USE Boom carbon handlebar £134.99

USE are better known for making lights that go on bars than bars themselves, but the Boom is a reasonably light, 800mm wide, carbon option with a well-balanced trail feel that’s worth considering if the single sweep and rise option matches your needs. Its 230g weight makes it 15g heavier than Race Face’s Next R bar but means it matches Renthal’s Fatbar Carbon and Santa Cruz’s carbon riser. You get metal reinforcement at the tips to protect against crashes and lock-on grip damage. The unidirectional carbon lay-up is tapered towards the ends to noticeably suck out sting, without making the bar too springy for accurate control. With seven-and-a-half degrees of backsweep and five of upsweep, the Boom bar has a classic shape. If it’s too wide for you, there are cut marks for accurate trimming. USE only offer a 30mm rise, 35mm diameter option though, and you need to be careful when installing it, because the mattpainted finish marks easily. Guy www.ultimateuse.com