Flame On Flat Handlebar

Cross-country and trail riders who want the front end as low as it will go. A flat bar puts your weight forward over the wheel, which is what keeps the front tyre biting when you are climbing steeply or pushing hard through a corner. It also makes for a very simple shape: with no rise and no upsweep, the only angle doing anything is the 9° of backsweep.

710mm at 195g, or 680mm at 190g. Both use the standard 31.8mm stem clamp. These are narrow by modern trail standards, which is the point — a narrower bar steers quicker and slips through trees, where a wide one gives you more leverage and stability. If you are unsure, our guide to handlebar widths covers how to work out what suits you.

A touch more than usual — most of our riser bars run 8°. Backsweep is how far the ends angle back towards you, and it is the number your wrists feel: more of it lets the hand sit at a more natural angle instead of being cranked outwards. On a flat bar that matters more than on a riser, because there is no rise softening the position. If 9° feels like too much rotation, roll the bar forward slightly in the stem before deciding it is wrong.

Identical shape — same 710 and 680mm widths, same zero rise, same 9° backsweep — so they fit and feel the same on the bike. The Flame On is triple-butted AL7050 with a sand blast and mirror polish finish, at 190 to 195g. The Flame Pg is triple-butted AL6061 with a full sand blast, at 210 to 215g. You are paying for about 20g and the polished finish.

Yes — it is alloy, so it shortens with a pipe cutter or a hacksaw and a cutting guide. Take the same amount off each end, measure from the centre rather than from the ends, and check your grips and controls still have room. Bear in mind these bars start at 680 and 710mm, so there is less to give away than on a 785mm bar. It cannot be undone, so ride it at full width a few times first.

Use the torque figure printed on your stem's faceplate — it is the stem that sets it, not the bar — and use a torque wrench rather than going by feel. Tighten the bolts a little at a time in a criss-cross pattern so the gap stays even top and bottom. Our handlebar replacement guide walks through the whole job.