Review: Syncros' Hixon SL IC Integrated Carbon Bar & Stem
Integration can make sense in theory, but it's also something that us mountain bikers can get riled up about, and understandably so. Being locked into using a certain component can feel wrong, especially when said component costs an arm and a leg, but the upsides might include less complication, less weight, and more optimization. That was Syncros' brief for the wild-looking Hixon SL IC carbon fiber handlebar and stem combo that's surely going to divide opinions. One thing about it is clear, though: At just 290-grams, it's really freakin' light.
The $329.99 USD cockpit is available in a single matte UD carbon finish, and you can get it with 40, 50, and 60mm virtual stem lengths. Width comes in at 780mm, and there's 12mm of rise that's combined with 6° of up-sweep and 9° of back-sweep.
The $329.99 USD cockpit is available in a single matte UD carbon finish, and you can get it with 40, 50, and 60mm virtual stem lengths. Width comes in at 780mm, and there's 12mm of rise that's combined with 6° of up-sweep and 9° of back-sweep.
Syncros Hixon SL IC
• 1-piece 'bar and stem
• UD carbon fiber
• Width: 780mm
• Length: 40, 50 (tested), 60mm
• Sweep: 6-degrees up, 9-degrees back
• Rise: 12mm
• Torx hardware
• Color: matte black
• Weight: 290-grams
• MSRP: $329.99 USD
• More info: www.syncros.com
• 1-piece 'bar and stem
• UD carbon fiber
• Width: 780mm
• Length: 40, 50 (tested), 60mm
• Sweep: 6-degrees up, 9-degrees back
• Rise: 12mm
• Torx hardware
• Color: matte black
• Weight: 290-grams
• MSRP: $329.99 USD
• More info: www.syncros.com
It might look strange, but your grips are going to end up in pretty much the same spot. That's a Race Face handlebar and 50mm stem laid over top of the Hixon.
Construction
You know what's not needed when your stem and handlebar are a single piece? The bolts that'd usually hold the two together, of course, and fewer steel bolts mean fewer grams. To do this, Syncros uses a one-piece construction method that employs unidirectional carbon fiber, something they say is able to ''show more tensile strength and modulus than woven carbon patterns.''
It certainly gives it a futuristic look that traditional handlebars and stems don't have, which is no doubt helped by the oval shape to its mid-section.
Speaking of shapes, the Hixon SL IC is curvier than I get in the middle of winter. First, there's the part where the middle of the Hixon sweeps forward in an odd looking way, but then there's also the part where it's sweeping backward about halfway out to where the grips are. From above, it doesn't make much sense, but the important thing is that those grips are going to end up in roughly the same place that they'd be with a normal bar and stem combo, even if they take a weird route to get there.
Speaking of shapes, the Hixon SL IC is curvier than I get in the middle of winter. First, there's the part where the middle of the Hixon sweeps forward in an odd looking way, but then there's also the part where it's sweeping backward about halfway out to where the grips are. From above, it doesn't make much sense, but the important thing is that those grips are going to end up in roughly the same place that they'd be with a normal bar and stem combo, even if they take a weird route to get there.
Using carbon fiber for a one-piece cockpit lets you can come up with some unique shapes.
Torque specs are listed on the clamp (please use a torque wrench), and the two bolts have Torx heads and thread into an insert on the opposite side. Syncros has also added textured sections to where you're going to clamp your brake levers, shifter, and dropper post remote, which means you shouldn't need to ever over-tighten any clamp to keep it in place.
The Hixon comes with its own matching cap that fits into a slightly recessed section on top of the stem (you can buy a Garmin mount for here, too), but I just used a standard round stem cap because I had 10mm of spacers on top of it.
It took me one day to lose the specially shaped top cap (left) that fits the Hixon, but a normal one will work just fine. A textured finish where you clamp your controls means that you don't have to have over-tighten any of the clamps.
So, when it comes to numbers, how does the $329.99 USD, 290-gram Hixon compare to other high-end stem and handlebar combos? ENVE is the obvious rival here, with their 50mm stem coming in at $280 USD and 92-grams. Their M7 handlebar measures 800mm wide (40mm more than the Hixon), costs $170 USD, and weighs a claimed 240-grams. That puts the ENVE cockpit at a whopping $450 USD and 332-grams, or even more than the Hixon costs and around 40-grams heavier.
Yes, you can spend $100 USD and get an alloy setup that isn't going to hold any of us back and is actually adjustable, and full carbon fiber stem and handlebar combos aren't going to be on many of our 'must have' lists, but it's interesting to see how this Gucci-spec stuff compares and performs. That applies doubly-so when it looks as weird as the Hixon does.
The rider's point of view when looking down at a Syncros Hixon handlebar.
Performance
Have you ever used a handlebar that wasn't rigid enough? At around 160lb, I have no problem admitting that I certainly haven't. I have used a few that were far too rigid for my liking, though, and the Hixon feels like it's right on the edge of that line. This topic is always such a subjective thing, and I think a lot of people are talking out of their ass to sound like they're ultra-sensitive when they go on and on about handlebar flex or a lack thereof, but the Hixon's stiff construction is clear-cut to me.
Is it too stiff? I did get some buzzy sensations coming through to my hands, but only on the sort of high-frequency stuff that you see when cruising on a fireroad; I had zero issues on singletrack. Still, that's a first for me.
Want your bike to stand out and lose a bunch of grams?
I also just couldn't get over how the Hixon looks, too. I know, I know, it makes zero difference when you're moving - my hands would be in the same spot if I was using a standard setup - but the odd shape from an in-the-saddle point of view is... Unique.
Appearance aside, there are two obvious knocks against the Hixon. First, you clearly can't adjust handlebar roll because, well, it doesn't roll. The position feels bang-on for me and I don't think I'd want to change it regardless, but I know that Mike Kazimer had one as well and didn't gel with the position. Probably good to have a look before you order it off some website, then. The other thing is that you won't be clamping anything to this handlebar because it isn't round; the oval-ish cross-section means no lights or GoPro on the Hixon. Anything that mounts with a rubber band should be workable, though.
Pinkbike's Take:
 | The downsides to the Hixon are obvious, but so are the upsides; it's light as hell and still quite rigid. If you like how it looks, get along with the position, and don't mind dropping this kind of coin on an ultra-light and high-tech cockpit, then you might want to check it out. Sure, it's far more bougie than most of us can justify, but who am I to say where the 'not worth it' line is? Besides, there are countless normal stems and handlebars out there, from inexpensive to incredibly expensive, but the Hixon takes a different, if a bit odd-looking, stab at mountain bike cockpits. |
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Mike responding "I dunno man, it seems positive?"
Syncros, "You're kidding? They actually like this, is it opposite day or something?"
Spengle's 3-Spoke Carbon Wheels from the back, "What ever dude"
Pinkbike says: "freaking light". Let's compare. My Renthal Carbon is 180 grams, my Renthal Apex 40 mm is 118grams. Total is 298. Enve 40 stem is 85 grams, and a M6 bar 200, Total 285. Yes, of course their downhill bar is a bit more heavy. The Syncros is 290, just about in the middle.
Conclusion: the usual commercial from PinkBike. "freaking light" the Syncros ain't
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marker
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It's a shame it's not available at any online discount retailers, and yes, I have looked several times.
I would totally buy one for $199
I think it looks good. For those who don’t, remember when a single front ring with no derailleir or guide just looked wrong?
www.bike24.com/p2250260.html?q=syncros+hixon
Long term this seems like a good solution though. When the industry aims to simplify something, that's rad. It would remove the 31.8 vs. 35mm standard.
Don't overtighten anything clamped to your bar. Doing that to any carbon bar can break it. And by the way, all carbon bars can break.
Same engineers. Same materials. Same layup. Similar molds. Same factory. 20% of the price.
What makes you think that the same engineers who design the thing for Scott are also designing a 80% cheaper version to be sold on Ali?
How are you able to judge the Qc of all products out of a specific factory and what makes it excellent? Keeping in mind that even most carbon bars from reputable companies have very high manufacturing tolerances.
Judging from the results of actual fatigue testing of carbon bars I would go the other way and say: Don't use anything that isn't Syntace. Or maybe, with some reservations, Enve and Newmen.
A quick search of Alibaba for testing videos of frames will leave you with no doubt that these factories have appropriate testing equipment in place and subject their carbon frames to ridiculous cycles of mechanical stress and load. At least 130% of industry standards across the board.
Handlebar testing has not until recently been occurring in most of these factories. However, I have direct correspondence with several contacts and have learned that stress testing is being done for handlebars as well and that there have been substantial changes in production as a consequence.
Scott manufactures in China. Their Hixon is made in China. There are only about 7 factories that make carbon frames, and it would make sense to use one of these factories for their other products as well. Speaking of tolerances and carbon products indicates a lack of understanding of the process, clamshell molds are all CNC machined to extremely tight tolerances. The differences in quality of the product are in material, epoxy, layup, curing, and definitely not tolerances.
I'm pretty sure Syntace isn't the only reliable brand out there. Enve is a ripoff and Newmen is interesting, doesn't mean you can't support other brands too, or the factories that manufacture for those brands.
The scary part is not even that so many bars from big manufacturers failed so early. The scary part is that for almost all carbon bars, the variation in strengh is absurd. Two units of the same bar differing in strenght by a factor of ten has nothing to do with good quality control.
With such high variation in manufacturing, the bar we buy might easily be much worse than the weaker of the tested units.
For all of the carbon handlebas except syntace, the two are very unequal in strength.
Is the magazine paid for by Syntace?
With Enve, you can pay a lof of money and get a great bar... or a mediocre one. Who knows which it will be? I'll save my money, thanks!
But any well made carbon bar should be able to perform at least decently in that test, just most of them don't. Not sure what is going on with the major manufacturers. Seems like they don't do any stress-testing at all. Or maybe they just test prototypes and then blindly trust their chinese suppliers.
;-)
These will be hugely expensive to add a new size to the range too, not just the case of machining a 10mm shorter / longer version it’s a whole new mould.
2. It seems like they could corner the market for anyone who wants ultra short stems (shorter than 35mm) yet they aren't even going there ??? 40mm virtual stem is the shortest they go.
3. All bars need to be at least 800. You can always cut them down. I get it, must pro-riders are sub-160 lbs, but there are lots of us out there that aren't.
Raceface (MSRP - Jenson USA): $175 + $105 = $280, weight, 210g + 138g = 348g
Syncros: $330, 290g
The Syncros setup is only $50 more, it's expensive, but it's not that much more expensive than what's out there. It's a 0.86$/g saving.
Although you should precise this here is the Hixon Rise which features 20mm rise and 7° backsweep.
Glad you like it tho
Im a big fan of the feel and look, sure the price is up there but its comparable to other high end bar and stem combos. Im fine with the width not being a full 800, I find it better suited than my old 800's
ridegemini.com/en/tienda/kastor-en
Good catch...
Course I always roll my bars too far forward so it feels like BMX bars anyway. So not like I'd ever buy any of these...
www.aliexpress.com/item/Manillar-Carbono-MTB-Bicycle-Riser-17-degree-One-shaped-Integrated-Handlebar-With-Stem-3K-Black-Matte/32858526315.html
This integrated bar has similar geo to the Hixon, is exceptionally strong, and equally lightweight. It's also round and doesn't look so strange.
Haters are going to hate, but don't hate if you haven't tried it.
I got 80mm, -17 degree, 9 degree backsweep and the geometry is identical to my current setup which I like a lot. I run it very low, so the sweep fits my position naturally. If you run this bar higher (more spacers) it will strain your wrists. It's a very aggressive position, but that's the intention behind the design.
Then I ordered a 90mm bar/stem, but I found it too short. It's possible that it was indeed a match to my stem, but because my stem had a 6º negative rise and this one had 17º, and lengths are not measured perpendicular to the steerer, the extra rotation brought it too close to my body. It's possible that if my previous stem had 17º as well it would have been a better match. Anyway, with my current 110mm bar/stem I'm fine length wise. It's just the rotation of the bar, it's too flat, it should be rotated upwards more. The more rotated upwards the less backsweep there is so it ends up being too much for my liking. I'm also finding out that I really like bars with little bend, they match my shoulder width better. With this bar/stem my hands start getting numb after about 2-3 hours. It's true that that was also happening with my previous setup, it may have to do with the absence of suspension, but I think it was more tolerable before. It may also have to do with the body weight being shifted more to the bars now. I have ordered one of the flat bars from that manufacturer which have very little backsweep, to see how it feels.
This is the current setup. The bar is as high as I can get it but still lower than the 6º stem with no spacers.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/16885688/?s6
Talk about fixing a problem that doesn't exist! Shave 40 grams and loose all adjustability? Ever hop on friends bike? Their bars are always rolled a little too far back or forward for you. Our bodies and preferences are all so different, I don't see them selling too many.
I have another new idea... what about extending the stem towards the saddle? I wonder what happens? LOL2000
Lol, the only thing that matters is the location of the hands. You could have a stem two miles long, and then a weird bar that flares backwards and does weird crazy stuff and it doesn’t matter. As long as your hands are in the same position relative to the steering axis, the handling will be the same (ignoring weight and stiffness, just talking about the handling)