Tested: Easton EC70 XC Low-Rise Handlebar

Easton EC70 XC Low-Rise

MSRP:$139

Weight:158g

Width: 685mm

Reviewed by: Travis Scheefer

Easton recognized that cross-country riders and racers are learning from the all mountain crowd and going with even wider handle bars for more control and comfort. However, added material usually means more weight and racers are notorious for counting grams in an effort to keep their bikes as light as possible.

How about a bar with added width at the same weight? The EC70 XC Riser bar is a redesign of the popular Monkeylite XC Riser. They added 25mm of width over the existing version and made the bar stronger using their taperwall construction method. The result is a carbon handlebar in a 685mm width weighing in at a feathery 158 grams (on my scale). Wider bars at the same weight? Sign me up. The bars look good with simple graphics, letting the carbon show its beauty. The clear coat finish on the carbon is top quality. The 9 degree bend and 5 degree upsweep of the bar is very comfortable (a carry-over from the popular Monkeylite).

I opted to first test these bars on a 29er carbon hardtail. The added width gave more control over the 29er in corners and rock gardens while not being too wide for all out racing. I later swapped the bars to a 26" carbon full suspension for further testing and they were equally at home. The bar is plenty stiff for a lightweight cross-country rider with enough flex to take the edge off trail chatter.

This is the perfect bar for any cross country racer or rider looking for a wide bar that weighs less than most of the 660mm bars available on the market. Bigger riders or bigger bikes may want to look at Easton’s new Haven carbon bars designed for all mountain riding.