Answer’s Carbon SL bars come in a range of widths and rises. We opted for the widest 780mm option, with a 25.4mm rise. At just 223g, it’s 150g lighter than the same width alloy bar it replaced, yet the brand’s tests show it’s stronger than their alloy bars too.
If you’re spending this sort of money on a component, you want to feel that it’s making a significant difference to your bike, and straight away, the handling felt noticeably lighter and more responsive. The carbon reduces chatter through the hands and you can really feel the difference on a trail centre surface in a back-to-back test with an alloy bar.
With eight degrees of backsweep and four degrees of upsweep, this bar sits right in the middle in geometry terms and we soon got comfortable on it. Clear markings make it easy to set up – and cut it down, if required – and the gritted ends stop your grips spinning. Forget any reservations about using carbon bars for heavy-duty riding – the Carbon SLs have taken everything we’ve thrown at them without flinching.