Easton haven or pro answer 720 Bars

[Mickon64]

Time to get some wider bars for my trek remedy 9. Was looking at either the easton haven am which is 711 wide or the answer 720 pro taper which is 720 wide. They are both aluminum and weight pretty much the same. Has anyone had good or bad experiences with either of these bars.

[Hoban]

Get the 720s, if not wider. I run the 720 Protapers on my Fuel EX7 and could use a bit more I think.

[beebee5]

Bought a short 45mm Stem and a 720 Protaper! I will tell you how it feels compared to a 600

[crank1979]

I run the aluminum Haven on one bike and the carbon ProTaper AM bars on another. They are both very nice feeling bars. I don't notice the width so much with the Havens, but I do with the ProTapers. Not in a bad way though, they are both comfortable straight away, the ProTapers just feel wider. I'd happily run either bar again on the next bike, but knowing that should be coming soon I'm going for the ProTapers.

[Coopie]

I just bought a havoc stem. 0 degree by 50mm and havoc dh bars for my all mountain bike. The 750mm wide feels great. Wheel world had a great deal on Easton stuff.

[irishpitbull]

Carbon heaven for sure. 750mm is awesome.

[azdog]

give the wider bars a few days to get used to. I've gone from 711 to 740 and now to 760 on my yeti 575. I almost kept it at 780 but it was odd on the climbs. I do run 780 on my dh bike.

[smmokan]

After my neighbor told me about an accident he was in a few years ago where his carbon bars simply collapsed into a "V" while he was riding, I'll never consider buying carbon handlebars. The tiny weight savings isn't worth the risk to me.

Race Face Atlas is another good option... I picked some up from PricePoint.com for around $35 shipped.

[Fix the Spade]

After my neighbor told me about an accident he was in a few years ago where his carbon bars simply collapsed into a "V" while he was riding, I'll never consider buying carbon handlebars.

What carbon bars exactly was he using though?

Not all carbon is created equal (like everything really).

My experience with Easton carbon bars has been that they not only outlast any alloy bar I've ever had, but when I inevitably do hit something more stubborn than they are Easton are very forthcoming with new ones.

[noufa777]

+1 for 720 Answer ProTaper, I'm using since 2010

[beebee5]

Jus installed the 720 AM protapers ! OMG the bars definitively give you more confidence. I will have to tell you how it rides after this weekend.

[Mountain Cycle Shawn]

After my neighbor told me about an accident he was in a few years ago where his carbon bars simply collapsed into a "V" while he was riding, I'll never consider buying carbon handlebars. The tiny weight savings isn't worth the risk to me.

Race Face Atlas is another good option... I picked some up from PricePoint.com for around $35 shipped.

This fear that people have with carbon is stupid. Like an aluminum bar has never folded up.

[hmorsi]

After my neighbor told me about an accident he was in a few years ago where his carbon bars simply collapsed into a "V" while he was riding, I'll never consider buying carbon handlebars. The tiny weight savings isn't worth the risk to me.

Not all carbon is created equal. I have been running a Truvativ Noir Team carbon bar (680mm, 20 degrees of rise) for more than two years now on mid-travel bikes that have seen everything from Alpine lift-access trails, to rough and rocky desert trails and even survived a head-on collision with a tree in a UK forest trail the force of which sheared my fork stanchions in half. On the otehr hand, I know a dude who almost lost an eye to a Chinese no-name carbon flat bar which suddenly failed while he was racing short-track XC on a very tame trail.

[yeti575inCA]

I just bought a havoc stem. 0 degree by 50mm and havoc dh bars for my all mountain bike. The 750mm wide feels great. Wheel world had a great deal on Easton stuff.

+1 I run same bar with 50mm Thomson stem and liked better than my 711 easton

[eatdrinkride]

Go with the 720 ( I run the PT 720 cut down a bit) and you can always cut it if needed. Can't make them longer though.

Bar width has a lot more to do with your body type than a certain amount of length for "AM" riding. No best, just what fits. I'm short so I need a shorter bar than a guy with broader shoulders, even going d/h. Give it a fair shake if after 5 or 10 rides you find you are always trying to move your hands inward a bit then cut them. It's not rocket science, experiment with by a longer bar from the get-go and change from there if needed. At 5'7-5'8'' myself and running a bar around 700-710mm (can't remember what I cut it to) is probably equivalent to a 6' guy running 720 or 740mm bars.

They have cut marks on them for a reason

[b-kul]

i run pt 720s. decent enough bar, kinda heavy for what they though. kore has a new bar coming out that is 740mm and pretty light.

[smmokan]

Not all carbon is created equal. I have been running a Truvativ Noir Team carbon bar (680mm, 20 degrees of rise) for more than two years now on mid-travel bikes that have seen everything from Alpine lift-access trails, to rough and rocky desert trails and even survived a head-on collision with a tree in a UK forest trail the force of which sheared my fork stanchions in half. On the otehr hand, I know a dude who almost lost an eye to a Chinese no-name carbon flat bar which suddenly failed while he was racing short-track XC on a very tame trail.

I understand that.... I was just commenting that it's my personal preference and the weight difference is not worth the potential risk to me. There's certainly no performance increase with carbon over aluminum.

It was not a cheap no-name bar, either- it was one made by a major manufacturer.

[tangaroo]

Jus installed the 720 AM protapers ! OMG the bars definitively give you more confidence. I will have to tell you how it rides after this weekend.

How did the bar give you confidence if you haven't ridden yet? Or do wider bars visually give you confidence?

[Mickon64]

Thanks for all the info, I have ordered the 720's.

[Guerdonian]

Nice, I also have Protaper's, LOVE THEM.

[b-kul]

I understand that.... I was just commenting that it's my personal preference and the weight difference is not worth the potential risk to me. There's certainly no performance increase with carbon over aluminum.

It was not a cheap no-name bar, either- it was one made by a major manufacturer.

yes there is, do some reading.

[beebee5]

How did the bar give you confidence if you haven't ridden yet? Or do wider bars visually give you confidence?

A stroll around the block i notice the difference already by how I was positioned . But I did go to the trails today and I have to say I got more control blasting down the hill while I was hesitant with my old setup

[Shiba Inu's Rock]

Love'm both but I swear my Easton Havoc carbon feel stronger than those two and soak up more than my Answer carbon pro taper. The '13 easton products look sick btw. The Answer has the better bling.