Renthal Launches New Fatbar Carbon

Jul 9, 2018
by Renthal Cycling  
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PRESS RELEASE: Renthal

The new Fatbar Carbon features an upgraded width of 800mm. Whilst increasing the width, with efficient use of material, Renthal retains the same market-leading 225g weight and the same strength and flex characteristics of the original Fatbar Carbon. The

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Developed alongside Renthal's World Cup DH race teams, the V2 Fatbar Carbon has already been used to win the 2017 UCI World Cup title, with YT Mob's Aaron Gwin. A testament to this handlebar's race-bred performance.

The V2 Fatbar Carbon is shipping internationally now, so contact your national distributor to locate your nearest dealer https://cycling.renthal.com/shop/support/cycle-distributors

Features:
UD Carbon Construction: The Fatbar Carbon uses a full UD carbon construction. Efficient placement and orientation of the uni-directional carbon fibres maximise the strength and stiffness of the handlebar.

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Ride Tuned:
The UD (uni-directional) carbon fibres are layered and aligned to give specific flex characteristics. The stiffness of the Fatbar Carbon results in incredible control, yet careful tuning gives the perfect level of comfort.

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DH Race Ready:
A full 800mm width, with 7deg backsweep / 5deg upsweep geometry is perfect for DH racing. Four rise options - 10, 20, 30 and 40mm, to allow you to choose the right bar for your body size, your riding style and your bike set-up.

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Centre Profile:
The 31.8mm central section extends much further than most other handlebars. Widening the span of this oversize section vastly increases the strength and stiffness of the Fatbar Carbon.

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Ultra-Durable:
Impact strength is hugely important in a DH race handlebar. This is why the Fatbar Carbon is designed to significantly surpass the EN BMX drop test standard.

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Set-Up Markings:
A central set-up grid and width markings allow accurate fine tuning, to personalise the fit of your Fatbar Carbon.

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MSRP - USD $164.95 / £134.95

For more information, head to https://cycling.renthal.com/shop/

Riding photos - Isaac Paddock/YT Mob

MENTIONS: @renthalcycling


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102 Comments
  • 16 6
 Is it me or in the above pictures of Gwin he has alloy bars and not carbon?
  • 5 7
 Yeeeuuuup. Some companies have marketing employees that dont entirely think some things through. Haha
  • 16 1
 He gets the special gold carbon fatbars... they had a special edition that was sold to the public as well.
  • 2 4
 I saw that too. Hilarious!
  • 10 0
 Put the pitch forks away kids. They're carbon bars in the LTD colour way. Notice the black section in the middle? That's how you can tell they're the carbon models. They come as OE spec on the top spec YT's. Also used to be available for purchase but not anymore.
  • 4 0
 They literally say "Carbon" on the bars in the photo haha.
  • 10 4
 Is this the one which brakes Aaron Gwin's thumb? If it is, its not for me Wink
  • 1 0
 He should've switched to 35. There's always the Worlds.
  • 5 0
 I really like Renthal but sure wish there were some color options. Or at least an all-back version. I buy ‘em anyway of course.
  • 5 2
 There are multiple 800+ handlebars coming in at 225g or below. Not sure why they used the term “Market Leading.”
  • 11 2
 Weight isn't everythinggggggg
  • 1 19
flag nick1957 (Jul 9, 2018 at 2:29) (Below Threshold)
 @spudlord: yes it is
  • 5 0
 @nick1957: I dno...id say reliability is pretty damn important lol. I snapped a race face sixc bar once and will never buy that brand again. Don't care if it is low probability, freaked me out.

Renthal inspires confidence
  • 1 0
 Probably a stupid question, but I see the measurement marks at the ends and wonder if you can cut down carbon bars easily or just Ali bars?
  • 6 0
 Carbon bars can be cut down using a grit hacksaw blade or a 32tpi normal bi-metal hacksaw blade.
  • 5 0
 Yes, but only with a metal hacksaw and a mask because of the dangerous dust, pipe cutters would destroy the bars
  • 2 11
flag Kapricorn (Jul 9, 2018 at 1:50) (Below Threshold)
 @andrewslice: why would pipe cutters destroy the bar? If you go incrementally, they slice very cleanly through the fibers. Only an over-zealous application of a plumbers pipe cutter would result in an unexpected result.
  • 13 0
 @Kapricorn: pipe cutters rely on incremental compression of the bar material perpendicular to the surface, I’m guessing this would cause delamination of the carbon and compromise the strength of the layering very quickly. Unlike sawing which has much more localised shear forces.
  • 5 0
 @andrewslice: I tape my vacuum cleaner hose under the bar and hacksaw. All particles get absorbed in the two HEPA filters.
  • 2 0
 @JohanG: the vacuum is a great idea. It is also recommended to use a fine tooth blade as well as wet the bar to cut down on particles entering the air.
  • 6 0
 I run a busy workshop in a shop selling alot of carbon fibre road bikes and triathlon bikes; we are regularly cutting carbon fibre seat post, extension bars (after bike fit) and even seatmast as some of the bikes have integrated seatposts.

Use a fresh 32tpi HSS hacksaw blade, tape the cutting zone with masking tape to prevent surface delamination, use park tool cutting guide, lubricate cut with water, and finish after cutting with fine grain wet and dry paper lubricated with water. When cutting, don't use standard practice of rotating hacksaw blade to present to material at 45 degrees but cut with blade at flat angle and soft pressure - this prevents damage to carbon fibre. Always use dust mask, we wash all cutting equipment after cutting and wipe down surfaces with wet cloth before disposal.
  • 1 0
 @OrangeGoblin:

Good advice. Pipe cutter are made for plumber cutting soft metal tubing for plumbing installation, certainly not for carbon fibre composite or high strength aluminium alloy.

Never understood the mindset of taking lazy route by using incorrect tool for the job, and causing damage to expensive component.
  • 3 0
 Renthal on my dirt bike, Renthal on my pedal bike!
  • 2 1
 Wait. How is this news? I've had these exact bars for 4 months now. Carbon, 35mm 800mm wide. Not sure how this is an update.
  • 1 0
 If you read the post and comments, you'd notice it's a 31.8mm bar. It use to be 780mm 31.8 and 800mm 35. Now they're both 800mm.
  • 3 1
 Bar none!
  • 2 2
 Are they the first that went back to 31.8 from 35 mm? Looks like there's a reason behind it.
  • 5 0
 These are a V2 of the 31.8 version. 35 and 31.8 V2 are now the same in terms of length.
  • 7 0
 They have openly said when they released their 35mm clamp bar that they hate it and it's pointless but want to offer people with 35mm stems a bar with proper flex characteristics.
  • 2 1
 @spudlord: What a fantastic thing the bike industry is, inventing a new standard nobody wants, riders tell the industry that they don't want them because they ride like crap and then you have to sell a product that actually mimics the previous standard. Couldn't make it up.
  • 1 1
 @spudlord: 35 millstems look better on the large as f*ck head tubes you see on carbon bikes
  • 3 2
 @bulletbassman: Brilliant, so then you can have an ultra-stiff uncomfortable handlebar that transmits every little bit of buzz into your hands to go with your ultra-stiff carbon frame that will do the same, I am sure it will feel 'responsive and sharp' going through some ultra groomed berms though, actual off-road terrain, not so sure.
  • 1 1
 They work rather nicely on drops taller than me and rough downhills. I wouldn’t know for flow trails as everything around here is covered in shale. Though the 35 mill bars aren’t any stiffer, just more robust at the stem, same taper up to hands.
  • 2 0
 @bulletbassman: One of the main selling points touted by the industry was exactly that they were stiffer, no?
  • 3 0
 @justanotherusername: More specifically, 35mm can be stiffer and stronger without increasing weight.

I think 35mm makes more sense when viewed next to all the other tube diameters used on a bike. Granted, what matters most is... for a given material, what diameter provides the desired strength/weight/stiffness/durability tradeoff.
  • 2 1
 @dfiler: I think the 'issue' is that many riders don't want a stiffer handlebar and also don't break a bar unless they subject it to some pretty hefty abuse.

Again though, if you like them, run them, if not, don't.
  • 1 0
 @spudlord: in all fairness they did and so did sram.
  • 2 0
 LOL @ 35mm bar/stems
  • 3 4
 "Ride Tuned." Save it. You're selling a carbon tube with a few bends in it. And certainly not the reason why Gwin wins. Joke.
  • 4 3
 There is a difference?? I cant tell same shit colours and design
  • 22 24
 Failed Alu bar = bent bar
Failed carbon bar = concave face

I really have no idea why people would consider this an acceptable risk to save 50g or so
  • 13 3
 If you bent your Alu bar you propably won't hold on to it in most cases. So it's nearly as dangerous
  • 21 0
 Your post implies a huge lie: that alu cannot fail catastrophically. Also, your unfortunate generalisation also doesn't specify the situation leading to failure.
If you bother to search, you'll find plenty of instances whereby alu bars snap off at the junction with the stem: poor maintenance, riders not undoing stem bolts properly when rotating the bars etc, all lead to stress raisers that can snap a metal handlebar. The crack propagation under typical riding load is sufficiently quick to cause catastrophic failure.
  • 8 5
 If you land hard enough to snap a carbon bar you're not going to have any wrists left, so it makes little difference really.
  • 7 0
 @Kapricorn: I wouldn't say you are wrong but these problems (poor maintainence, over tightening bars etc) are magnified with a carbon bar and you are more likely to see this kind of failure with carbon - seen plenty of bent aluminium bars myself but only ever broken carbon (not personally seen a cracked aluminium bar but I am aware it can happen)

I run carbon bars myself on my trail bike but wouldn't on a DH bike.

Renthal stuff is as good as any, if you want carbon bars it's a good place to go.
  • 6 1
 Carbon bars are not just lighter, but can be tuned to flex and feel better than an aluminum bar.

Also, if you would break this handlebar, you would also break a BMX cro-mo handlebar. Is that really a legitimate fear?
  • 4 14
flag IllestT (Jul 9, 2018 at 2:29) (Below Threshold)
 Well my own experience of bending handle bars (once just from a heavy landing) means I'll never trust carbon bars, even though I've never even tried them.
It just seems completely insane
  • 8 0
 @IllestT: Since these bars survive greater forces than aluminum bars, it means you won't be bending handlebars. You'll just ride it out instead Big Grin
  • 2 0
 have to smack em hard to break them...meaning already on the ground...maybe hitting a tree would suck, but trees may not even hurt them. I couldn't imagine them breaking from a hard compression...only flexing! Pure gold right here!
  • 9 7
 you always compare alu vs carbon using the best case senario. It doesn’t work like that in the real world hence why carbons breaking left right and centre where you hardly ever see broken aluminium these days. Not saying it doesn’t happen it does but unless your planning on replacing your components super regularly leave carbon alone. Especially rims cranks and bars.
  • 3 9
flag IllestT (Jul 9, 2018 at 3:24) (Below Threshold)
 @thenotoriousmic: basically this.

I can see that my opinion is controversial and probably not even the majority, but I still think you're all either crazy or deluded to use plastic handle bars.
Same with carbon cranks
  • 6 0
 @IllestT: don't think so, your opinion is shared with a lot of the privateer fast guys I know who pay for their own kit in DH and some sponsored guys who are not too pushed into running what they are told - some people just don't trust carbon bars and it's fair enough, there are plenty of reasons not to.

Thankfully there are really nice carbon and alu bars available so everybody is happy (aprart from people who want to tell you your opinion is wrong of course!)
  • 7 0
 I always thought this too, until I tried a carbon bar. Forget the weight saving it's the feel that makes the biggest difference, I could never go back to an aluminium bar now.
  • 2 0
 @emptybox: nah, that’s not true at all, especially a well designed one. I have a twisted and bent Renthal alloy hanging up that went after a few seasons. I only noticed because I couldn’t get the bars straight...
  • 3 0
 @procoaster: Oh no doubt there are benefits from carbon bars, as I say I run them myself on the trail bike but we do have to be aware of the negatives, like being more careful with bolting on the controls, stem tightening / sharp edges and any deep scratches / dings could cause future issues.

Lots of choice, lots of reasons for running either, everybody catered for.
  • 1 0
 @procoaster: again not true you can taper an alu bar to flex how you want it to or a steel bar etc not just carbon.
  • 3 3
 i mean the lock ons on your grips can destroy a carbon and you don’t even know until you’re pulling up to clear a gap and the bar breaks in half. This happens all the time and it never happens with alu bars.
  • 2 0
 @Kapricorn: same rider error will snap a carbon bar.

At the end of the day I can comfortably throw a dh engineered aluminum stem and bar off a cliff put it on my bike and get home. Carbon just simply isn’t good in collisions, crashing is a part of the sport, and a handlebar sees a lot of contact with both ground and body in crashes. I’llalways Take safety and reliability over such a fairly insignificant amount of performance gains.
  • 4 1
 @thenotoriousmic: True that the flex of alu bars can be altered by wall thickness, but carbon is going to be naturally more damp than aluminum. Riding a alu road bike vs. the same model in carbon demonstrates this but also with baseball bats. Nothing worse than hitting an alu bat in the wrong area, f*cking way more painful than a carbon or wood bat. Aluminum gives the rider the church bell effect while carbon can be far smoother.

Carbon bars breaking at lock on clamp areas hardly happens "all the time". If for sure can happen, but that's why people should always pay attention to the Nm values of all bolts. It's easily avoidable if you use proper common sense.
  • 5 0
 I have alu bar in two pieces in my basement that would beg to differ
  • 3 0
 @ka-brap: This argument is pretty much a matter of opinion devoid of any real fact (as in with data to back it up)

If you like carbon bars then great, if not then don't use them, everybody has stories about both types, run what you feel best running, pick a quality bar of either material and most people have no issues anyway.
  • 2 4
 @justanotherusername: that’s not really true is it? Yes there’s broken alu components but they’re way outnumbered by broken carbon parts. At least when you buy metal components you’re buying the absolute highest quality materials buy carbon and you’re buying the lowest quality carbon.
  • 4 1
 @thenotoriousmic: I did kind of sum up the negatives of carbon but thank you for ignoring that.

Also thank you for more opinion, as useless as it is to everybody.
  • 2 0
 @justanotherusername: While my argument is anecdotal, there are plenty of studies done that demonstrate the vibration damping qualities of carbon fiber. It's fairly well documented, even Spank discusses it in their Vibrocore testing.
  • 1 0
 @ka-brap: What kind of carbon fiber, how is the bar constructed with it? vs what kind of aluminium and how is that bar constructed, bar lengths, bar shape etc etc?
I did agree with you that there are benefits of carbon, but to actually put a figure on the benefits is not going to happen unless an independent takes up the task.
  • 3 0
 I literally had a pair of Atomlab Sl 35mm Alu bars SNAP off in my hand at close to 30mph. And that wasnt even around a clamp. Alu fails catastrophically as well.
  • 1 2
 @ka-brap: show me a single published scientific paper on carbon handle bars and their vibration qualities?
Anything else is marketing and pseudo-science (ie BS)
  • 2 0
 @IllestT:

Formula 1 = Real danger - lots of carbon.
  • 3 1
 its why i never fly. once they moved to carbon wings i was over it!
  • 2 0
 @endlessblockades: yeah they’re definitely not making the same grade of carbon in a factory in China that Mclaren are using. Take a ‘carbon’ frame or bar to them and they’d piss themselves at your resin bar.
  • 2 0
 @thenotoriousmic: There are gradients of everything, indeed, but to fear all fiber is folly.
  • 1 4
 @ka-brap: That statement is ridiculous do you have any experience riding a bmx bike. You do realize that you literally throw the bike at concrete regularly in the park ive never snapped a bmx bar I had an old gt steel bar that held up for years eventually it would bend just before the brake lever I’d bend it back and it was golden. People who love carbon don’t seem to understand its limits. For instance for many years after the popularization of carbon frames company’s gave their carbon frame significantly shorter warranty’s than what was popular for a top level aluminum bike. This was at the same time they were telling us that carbon was so much stronger than other options. Carbon isn’t perfect probably why Boeing planes aren’t made completely out of carbon. It’s good for some things and not others.
  • 1 0
 @loganflores: I ride BMX. You can see my bike in my profile. I also ride road, XC, dirt jump, and race DH. I think I realize the limits of gear more than you do.
  • 1 1
 @loganflores:
If you design a carbon part right you get a nearly endless fatigue life. The same goes for steal. Aluminium will fail no matter if there is load or not
  • 1 1
 @emptybox: aluminum breaks without any load at all? that’s strange even an aluminum can has to be stepped on.
  • 1 1
 @ka-brap: why would you assume that about me? if carbon bars were stronger why don’t bmx riders other than racing bars (lots with a weight limit) have carbon bars and frames. Why don’t any dirt jump frames come in carbon or any dj rims or cranks or pretty much anything? I thought it was stronger?
  • 1 0
 @loganflores: Because price, obviously. A complete bmx bike costs $300, a pro-level version costs around $900-$1,000. High-end, aftermarket bars are around $70. The bmx industry is bunch of young kids and cheap dirtbags (and I say that endearingly) and the parts & bikes are priced accordingly. Carbon frames and parts occupy price points that they simply can't be bothered with, except for bmx racing where you do see carbon frames, forks, cranks, etc.

Same goes for 26" dirt jump bikes. The market is mainly teenagers or as a quiver bike. But, if you look at high-end pro level slopestlye bikes, some do come in carbon like the new YT Play. But again, the price is far too high especially in perhaps the most niche market in all of mountain biking. The market is simply too small for the investment to be made. That's why YT only made like 25 of those new bikes. Ultimately it comes down to market size and price, and carbon bikes and parts are simply not feasible.
  • 1 0
 @ka-brap: they don’t use carbon or even alu because it’s not strong enough or even close to being strong enough for Bmx. Not even close. You’re being ridiculous to suggest they don’t use carbon because of cost. Steel is the only suitable material for Bmx.
  • 1 0
 @ka-brap: you do get carbon race bikes but I don’t know much about that scene.
  • 1 0
 @thenotoriousmic: It's just not even worth the cost is my point. In order to be as impact resistant as steel, the bike's tubes would need to be 6-8mm thick like DH headtube. It would be a bomber bmx bike, but just absurdly far too expensive. When 2-Hip did aluminum freestyle bmx bikes in the 90s, they were crazy thick and strong, but just used too much material to be cost effective. They were a money loser. The same problem is with carbon and it's just simply not at all viable for bmx because it would just be too costly to meet all of the needs for bmx. That's why steel is chosen. 4130 (and cheaper steels) meets all of the durability needs of the user and allows the manufacturer to hit the needed price points. Carbon is just not worth it for freestyle bmx.
  • 1 1
 @ka-brap: carbon just wouldn’t work regardless of how much money you’d be willing to throw at it. Carbon doesn’t like being stressed in ways it’s not supposed to be. That’s why it breaks all the time. Like it will take a weird side load that you hardly ever see or you crash into a tree and it it just shatters like minnaars v10. A carbon Bmx wouldn’t last very long. Mines full of dents and deep scratches from grinds etc my frame cost £300 everyone of those dents and scratches would have written off would would be a £2000 frame.
  • 1 1
 @loganflores:
Sorry that was unclear but aluminium has no endless fatigue life. No matter how small forces are it will break sooner or later.
  • 2 1
 You guys crack me up with this made up stuff.
  • 1 0
 @ka-brap: Come on man you carbon fanboys go to far sometimes. Carbon is an amazing material however the claims you are making are simply not true any material that has its strength compromised due to outside nicks is not going to work on things getting thrown around. Also have a look at some top end dj bikes I was on black markets site looking around and couldn’t believe that there top build is 3000$ Most high end frames are 400-700. If you build a dj the same way you build your 5000$ all mountain bike than it costs a lot more than that. I wonder how much a carbon dj would cost or what it would weigh?
  • 1 0
 @loganflores: I'm a fan of proper engineering, regardless of the materials (hence my alu and steel bikes that I own). If you think 8mm thick carbon fiber becomes compromised because of surface scratches, then you haven't seen destruction tests done by the bike manufacturers. When it's properly laid up, it can be literally bulletproof. That's kind of the ultimate surface scratch, no?

When the GT Fury was carbon fiber, it was heavier than the aluminum version that eventually replaced it. It was over built and survived being run over by a car. Eventually, a carbon fiber frame can be made heavier and more durable than an aluminum or steel version but again, at a cost that simply doesn't make any viable sense.
  • 1 0
 I’ll just leave this here.

youtu.be/4mrQda2gjIE
  • 1 0
 @thenotoriousmic: I would have picked something from Burns but to each his own Wink
  • 1 0
 @ka-brap: I wasn’t taking about scratches I said nicked on purpose I think a nick or cut in the carbon perhaps from a rock would hurt the durability of the product. I have never heard of a bike product that’s literally bulletproof no matter how well it’s layed up or designed. I think my steel dj would hold up to a bullet better than a carbon frame. Your argument is dishonest a carbon frame layed up so strong it’s bulletproof would be insanely heavy if possible at all.
  • 1 0
 @ka-brap: I would never bring up his name in a conversation about carbon. How dare you? Show some respect he’s metal though and through but you clearly see that carbon wouldn’t work here.
  • 1 0
 @emptybox: i was mostly joking but I don’t believe anything has an endless fatigue life. And in a world where people replace bikes and parts every three years why are you concerned about life long fatigue I don’t hear people complaining about their aluminum bars snapping a lot or cranks and frames.
  • 1 0
 YES
  • 3 2
 Same ugly color
  • 2 1
 What, black?
  • 1 1
 Still ugly as ever...







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