Handlebars
Used mountain bike handlebars from UK sellers, in aluminium and carbon, risers and flat bars. Filter by width, rise, material and brand — Renthal, Race Face, Burgtec, Deity, Chromag, Spank and more.
How wide should my handlebar be?
Modern MTB bars range from 720mm for XC to 820mm for DH. Wider bars give more leverage in corners and better stability at speed, but go too wide and your arms fatigue faster and you lose reach — most trail riders end up around 760–780mm. Bars are easy to cut down with a pipe cutter, so buy wider than you think you need and trim 5mm at a time until it feels right. You can't add width back, so go cautious.
How much rise do I need?
Rise is how far the bar sweeps upward from the clamping area. Low rise of 15–20mm suits riders who want a lower front end and an aggressive position, while high rise of 30–50mm raises the bars for a more upright position and better weight distribution on steep descents. Rise is a simpler way to adjust bar height than swapping stems or adding spacers, and it doesn't affect steering response the way stem length does.
What do backsweep and upsweep do?
Backsweep — how far the bar ends angle backward — ranges from 5° to 12°, and more of it aligns your wrists more naturally and reduces strain on longer rides. Upsweep is typically 4–5° on most bars. These angles are subtle but they affect comfort over hours of riding: if you get hand numbness or wrist pain, try a bar with more backsweep before blaming your grips or the rest of your contact points.
Carbon or aluminium?
Aluminium bars in 7050 or 7075 alloy are strong, affordable and easier to trust second-hand. Carbon bars are lighter, saving 100–150g, and can be tuned to damp vibrations, but they're more susceptible to hidden damage from impacts. For the weight-conscious, carbon makes sense on XC bikes; for trail, enduro and DH, alloy is the pragmatic choice.
What should I check buying used?
Material decides how much inspection a used bar needs: a scratched alloy bar is fine, but a scratched carbon bar needs careful inspection before you trust it. Check the width too, since a previous owner may already have trimmed it and you can't add width back. Bars are cheap enough to experiment with, which makes them a low-risk change alongside a saddle or pedal swap.