Since our Weight Weenies articles on Alloy and Cromo frames have been so popular we’ve decided to make a series of it, delving deeper into the world of weight for BMX race products, and products that probably weren’t intentionally designed for race purposes but are used by racers.  If you take a quick look down our list of bars, for example, you will see names like Fit and Kink that are big names in  BMX freestyle but are still used by racers.

We’ve stuck to a “Pro” sized race bar this time, which is loosely defined (of course) as a bar that’s taller than 7″ and wider than 27″. Remember the handlebar width for racing is limited 29″ wide by the UCI. A number of riders use bars that are made wider but then have to cut them to 29″ to comply.  As a BMXer you will know that not all bars feel the same and it can often take some time to find the right bend for you. However we are all also well aware that some people chase the trends and the geometry of the bar seems secondary. This time last year Elevn bars were the trendy bar to have, and it seems that most people who used those have moved on to Box bars this year. There are of course a large number of S&M and Supercross fanatics that wouldn’t run anything else.

S&M handlebars have always been the handlebar in which all others are compared, the benchmark,  since … forever, and it’s quite likely it will stay that way for a long time to come. There was a time that just about every handlebar was modeled very closely on the S&M Slam bar. It’s strong, reliable and (for many) comfortable. Over the past few years however manufacturers, even S&M, have realised that one handlebar just simply won’t suit everyone. There are now two main camps thanks to the trend for the flatter bar with a 6-8 degree back sweep. We’ve reviewed “flat” bars like the Supercross Flatline (AKA Fox Yeah) bars, and the CCH Power Bar and the difference is certainly noticeable and to the point where the handlebar angle had to be adjusted to counter the sweep.

While just about all of the handlebars we have listed are cromo, with various butting and heat treating techniques to reduce weight, there is a sole carbon pro bar by Bombshell. It’s quite clearly the lightest of all, weighing in at a scant 352g, but it comes at a cost, a massive cost actually with it’s price tag putting the carbon bars at close to 4 times the price of cromo bars. And then there’s the 200lb weight limit as well. Both the price tag and the weight limit have restricted sales on the carbon bars, you might see them in the wild, but we are yet to see an elite racer using them for any length of time.

Our pro handlebar  list is far from comprehensive, there are literally hundreds of handlebars available and a whole lot of bars that we have missed, but we have asked our forum members what bars they use and have a pretty good idea of what’s popular so that’s how we have built the list.

The list below is sorted by width and then by weight.

You can see that the Supercross Pro LT is a lightweight bar, but on the smaller side. When you look at bars in the 29″ width range you will notice weights jump above 800 grams and it makes sense since the bars are wider you want a little more strength.

While handlebar weight can be a concern handlebars are a primary point of contact with the bike and important section of the drive train. Sure most of your drive comes through the cranks, but try doing a sprint session without moving your upper body at all. You will notice that your handlebars play a big part in accelerating especially out of a gate, so you want to make sure your bars are as stiff and strong as they can be or you could be losing out on some extra drive through your bike.

What handlebars will you buy next?