We first reviewed the PNW Components Range handlebar a few years ago, and it became a favorite thanks to the 10º of back sweep that is just slightly more than the norm, as well as the combination of quality and value. Most MTB bars have 8º of sweep, which is fine for most riding styles, but on long rides, a bit more sweep adds a lot of comfort for one’s wrists. The additional 2º isn’t enough to feel weird or affect the bike’s handling, but it makes a difference.
Since then, we’ve covered quite a bit of the lineup as we’ve become fans of their gear and the brand. The Range bar is now in its fourth generation.
Features
- 31.8mm or 35mm clamp size options
- Constructed of 2014 Aluminum Alloy, 800 mm wide
- 10º back sweep, 5º up
- 70mm Stem Clamp Width
- 25mm, 38mm, and 50mm rise options
- Listed weight: 316g to 324g
- Lifetime warranty
- Tested to the ISO 4210 standard
- Ground Keeper Decals
Cut lines printed on the bar make it easy to trim to your ideal width, and can be cut to as narrow as 740mm. After installing the bars, I cut 10 mm off each end, as I prefer to run my bars at 780 mm wide (30.7″) on most of my bikes.
On the trail
I’m running the 50mm rise version of the latest Range bar on a Specialized Stumpjumper EVO, customized with a Cascade Components Long Travel Kit. With the increase in travel, the bike enters the enduro category, and the increase in rise is a lot of fun on steeper tech descents and jump lines. (update: I’ve since migrated the 50mm Range bar and Loam Stem to my Turbo LEVO eMTB and I love it there, and put the Carbon PNW Loam bar on in its place )
Being a bit more upright changes how the bike handles, but it was easy to adjust to it quickly. Adding a bit more height paired with the additional squish also adds more confidence on bigger free ride lines in Post Canyon in nearby Hood River.
The Gen 4 Range bar actually replaces an earlier model of the alloy Range bar with 30mm of rise. Being an alloy bar, it’s still in rotation on my bikes since reviewing it a few years ago. Since that first alloy bar, PNW has developed and released a lighter, carbon fiber version, dubbed the Loam Bar. And it’s great, but I still prefer to run aluminum handlebars on any bike I ride at bike parks or shuttle. I trust carbon fiber handlebars, but once I’ve scratched one, it gets rotated off my full suspension bikes and onto bikes that aren’t ridden on trails or features with potential for disaster should the part fail. If you do shuttle runs with folks running handlebar-mounted bike racks, the extra durability of an alloy bar is reassuring, as bar-mounted racks can subject bars to damage if the racks aren’t maintained.
I tend to play around with the cockpits of my bikes, but at this point, I haven’t found a bar I like more than the Range and its carbon cousin, the Loam Bar. If you’re looking to try a bar with a tad more sweep, the Range bar lineup is a solid option and has become our go-to for personal builds. They ride well, are reasonably light and durable, and at $69, it’s hard to beat the price.
Check them out at PNWComponents.com.