Wide Load-Bontrager Rhythm Pro 750mm Bar

For those of you new to monocogging or those of us that are the old folk, there are some things you most know in order to be a strong SSer. Sure, legs are the main dish and without a strong set of gams, you aint goin nowheres. Strong upper body is also a big plus. You are spending more time out of the saddle and we dont have the luxury that our geared comrades have with sitting and spinning.

Wide Load Indeed

What is often overlooked is breathing. Yeah, I know-duh! Seriously, any veteran SSer will tell you how important it is, and how to control it. What alot of virgin SSers dont know is that the secret in helping this is a wider bar. I find it a little puzzling to see that the “specperts” are still putting 620 and 640mm bars on SS bikes. Most people leave them just because they are there-glue factory items. Simple lesson here. Now I am not a scientist or a guru in body kinematics or anything like that, but I have been doing this for quite some time and have made all of the same mistakes that newbies make. When the trail goes vert, you need to get out of the saddle-no getting around it. Your legs can only take you so far before you start struggling. With the shorter bar, you can only extend your arms so far to get that bike a rockin. The wider bar allows you to do two things; 1) get much more leverage to power that steed up those climbs and really apply some serious torque and 2) it opens up your chest to allow more air into the lungs. Quite simple; air+controlled power=shorter times going anaerobic which leads to a faster, more efficient rider.

I was riding 630′s for some time and moved up to 700mm Stylo WC bars, but thanks to my rep-Jon Rogers, I was able to get a couple of Bontrager Rhythm Pro 750mm wide bars. Yeah, these are w–i–d–e! The other big benefit to these bars are the fact they are meant for all mountain riding, which means they are stiff, strong and flex free-all things a SSer looks for in a bar. These bars come in at 325 grams, no light weight, but not bad for a bar made for taking a beating. I took a quick ride today and noticed immediately the difference on the climbs. The 700′s were good, but these are gooder! I felt as if I had more control on descents. Now a bar this wide can be a little sketchy through the tight stuff, but unless you are riding in the Amazon, probably wont be an issue. Plus they are Bontrager, and I am a Bontrager Harlot. These are flex free and a minimal 25mm rise, which I dont like, but they dont make 750mm wide flat bar and the rise isminimal.

Now these may be 2 wide for some, but you can trim as needed, but I wouldnt trim too much. I usually dont give a review on something so soon, but these warrant it. If you are new, or old to SSing-give these wider bars a go and you to will be sucking…uh more air.