The Ritchey Comp Trail 10D Handlebars feature 10º of back sweep, which is 1-2º more than a typical MTB rise bar. Though they are listed as having 4º of upsweep with 20mm of rise, they are bent forward in a way referred to as a “flat rise” that creates a unique aesthetic from the bars I typically ride.
I’ve been running SQ Lab Inner Bar ends on my hardtail adventure bike (a Kona Honzo Carbon) and as I don’t care for the aesthetic of a riser bar with bar extensions, I’ve been running flat bars. However, the lower position didn’t agree with me on four-hour-plus rides; intrigued by the Ritchey 10D bars, I ordered a set to try on my hardtail adventure bike setup.
Features
- 10º back sweep, 4º upsweep, 20mm “flat” rise
- 800mm wide
- Listed weight: 385grams
- 31.8mm Bar Clamp Diameter
- Aluminum with shot peen finish
The bend on these bars is somewhat unique and I was curious to find how they would feel on my 29″ adventure rig. I’ve been pleased with PNW’s Range handlebars with 10º of sweep; it’s just slightly more sweep than a standard bar but maintains a technical performance feel. With the Ritchey bars offering a similar back sweep, I was curious as to how they’d look once I bolted them up.
I’ll let you, the reader decide for yourself on how they look. I found that in order to get the back sweep I wanted, the bars were tilted forward quite a bit; it’s essentially a flat sweep with a forward rise. The resulting hand position was like running an extra 10mm of stem extension. Though they looked interesting with the inner bar ends and Shimano Di2 controls, they ended up feeling a bit low, so I ended up swapping them out, and they found a home on my fully rigid Wolfhound Cycles “super MTB cruiser”
I liked the aesthetic of the Ritchey bars on the Wolfhound; with the forward bend, they almost resemble performance-oriented mustache handlebars.
Most alternative bars get extreme with their sweep angles quickly. I’m still looking for a bit more sweep to increase comfort on long adventure-style rides on my MTB Gravel conversion; unfortunately, the other model with sweep Ritchey offers jumps to 27.5º, which is far more than I’m looking for, as I still want to maintain a level of technical control that comes with a more traditional MTB riser bar.
Needless to say, with a street price of $36-42, the Ritchy 10D bars are a bargain compared to many competing bars, making them an appealing option. They’re not as light as carbon, but you know the old adage: strong, inexpensive, or light – you can pick two.
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