 5mm headset spacers and star nut and top cap.
• 2 bolt opposed steer tube clamp

These ergonomically shaped All Mountain grips are pretty darn sweet and near perfect. They are durable, comfortable, and their natural anatomic shape means decreased hand and upper body fatigue, and better athletic performance. At first glance they really don’t seem any different than other lock-on grips, but looks are deceiving, as their ergonomic design has a plethora of benefits and functions. Ergon takes part of its name from the word Ergonomics, which is the scientific discipline that seeks to understand and improve human interactions with products, equipment, environments and systems.

GA1 and GA1 Leichtbau
The grips come in two models, the GA1 and GA1 Leichtbau, the latter being slightly lighter in weight due to a different rubber compound. Both versions come in two sizes, a small and large, with dimensions of 32mm x 139mm and 35mm x 145mm respectively. I tested only the large size in each model, and they weighed in at 147 grams (GA1 L) and 155.8 grams (GA1). The ergonomically shaped rubber grips, have four different textured areas, and use an aluminum lock-on clamp, and come in three colors, black, white and team green.

The grips on a bike are a pretty important entity, especially a mountain bike, since they are how you hold on and steer, and they comprise two out of the five points of contact with the bike (two grips, two pedals, one saddle). Most grips are simple cylindrical objects, with padding (soft, hard or multi-density), and can have texturing, lock-on’s, colors, etc. If you curl your hand, you’ll notice that your grip has a slight concave shape to itself. When grasping a normal grip with the same diameter along its length, the flat surface causes the hand to push the palm downwards, spreading it out in an unnatural position, which causes stress, weakens holding power and irritates the ulnar nerve. The GA1 uses a multi-dimensional convex shape that cradles the hand’s curve in a natural and ergonomic manner, which increases comfort, support and performance, and reduces hand fatigue. The GA1 grip and your hand form a synergistic matched pair, so less force is required for any activity.

Installation
The grips are left and right specific, and have a default orientation marked on the inner side of the grip, although it can be tweaked as desired for personal requirements. I left them in their default position, since I found it fit my hands the best. They slid onto the handlebars with a snug fit, and a simple tap with the palm of my hand settled them into place. I let the clamp sit out slightly from the bar end to help protect them from damage, and I tightened them down using a 3mm hex.

Impressions
The first thing you notice is how well they fit your hand. They are really comfortable and just have this proper tactile feel, becoming one with the hand. When you start riding you don’t have to grip the bars as tight, and you can use a bit looser grip on the handlebar, which saves a good deal of energy when you’re not battling to hold on. On longer rides this loose grip gives considerably less numbness in the hands, along with decreased hand, arm and upper body fatigue. They have an excellent grippiness, and no matter what the conditions were like, neither rain, snow, mud nor desert heat, kept them from being tacky and grippy. They are not the softest grips on the market, and they don’t have any fancy nor weird tread pattern, but they more than made up for it. Where they shine is the way your hand wraps around the grip, and is held in a proper ergonomic manner, and it just feels right, pleasant and comforting. I found that the shape allowed me to lever off them in a more profound manner since my hand was held properly, sort of like having a mini pry bar, and it was highly useful in technical terrain, on steep climbs and rock gardens. The end of the lock-on clamp has a tear drop shape, and I found that it helped to keep my hand on the grips, and in addition I could use it as a tiny lever arm to make minute changes on the bars. The grips have been very durable with everything I have tossed at them, and the only wear area has been the textured area on the upper outside edge, and the lettering on the clamp. The aluminum clamp has been very beneficial in saving the carbon bars from my regular crashes, fall overs and tree encounters, and they never loosened up on me during my test period.

Bottom Line
The Ergon GA1 is just about a perfect grip, and they provide a highly beneficial synergistic design for All Mountain riders. Their ergonomic design gives less fatigue to the hands and upper body, allowing for longer rides, less cramping and numbness, greater strength and comfort, and performance. The rubber compound provides excellent grip in any conditions, but still provides excellent durability, although they can sometimes feel a bit firm. One of my x-country racer friends swears by these grips, which really says a lot, since these are designed around All Mountain and Freeride type of riding. The tactile feel and proper hand placement allow an immense amount of power to be applied to the front end of the bike when desired, making for excellent climbing, steering and maneuvering.

Strengths

• Durability
• Excellent Grip
• Ergonomically correct
• Decreased hand and upper body fatigue
• Increased atheltic performance

Weaknesses

• Heavy
• Not the softest padding

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

The Race Face SIXC 3/4 Riser handlebars are pretty sweet carbon bars, that are light, strong, and have an optimal width and decent rise. I tested the SIXC cranks recently, and these bars have the same toughness, subdued graphics and colors, and they certainly mean business.

The All Mountain SIXC bars are made with the Race Face proprietary Optimized Carbon Technology, and the all carbon bars are light, tough and strong. The 730mm or 28.75 inch (measured) wide bars have nicely marked indicator lines every 12mm at the ends, to help you evenly cut the length, if one is so inclined. If you decide to cut the bars, you’ll need a special carbon saw, a face mask (suggest 3M 6000 half-face respirator with P100 filters) and eye protection.

They come with some standard carbon bar specs of 9 degrees rearward bend, and 4 degrees upward sweep, which makes for a 3/4 inch or 20mm rise, and a 31.8mm clamping diameter. I would have preferred a tad more rise, and at least 1 inch would have been nice, though I know 1.5 inches has some design issues with carbon bars. The bars are reinforced under the grip and shift area, for additional strength and durability, and it especially helps with lock-ons. The mellow graphics and matte carbon color scheme make them blend in well, in a sort of stealth mode look. This is not some wimpy carbon bar, they are beasts who can take some amazing amount of abuse and crashes (tested that one), but are still light at 221.7 grams (measured) and stiff, with a decent touch of tactile resiliency. Supposedly, they test a bar from each run, and abuse it to make sure they are keeping tight tolerances within their engineered design specification’s.

So far, they have been pretty stout, and the surface has seemed to be immune to deep scratches, try as I might, and has only shown minor scuffs and scrapes. I really like the width, as it’s somewhere between the typically shorter All Mountain bars, and the uber wide Freeride and Downhill bars, and it still allows me to sneak through tight tree runs without bashing into them. The SixC handlebars have a US MSRP price of $129, which is in line with most of the competitions carbon based bar selection.

Bottom Line
The Race Face SIXC 3/4 Riser handlebars are light, strong, durable and abuse proof. Their pricing and geometry are right in line with the competition, though I wish they were in a 1 inch rise instead of 3/4? Race Face has used their carbon technological expertise, and morphed it to the All Mountain category with the SIXC series, and the bars and their brethren cranks are massively stout beasts who can take amazing amounts of torture, without a whimper.

The SIXC bars are a superb product, that has excellent strength, and weight, and a few small hidden features tossed in order to complete the package.

Strengths

• Light
• Strong
• Optimal width

Weaknesses

• 1 inch rise would be nice
• Extra bonus – 12 degree rearward sweep!

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

• Visit the website at http://raceface.com/components/handlebars/sixc/sixc-three-quarter-riser/
• Built for – AM/Light FR
• Dimensions – 8.5″ or 725mm width
• Sweep – 9° rearward, 4° upward
• Rise – .75″ or 20mm
• Bar Diameter – 31.8mm
• Weight – 220g
• Color – Matte Carbon
• SIXC bars are manufactured with a leading edge composite material which allows us to reach our high strength requirements at an impressively low weight.
• Minimum bar width of 27.5” or 700mm at indicated cut marks.
• Reinforced clamping zones for lock-on grip.
• Daily destructive testing from each production run ensures each bar meets the exacting Standards set by our engineers

I just got a set of Specialized Rocca Locking Grips in for a test. They are slightly thick, but soft enough for some comfort and for terrain absorption, due to their dual density composition. The texture offers good control without adding any undo irritation, and it works well in adverse and wet conditions. I had no issue during a rainstorm the other day, and felt no slippage. Bashing through rock gardens was comfortable, while still giving an enough tactile feel for minute terrain alterations and steering control. The grips lock down with a single sided clamp, using a 3mm hex bolt. You do need to clamp it down tight, else it can slip, but the bolt allowed enough clamping force to keep the grip secure.

Another great benefit of the grips, is that the new Specialized Control Post’s remote control takes the place of the locking clamp. With this system, it incorporates the Control Post’s remote into a very synergistic manner, making a wholly functional package. Very sweet indeed! The newly upgraded 2011 Control Post remote is a vast improvement, with a good spring return, smoother operation and the change to a standard shifter cable, in contrast to the old proprietary one.

I am looking forward to some more testing, and so far the Rocca’s have worked extremely well. They are comfortable, with good vibration damping, nice texturing, with a uniform blending of softness with a firm background in their feel, and stable locking security.

Specialized Specs:

Syncros started out as a small, high end component company based out of Vancouver’s North Shore, and was purchased by Ritchey Design in 2003, but it’s still managed as a separate brand, catering more towards the gravity crowd. The Syncros Freakin’ Light (FL) series, is their cross country oriented product suite, and covers their stems, handlebars, seatposts, saddle, rims, wheelsets and headsets. Of course, you can also replace call F###in’ Light if you wish, but I will remain PC in cyber space. I tested their FL stem, bar, saddle and seatpost, and I’m happy to report they all worked and functioned quite well.

FL Saddle
The Syncros FL saddle is my new favorite saddle, mostly because it’s a climber’s dream, allowing you to punch out steep terrain, giving you maximum leverage, with comfort, stability and maneuverability. The cross country oriented saddle, is slim, has a composite shell, titanium alloy rails, superlight foam, a leather cover and aramid rear and nose panels. It has a groove that runs down the top center for pressure relief, and is available in white (tested) or black.

The saddle is firm, and offers plenty of support for those hammering sessions, but it has enough padding to be comfortable for long rides, greatly aided by the shell flex and the titanium allow rails (CrN/Ti). Where the FL really shines, is in steep and ugly climbs, in which the nose section is predominantly used. The nose of the saddle has just the proper padding and shape, to be an excellent place to sit your butt to crank your way uphill or through technical terrain, whether it’s mild or wild. It’s like having a pry bar or lever arm, to push power down into the bike’s drivetrain, while still maintaining a neutral balance. You can maneuver up and down the snout of the nose, depending upon the requirements, pressing your legs together to hold the nose or sitting up on the tip for maximum advantage. It’s not the lightest saddle on the market at 266 grams, but its climbing prowess sure helps with that deficit. The aramid rear and nose panels, have really helped the durability of the saddle, and my multiple crashes have caused no signs of distress, and outside of a few subdued wrinkles in the leather it still looks good.

I give high marks to the Syncros SL saddle and highly recommend it, it’s comfortable, durable, with the best nose section I have used, and is my current undisputed climbing King!

Measured Specs
Weight – 265.8 grams
Size – 137mm wide x 280mm long
Nose width – 47mm

MSRP: $80

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Syncros SL Saddle Company Specs
Intended use: XC / Marathon
New to the syncros saddle lineup, the FL saddle is built on a slim but comfortable composite shell, Ti rails, and superlight foam
Lighter, sleeker version of the AM saddle.
Leather cover with aramid rear panels to withstand abuse from crashes
Contoured foam in center section to relief sit bone pressure zones
CrN/Ti alloy rails
Available in white or black
Weight: 236g

Syncros Saddle URL

FL Carbon Riser Bars
The Syncros FL Carbon riser handlebars are the stiffest bars I have ever used, and I never felt any flex from these bad boys, no matter what terrain I was on, or how hard I pulled on them. I think these suckers could be used in a tractor pulling contest.

The FL Carbon bars are made from their Gain carbon fiber composite, use a 31.8mm clamp, are 645mm/25.4″ wide, with a 9 degree sweep and 25mm/1″ rise and are available in a Matte or grunge finish. They weighed in at 170 grams, which were 10 grams under spec! I tested the Matte finish, which I liked a lot, since I am a big fan of the carbon fiber weave. It took me a few tries to get the bars positioned where they felt comfortable for my hands, but once set, the sweep and rise felt just right. Their width worked quite well in the tight woods, but they were slightly narrow (645mm) for some terrain, and I would have liked to have some additional width options. Although I liked the instant power that their uber stiffness provided, I found the total rigidity fatiguing to my hands and arms sometimes, and I would have preferred a hint of give. A quick glance at the ends of the bar, shows the thickness of their rigid tubing, as these aren’t thin walled, which also made it difficult to find end caps that will fit the small opening. The stiffness is a matter of taste, and some may prefer the rigidity, while I wanted a tad of forgiveness? The stem clamp section of the bar provides a nice anti-slip section (glued on gritty tape?), which helps with slippage and durability.

The Syncros SL Carbon riser bars are sickeningly stiff, tough, with decent rise and sweep, and though slightly narrow, they offer an extreme amount of pulling power, and look good with the matte finish.

Measured Specs:
weight – 169.5 grams
width – 645mm
rise – 25mm

MSRP: $190

Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Syncros FL Carbon Bar Company Specs
Intended use: All Mtn / Hardcore XC
Material: carbon fiber composite
Rise: 25mm
Width: 660mm
Sweep: 9 degree
Clamp size: OS (31.8mm)
Finish: Matte UD carbon or UD carbon grunge
Weight: 180g

Syncros Bars URL

FL Seatpost
The Syncros FL Seatpost uses forged 7075 aluminum alloy, and comes in the usual sizes of 27.2, 30.9, 31.6mm and lengths of 350 and 400mm. It’s not a light seatpost, coming in at 223.2 grams in the tested 30.9×400 size, but it was plenty stiff, and I never felt any flex nor sloppiness from either the post or clamping system. It comes in HP Black, HP Black with Grunge (tested), Matte White and Matte White with Grunge. The Grunge graphics did seem to get scratched in places, but the height adjustment numbering on the rear of the post has been very durable.

The FL Seatpost design is a slight departure from its predecessor and most other double bolt systems, as the post has the convex surface, and the saddle rail cradle is concave. The design uses a pair of opposing bolts, which start on the post, and go up past the saddle rail cradle and into the upper clamp, where a set of threaded barrel nuts reside. The saddle rail cradle can be swapped forward or backward, allowing a subtle amount of layback offset. The system is relatively easy to use once the rails are in place, but it can be a slight fumble finger mess getting them into a stable position. Once the saddle is somewhat stabilized, you can make micro adjustments for the desired saddle angle and lateral positioning, although it can be tough squeezing in a hex key. One issue I had was that a lot of modern frames have some pretty slack seat tube angles, and you might not be able to level the saddle without using a longer bolt? A lot of these issues are common to this type of clamping systems, so the FL Seatpost is not in the minority.

Overall the FL Seatpost was a good post, it was stiff, durable, and looks nice (loved the HP Black Grunge), but I am not a fan of the two bolt clamping system any longer, and I had issues in a frame with slack seat tube angle. Their design of the clamping system is unique and does allow some offset tuning. I have had a Syncros Ti seatpost for almost 20 years (?), so they are long lived.

Measured Spec:
223.2 grams – 30.9×400

MSRP: $84-92

Overall Rating: 3.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Syncros FL Seatpost Company Specs
3D Net forged 7075 alloy
Diameters: 27.2 / 30.9 / 31.6mm
Lengths: 350 / 400mm
Finishes: High polish black, HP black with grunge, matte white, matte white with grunge
Weight: 222g (30.9 x 400mm)

Syncros Seatpost URL

FL Stem
The Syncros FL Stem has smooth lines, without any sharp edges, a cutout at the back of the clamp area, and a lot of subtly removed surface material, all of which help reduce weight. The CNC stem is made with a bi-oval design, for maximum strength and weight savings, and is uses a 4-D cold forged 2014 aluminum alloy. The stem has a 6 degree rise, and can be flip flopped if desired, as the graphics are already designed for that function (only HP Black and Matte White). The simple four bolt front plate is a carbon bar friendly clamp, and the stem is available in 70, 80, 90, 100 and 110mm sizes, in the colors of HP Black, Matte White, and Black or White Grunge.

The stem was a snap to install, although I had to be careful, since the bolt heads seemed easy for the hex key to slip (might have been me)? I tested the 70mm, since it was the perfect accompaniment for my All Mountain rig. The stem has been durable, and has been taken on and off, and several bars swapped in and out during my testing period. The graphics on the HP Black are simple and subdued, and haven’t worn or scratched as yet.

The FL Stem looks good, with aesthetically pleasing lines, was stiff, light (113 grams) and blended into the background, and I never really thought about it much, since it did its job to perfection. I sign of a great component is when you forget it’s there.

Measured Spec:
Weight – 113.5 grams for 70mm size
Stack Height – 45mm
Length – 65mm

MSRP: $92

Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Syncros FL Stem Specs
Intended use: XC / Marathon
Forged and CNC machined out of 2014 alloy using a patented 4D net manufacturing process
Black taper-head stainless steel bolts
Bi-oval design maximizes strength and minimizes weight
Engineered to be compatible with carbon handlebars and steerers
Lengths: 70 / 80 / 90 / 100 / 110mm
+/- 6 degree rise/drop
Four finish options: Available in high polish black or matte white with flip flop logo, HP black grunge or matte white grunge
Weight: 113g (70mm)

Syncros Stem URL

I have been testing the Syntace Vector 31.8 Carbon handlebars on my Moots Mooto-XZ 29er for 5-6 months now, and I am highly impressed. I have never used a set of carbon handlebars that had such a wonderful feel to them, and dare, I say they actually have a touch of the silky titanium property! They are not only bombproof, but they look good, have a nice sweep to themselves and are decently wide.

I needed some different handlebars when I converted my Mooto-XZ 29er from 100mm of travel to 120mm. The extra raise and slackness of the front end made it too difficult to use the old school layout that came with the flat bars and 100mm stem. To help alleviate the slackness and the stretched out feeling, I went with a 90mm stem and the Vector 31.8 low rise bars.

Syntace and their Testing
Syntace is located in Tacherting, Germany, just north of Salsberg near the Austrian border, and has been around a long time. They manufacture excellent products, including handlebars, stems and tools, in the usual highly engineered German fashion. What sets Syntace apart is their extensive testing of their products. They literally abuse their products to death, doing intensive corrosion, impact and hardness testing, along with a lot of detailed hand measurements to keep everything to their exacting standards. They test their handlebars with the VR-3, which is a spiffy computerized tester, that can simulate pushing and pulling loads, alternate those loads on either side of the bars, simulate light to hard impacts, and do those simulations in an iterative process over long periods of time. What that means is they can reproduce, in a short period of time, all the punishment that we would replicate over many years of use. Very real world testing!

Not only do you get an excellent and durable set of handlebars from this testing, and their QA/QC, but you get a 10 year warranty (albeit, bars installed and used according to the assembly instructions). I like how they state that the VR-3 performs a cyclical loop of torture!

Impressions
The Vector 31.8 Carbon is not only strong, but they have the excellent absorption and damping qualities that are common to the carbon fiber material. Even with the damping attributes, the bars still have a great stiffness to them, and the two properties together give incredible steering abilities, giving rise to laser like qualities even while bashing them through the roughest terrain. As I stated at the beginning of the article, the bars have a titanium feel to them, but due to the carbon’s stiffness, they have none of the usual flex issues that are synonymous with titanium bars.

Specs
——-
Weight 189 g (verified at 190.7 grams)
Width 680 mm
Rise 10 mm
Clamp Ø 31.8 mm
Sweep 9° or 12° (12° tested)

Color Carbon

Features
The Vector 318′s have a couple of interesting features. One feature is that the clamp area has some extra protection that has been added to it. It has what they call an ‘in-molded titanium lattice’, which helps protect the handlebar from the crushing loads of a stem clamp. You can see it in the picture as sort of a glued on tape zone under the stem clamp. It also provides a nice anti-slip section, since it has a tackiness to it that helps prevents movement. I have never had the bars slip on me as yet, something I can’t say about any other bars I have ever owned! Another hidden detail of the bars, is that there is an increased wall thickness under the area where the shift and brake clamps reside.

Although the handlebars look a bit shiny and slipperier, I had the darnedest time getting the grips to slide onto the handlebar ends. I used more than a few choice words during the escapade of getting the grips installed.

Frack!

Syntace uses a new type of carbon fiber, and utilizes a complex arrangement of the individual fiber layers, combined with loading them in an optimized cross section to give a resilient, strong and stiff bar.

Bottomline
The Syntace Vector 31.8 Carbon handlebars are one sweet toy that I am really enjoying. I like the sweep of the bars, which are ergonomic and very comfortable to me, although I am still getting used to how wide they are. They have an incredible feel to them, a touch of silky titanium along with carbon stiffness and damping. The bars have several unique features, including the stem clamp protection area (with no slippage), and the additional wall thickness under the brake and shifter clamps sections. The bars meet the DH 2002.4 accreditation, the world‘s toughest test standard for handlebars and stem, and have been tested and abused by the voracious VR-3 testing machine. Safety is what comes to mind about these bars!

Strengths
-Durable and strong
-Stiff
-Titanium feel
-Look good
-Excellent damping qualities

Weakness
-No bar ends are allowed
-Grips are tough to get on

Value Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

MSRP $150

Syntace Vector 31.8 Carbon url:http://www.syntace.com/index.cfm?pid=3&pk=1529