Comments on: Mechanics Choice: Easton Monkey Lite EC70 Bar http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/ Tips, Discussion and Reviews on Upgrading Your Mountain Bike Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:56:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Quinn http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-362 Quinn Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:37:40 +0000 http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-362 I have discovered one thing about carbon (?) bars, They dont work all that well with Problem Solver spacers/adaptors 25.4-31.8, i tried on a few different stems and the bars kept rotating on me. I have discovered one thing about carbon (?) bars, They dont work all that well with Problem Solver spacers/adaptors 25.4-31.8, i tried on a few different stems and the bars kept rotating on me.

]]> By: Arleigh http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-344 Arleigh Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:41:18 +0000 http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-344 Marc - I agree with almost everything you have said. 31.8 carbon bars are wonderful. 31.8 aluminum bars are not. Salsa's new carbon riser is on my must have list for a new bike I am building. I love the industry standard for 31.8 but I'm not going out to buy a new $80+ bar to get all my bikes on board. BUT I think my Easton is the last 25.4 I own.. as I said I love the thing. Marc - I agree with almost everything you have said.
31.8 carbon bars are wonderful. 31.8 aluminum bars are not. Salsa’s new carbon riser is on my must have list for a new bike I am building. I love the industry standard for 31.8 but I’m not going out to buy a new $80+ bar to get all my bikes on board. BUT I think my Easton is the last 25.4 I own.. as I said I love the thing.

]]> By: marc http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-343 marc Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:50:08 +0000 http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-343 "Long live 25.4…"? Carbon bars are the very reason that the 25.4mm standard should become obsolete. Much as fork, headset and frame lives improved dramatically with oversize headsets (while weights went down), we'll be seeing the same with 31.8 bars. Finally, there's no chance of using the 'wrong' stem (a road 26.0 stem on a 25.4 bar or vice versa), and a larger diameter tube requires less clamping force than a smaller one to stay put- this is kinder to both carbon and aluminum bars. Sadly, bigger typically means stiffer, and some of the 'twang' that made riser bars so comfortable is being lost. That said, Salsa's Pro Moto Carbon riser (made by Alpha Q) is nice and comfy (with more sweep than Easton offer) and Syntace's Vector Carbon riser, at 175g, has a 12deg sweep and is certified to the German downhill standard and is approved for 4-bolt stems (which Easton warn against- be careful Thomson fans). Don't get me wrong- Easton makes a good bar (I've owned Monkeylites on a number of bikes), but they shouldn't be the only folks that people look to. As far as 25.4 goes- does anyone want some stems? I've made the change completely (2 road, 2 mountain, 1 girlfriend bike). “Long live 25.4…”?

Carbon bars are the very reason that the 25.4mm standard should become obsolete. Much as fork, headset and frame lives improved dramatically with oversize headsets (while weights went down), we’ll be seeing the same with 31.8 bars. Finally, there’s no chance of using the ‘wrong’ stem (a road 26.0 stem on a 25.4 bar or vice versa), and a larger diameter tube requires less clamping force than a smaller one to stay put- this is kinder to both carbon and aluminum bars. Sadly, bigger typically means stiffer, and some of the ‘twang’ that made riser bars so comfortable is being lost. That said, Salsa’s Pro Moto Carbon riser (made by Alpha Q) is nice and comfy (with more sweep than Easton offer) and Syntace’s Vector Carbon riser, at 175g, has a 12deg sweep and is certified to the German downhill standard and is approved for 4-bolt stems (which Easton warn against- be careful Thomson fans). Don’t get me wrong- Easton makes a good bar (I’ve owned Monkeylites on a number of bikes), but they shouldn’t be the only folks that people look to. As far as 25.4 goes- does anyone want some stems? I’ve made the change completely (2 road, 2 mountain, 1 girlfriend bike).

]]> By: Mike http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-339 Mike Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:42:12 +0000 http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-339 "...so I won’t give it up until it gives up on me." Hopefully you give it up just prior to it giving up on you. It is the only carbon bar that I have ever, or ever wanted to use on my mountain bike. Good choice. Long live 25.4... “…so I won’t give it up until it gives up on me.”

Hopefully you give it up just prior to it giving up on you. It is the only carbon bar that I have ever, or ever wanted to use on my mountain bike. Good choice. Long live 25.4…

]]> By: Arleigh http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-331 Arleigh Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:31:38 +0000 http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-331 No worries Quinn, I found it rather funny! No worries Quinn, I found it rather funny!

]]> By: Quinn http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-329 Quinn Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:16:30 +0000 http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-329 sorry, just trying to bring a lil humor sorry, just trying to bring a lil humor

]]> By: Arleigh http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-328 Arleigh Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:35:11 +0000 http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-328 Wow! Now that's a quality comment. Wow! Now that’s a quality comment.

]]> By: Quinn http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-327 Quinn Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:12:36 +0000 http://thebikelab.com/2008/02/27/mechanics-choice-easton-monkey-lite-ec70-bar/#comment-327 I just broke down and bought one of these last week after a month of hand/wrist/elbow Pain riding dirt drops on my commuter, OMG, Thank God that it doesn't have red hair and an hour-glass figure, I might get in trouble. I just broke down and bought one of these last week after a month of hand/wrist/elbow Pain riding dirt drops on my commuter, OMG, Thank God that it doesn’t have red hair and an hour-glass figure, I might get in trouble.

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