Kore 800mm flat bar! The Earth isn't Flat! These bars are though!

Sep 2, 2008
by Si Paton  
Core blimey, there was me thinking those 750-760mm wide bars were wide. Then along comes the likes of FSA and more recently Kore with this whopping 800mm flat bar conception.

Bring it on..Yes we all know FSA/Gravity had their 800mm wide riser bar out months ago. What we haven't seen before is a super wide flat bar have we?

Element have a flat bar in proto type stage and it's around the 750mm mark. Truvativ have a flat offering about to be released and my old mates at Chromag (I've been running them for 6 months now) have had a flat bar out for what seems like years!

photo

Landed today at Superfly Central we have the Kore Torsion 800mm wide bar. Now firstly I must apologize as I rushed to get these fitted to my new Mountain Cycles Test Rig. This will be the bedrock for all new and shiny bits that land at my door in what we will call project "Patonator".. In that rush I forgot to get them on the scales, school boy error I know. You know what it's like though, new bike bit lands and your like a dog with two dicks.

photo

Stats wise you will need a 31.8mm clamp to hold on tight. Made from 2014 T6 Double Butted Aluminum they should hold up well even with that extra leverage on the ends.

There's a 4 degree up sweep and a 9 degree back sweep which from above and sat in the cockpit looking straight down these look and feel like any "normal" wide bar! It's only when you look straight on they really stand out or "flat" should I say.

photo

Now at a pub brawling 5ft 6ins tall I ain't got the longest legs in the World and as I said in one interview asking for tips/hints, "Never ride a bike with wheels bigger than your inside leg". Referring to our 29" weirdo relatives of course. That also means my arms are already at a reach disadvantage. That said I perched myself on top of these beasts and they actually feel pretty good.

photo

The only downturn and especially here in the U.K is that a lot of our courses are tight and twisty through the trees. That is slowly changing as we've shown the way at the NPS - National Points Series that I run by marking them wider and having multiple line choices whenever possible.

photo

Testing out the Chromags


What I did notice at first with my original Chromag flat bars is the lower riding height. Great in the corners and you're closer to the floor so that bit more stable. Just watch out on the jumps and drops, it took a while to correct her from some impromptu nose dives. All good now though.

Should this month's tip be to wear gloves or even those ones with padded knuckles? Up to you, I've said enough,

Except where to get these from:
UK - www.bob-elliot.co.uk
Tel: (0044) 01772 459887

States - J & B Importers (Dealer Sales Only)
Tel +1-800-666-5000
sales@jbimporters.com

Never, ever clip in..

Si Paton..
www.Descent-Gear.com
Oury Lock-On Grips £14.99

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Reviews


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Member since Jul 26, 2006
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95 Comments
  • 32 2
 It would be tough to fit those bars through a garage door!
  • 39 10
 U.G.L.Y....it's all I got sorry.
  • 1 0
 ha! bet you feel like a dummy now
  • 1 1
 who the hell looks at handbags from 10yrs ago? Dummies do, that’s who
  • 1 0
 @saintjimmy: how wide are your bars today?
  • 1 0
 I’m not exactly sure. How wide are your moms shoulders? @giantluvryyc:
  • 28 3
 why the hell would you want bars that wide? cant ride anywhere NEAR a tree!
  • 14 1
 yeah what's next a 850mm wide bar
  • 42 1
 it's for put some fresh air in the rider arm pit then the sweat dry and they don't smell bad at the bar
  • 3 0
 i bet like 80%,probably more, of the ppl that buy this bar are gonna want to cut it
  • 3 0
 Why not just go for the whole meter!
  • 0 1
 Wow 1000mm bars now THATS marketing!!!
  • 0 0
 no need for 1000mm wide bars on the market,that's just stupid
  • 1 0
 this is proof you cant see into the futrue
  • 24 5
 wannabee mx bars
  • 15 2
 what mx bars are that flat then?
  • 11 3
 I meant width wise!
  • 7 1
 I like the feeling of a flat bar but this one is fuck''ng to wide, you can't even think about doing a single track
  • 3 0
 my mx bars arent even that wide
  • 0 0
 Are any MX bars that wide.. Mine are thiner than my DH bars. :S LOL
  • 1 0
 @leb12345: looks like you goofed on this one pal
  • 14 0
 I bet you could put a plastic blade on these pupies and play hockey with them in the off season.
  • 17 4
 looks so ugly and the width is totally unpractical
  • 16 1
 impractical sorry Wink
  • 5 2
 agree!
  • 1 0
 ha! how wide are your bars today. turns out you were wrong eh
  • 1 0
 @suupers: how impractical do they seem now. jokes on you
  • 7 0
 A couple of guys on this forum get it, the rest are just idiots. These bars were designed after what the pros want. The WC circuit is a fast open course. Most of the time these guys aren't even riding behind the seat like the rest of us they'll hover over their bars. Just because you guys don't like the idea of having a wide bar cause the trails you ride are tight and twisty doesn't make them any less practical than Sam Hill running a 600 mm bar. One of the advantages is someone who wants to run..lets say a 780 or 760 mm bar.. they can. and it being a flat bar means nothing. One of the best riders I know at Bromont rides a flat bar. everyone needs to grow up and stop basing everything that's new and different. I imagine back in the day people thought it was stupid to make a bike with suspension and ride it in the dirt.
  • 0 0
 Amen... very well said.
  • 12 5
 if youre 5'6" and you run an 800mm wide bar you have to be the worlds biggest fashion follower. im sorry but thats just silly and will make it harder to ride than anything, especially if you dont have lanky reach.
flat bars and low rise make sense but the new fad for superwide bars is just a pisstake
  • 3 1
 Calm down - he's just testing them for this site! If you read the article you'd see that he runs a Chromag set... which at uncut length are rather narrower than 800mm.
  • 7 0
 You can always take some off. If all bar makers made 710's as standard and you wanted 750 you're screwed. If you started off with 800's and then wanted 750 or 710 no problem just bust out the hacksaw.

Also, there are quite a number of pro's using 29" bars besides Barel. I beleive Tyler Moreland, Sam Hill and Nathan Rennie are a couple. Manufacturers coming out with these is following what pros are asking for not what everyday riders are asking for.
  • 2 1
 Totally love the customizability of these beasts! For MTB you need a bar wider than you shoulder width in most cases but, Snap! Here's a couple of tests: Get in a wide push position (arms not quite locked) and have buddy step (not jump) lightly on your back and keep adding a bit of pressure, bet ya cave quicker than you thought. Go narrow (almost straight out arms but comfy) and see how long you last (my wife can sit on my shoulders at this point). Now get buddy to put something on the outside edge of both your hands in that position. THAT is YOUR BAR width (and unless you play in the NBA it will not be 800mm). Add maybe 30mm total so you can grab extra LEAVERAGE on climbs and rough descents, buy close to your width and cut to size. Go ride everywhere.
  • 11 3
 High-rise stem + flat bars = stronger than medium/low rise stem + riser bars. Then again, risers just look so damn cool Razz
  • 1 5
flag horbit (Sep 3, 2008 at 10:04) (Below Threshold)
 but riser bars absorb vibrations
  • 1 1
 absorb vibrations lol
  • 7 0
 looks nice, but who needs 800mm? perjaps it is just a test from the manufactors to see if the mass will follow the hype
  • 4 0
 I wouldnt knock em till you try em, gents. Ive got some 30 inch chromag fubar osx bars and they are rad. Did any of you guys see the bars Fabien Barel rode at the worlds? Theres gotta be some advantage to ultra-wides, cause that guy is an engineer and no trend-follower.
  • 3 0
 LEAVERAGE, that's the advantage. Much less deflection because it slows down your input on the bars. You may not even need a steering damper. Yeah personal preference prevails, but man, are you gonna get tired fast (especially at 5'6") with your arms that wide. I'm 6'4" and run 700mm bars and I love 'em. But the whole single track issue rules out much wider for me. If your ripping lifts all day a resort, probably great. And I know this is blasphemy, but the torque you could lay down with those climbing makes bar ends history.
  • 0 0
 I think you forgot to say that the bike doesn't make you a good rider haha
  • 3 0
 dude thats just how people are. new weird and exciting things scare the shit out of every body and say its crazy untill they try em i personally dont have anything close to these bars but i would give em a try if i had the chance.
  • 4 1
 why the hell do you need a bar that big... 710 is all you'll ever need. mine are dead on 700 and i wouldnt want 'em wider.... EVER, or you cant fit through tight woody sections, and your arms are pulled apart so far you're having a full frontal crucifixion against the top of your bike
  • 6 3
 800mm bars arent impractical at all. i run fsa gravity 800's and iv only ever once clipped a tree. And being a tad over 6'2 they suit my arms perfect. id love a set of these bars.
  • 9 7
 nope theyre rediculous, and this dude is 5'6
  • 4 1
 shut up! jesus christ alive he is just testing the bar! maybe 800 isn't your cup of tea, but i know plenty of big riders who would love some bars like this. i'd never buy them, i have no use for them, but some people might want them, so take your crap elsewere. half wit.
  • 5 0
 f*ck me sideaways their huge :S
  • 1 0
 To all the nay-sayers:

The biggest advantage to super-wide bars is that YOU CAN CUT THEM DOWN! That's right, the manufacturer is free to offer 1 width that the rider can customize. Is that really an issue? It's like a seatpost; you might not need a 410mm Thomson, but having the option sure doesn't hurt anything.
  • 2 1
 Great article, but those bars are absolutely insane. Eek I run 690mm FUNN bars (I'm guessing they were cut? I don't know, second hand bike) and even these are bordering on too big - the bike hardly fits through the door into the house, into the elevator, etc, and I've had more than one close call in the tight and twisting sections of certain trails. I guess I just prefer smaller bars.

Cheers! Smile
  • 5 1
 remember guys its personal preference! but i would find them too wide personally.
  • 1 0
 at last someone speaking sense!
  • 4 1
 THE WIDER THE BETTER
COME ON U GUYS
I KNOW I GOING TO GET NEG PROPS BUT THERE CLASS AND I MIGHT HAVE TO GET THOSE BARS
(for my new bike )
  • 0 0
 yea, the wider the better. you mean the better for having trees rip your bike sideways during a race in the tight woods sections right?
  • 1 0
 Firstly for those that can't read I run the Chromags in an uncut version on my Commencal VIP Supreme.

The Mountain Cycles is my test bike which I bolt new bits and pieces onto for test. I ride the Chromags at standard lenght (can't some of you idiots read)? At 5ft 6ins the 800's are way too wide for me i'd have to cut them down!

Which is the real point here! If you want flat bars pretty wide, start with these and cut them down, to suit you and your riding.

Back in the day we all rode riser bars as our elastomer Manitous Mach IIIs had a couple of inches of travel. Now were running Boxxers with 8ins of travel and still the same riser bars!

Now is the time to re-address the balance. Mark my words within 2 years you'll see every manufacturer producing flat bars and half of you that are any good on a bike will be running them!

Please make sure you can read the actual article before you post anything up and make a dumbo of yourself!

Cheers.

Si..
  • 2 0
 burgtech ridewides will be the widest bars are run 800mm is just plain crazy be seeing a lot of coat hangers at the dh trails
  • 0 0
 I'm riding the 800 25mm Gravity Bars and Wide bars are great! Believe it or not most and actually almost all trails are at least 31.5" wide. I know because here in Jackson Hole we have some super narrow, old school, skinny-ass DH trails and my bars seem to fit through everything. If anything it makes skinny stuff more fun and of course the added benefit of being able to through your bike around like an Olsen twin.
  • 0 0
 Throw the olsen twins.... I would hate for someone else to correct me, MARK.
  • 0 0
 Im 6' and i run 1" extenders in my easton EA70s AND hang my grips bout 1" off the ends of the extenders thats a total width of 785mm. Thats realy comfortable for ME, the guys i ride with hate it but it all comes down to those oh so frequently used words "PERSONAL PREFERENCE". Im gonna buy sum of these and if i dont get on with the whole 800mm i can cut em down 15mm, big deal. I think massive bars are the future, cus they can be made to be a comfortable size for anyone.
  • 0 0
 ok, so its really cool that companies are offering moto width bars, even if its not for everyone, its nice having the option.

But why is it most companies seem to only offer their extremely low handlebars in the wide widths? seriously, a half inch rise bar doesnt work with every bike setup out there!

would be nice to see some 2-2.5 inch rise bars in wider sizes.
  • 0 1
 What a bunch of fashion victim shit! Super wide bars were all the rage 15years ago, they were unnecessary then and they are still unnecessary now. These things will only be sold to all of the sheep out there who have to be told how to think.
  • 1 0
 And just to correct Superfly, we have seen extra wide flat bars before, just ask Paul Plunkett. He was winning British National DH titles in the early half of the '90's with his.
  • 4 1
 Oh they aren't that ugly.. just .. different. Smile
  • 1 0
 if everyone who dissed these bars actually grew up riding them it would be completely different.
its just cuz you guys have ridden 25"-27" your whole lives.
  • 0 0
 i am 6 foot 1 and just bougt some spank spike 777 bars, are also very wide (777mm) and i absolutely love them, but its not good for persons that are not tall, (friend of mine who rode it 5 foot 6 hated them)
  • 4 3
 i rather like them, lower front end, more stability, the ultimate fort bill bar
  • 1 0
 or moelfre-no trees so no worry
  • 1 0
 do you guys think hauling your bike on the roof of your car might be hazardous with those beasts?!
  • 0 0
 They should come with bright orange bar plugs and frills (like my kids bike). LMAO. Make riding in hunting season safer, too.
  • 0 0
 ahahha. that would be great.
  • 0 0
 Gadmack i don't think he ment absolutley everyone, just most of us. looks like you need to cut the grass on your front lawn btw Si LOL!
  • 2 0
 Arnold Schwarzenegger size.
  • 0 0
 I can see them being useful for trials... Even there they seem pretty wide!
  • 0 0
 how is it to ride this bar between cars and close trees? must be a bit tricky...
  • 0 0
 lol @ a dog with two dicks

I have never in years considered riding with a flat bar, but have given it thought now.
  • 1 0
 well... here we are in 2018 and turns out the earth is flat!
  • 0 0
 shut up there cool.....not
  • 0 0
 i have the FSA gravity light bars@800mm and haven't cut the yet, kinda scary sometimes...
  • 1 1
 this puts meaning to the trail name "Cut Yer' Bars"
  • 0 0
 In Whistler, BC...seen some uprades to the climbing portion of that trail recently.
  • 1 1
 Buy what you like and ride it like it's stolen.......it's that simple.
  • 1 0
 Riding stolen bikes is not cool. Maybe it should be ride it like it's a rental, just as fun to abuse and way easier on the conscience.
  • 0 0
 hahaha you made my day xD
  • 0 0
 i got 800mm gravti lights but flats i jst dnt know about that.
  • 0 0
 next they'll be using meter sticks (yard sticks)
  • 0 0
 ima ll for wide bar's... not these one's tho1

too big!

=p
  • 0 0
 looks sick on bike
  • 0 0
 Their almost a meter...
  • 0 1
 what are flat bars for havent couaght on
  • 0 0
 i like it.
  • 0 3
 oh od dude way to wide thats stupid... point less
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