The sheer success Renthal have experienced with both their product and the performances of their athletes, has thankfully not let them rest on their laurels. Late last year, Renthal released their long awaited lock-on grip and with it, a totally new bar aimed squarely at the trail market. Both items are the result of some serious research, development and the fine tuning of what could and would be considered standard or all to easy to pick out of a Taiwanese catalogue. On the contrary! While there’s nothing inherently wrong with that approach, Renthal have taken the momentum they have witnessed in their mountain bike range and worked from the ground up to release what we have here; two ever-day bike components that are anything but standard…

Words: Olly Forster, Tom Shilvock, Nathan Carvell, Mat Keane & Robin Johnson | Photos: Olly Forster

Renthal FatBar Lite: 10mm Rise – The perfect trail bar? Well it’s preference really. 10mm rise, 7 degrees back, 5 degrees up and 740mm wide – smells like a recipe for success and you’d be right! Renthal’s new FatBar Lites are the trail equivalent of the now hugely popular downhill bar, the FatBar. These numbers all add up, much like a lot of the bars on the market, but Renthal somehow inject magic into their offerings… The stiffness of these bars gives you massive confidence when your leisurely trail ride points downwards, allowing you to feel the terrain and get that all important feedback. Weighing in at a measly 269g they are one of lightest trail bars you will find and all whilst being burly enough to take a smashing. Oh, they look awesome too! – Nathan.

Just like the standard FatBar we’ve had on pretty much all of our bikes for the best part of 2 years, the new Lite editions come in a rise to suit all tastes and persuasions – 10, 20, 30 and 38mm.

Renthal FatBar Lite: 20mm Rise – On being handed the Renthal Lite bar, the first thing that was most noticeable was the weight (265g on the scales), or lack of it. Having previously run much heavier downhill bars on my trail bike, the Renthal Lite’s were a welcome change giving me a respectable weight saving over my old K9 Switch bars, which were also 10mm longer and 10mm lower.

The FatBars I’ve been using come with a fairly average 20mm rise and an uncut width of 740mm. With the exception of the slightly narrower width and a small decal saying “Lite” they appear and feel exactly the same as the standard FatBars, which I have on my DH bike and having a similar rise, made them feel instinctive. The Lite bars certainly ride the same as the regular Fatbar, with no noticeable flex and without being overly stiff, giving you a harsh feeling on high speed rough ground that some lightweight bars can often do.

The width of these bars felt spot on for aggressive trail riding, all though should you wish to cut them down they do have width markings to make life easier. On the stem clamp area there are laser etchings to allow you to set the bars to your liking without the hassle of staring at the bars every ride and debating weather or not there straight. Awesome bars and loving the 20mm rise on my Orange Five. – Mat.

Renthal FatBar Lite: 30mm Rise – I have been testing theses bars on my Transition TR250 – this is an all-out mini DH bike with one intent, and that’s to have fun! First of all, my chosen set up on this bike was a standard Renthal 20mm Fatbar with Renthal Kevlar lock-on grips. So it’s fair to say that I was already a fan of Renthal products to control my front end… So, when Olly dropped off the 30mm Fatbar and Soft compound lock-on grips for testing, I was certainty intrigued to see what the difference in the set up would be…

I have been running my standard FatBars for a couple of years now and have found that my ideal set up, was to cut the bars down to 760mm. So I felt like I was going back in time a bit by fitting a 740mm wide bar, but in the interest of testing out the product, I bolted them on and headed for the hills! Out on the bike I needn’t had worried about the width – that loss of 10mm at either end wasn’t really that noticeable and 740mm is still wide and offers plenty of control (Sam Hill runs 735’s – Ed). The shape of the bar is the same as the standard FatBar, so I felt at home as soon as I pointed the bike downhill – Renthal bars have a very neutral feel and I would be surprised if anyone had a bad word to say about the shape of their bars…

30mm rise? Just in case you don’t keep up with all the latest trends in the mountain bike world, it would seem that Hi-Rise bars are cool again! So in keeping up with fashion, I was keen to try a 30mm bar on my bike – especially as I am only running a 180mm single crown fork.  From testing these bars on my own bike the biggest improvement I felt was going up to a 30mm rise bar – this was simply a big improvement! I not only felt more in control of the bike, I was also in a better position to attack sections and it made it far easier to lift up the front end and play about on the back wheel. This improvement in control by going 10mm up in the rise, seriously outnumbered the possible loss of control by losing 10mm of bar at either end. Now I suppose a lighter bar should be better at absorbing trail buzz, but I must say that on a bike with 180mm of supple travel and big tyres, which are running at low pressures… it was hard to tell any difference?

The Renthal FatBar Lite is advertised as a ‘trail bar’, so why are we testing them on a DH bike? Well, Renthal have said that they are strong enough to use for downhill, but only on a bike with single crown forks… This is because of the extra forces encountered when crashing a bike with triple clamp forks… No matter how hard you crash and even if you are in no fit state to ride after an off, Renthal don’t want their products to be the cause of you not being able to finish your race run. Even though they say the Lite bars are strong enough for DH use, they are not as strong as the standard Fatbar when it comes to the beating a 200mm travel bike gets.

Hearing statements like that certainly gives you faith in the product and a company who have done their R&D! Now here is the tricky question – if I was to build my TR250 up again, would I buy the Lite bars? I would have to say no. But I would defiantly buy the standard Renthal FatBar’s in the 30mm option. Why? Well, they seem like a bit of a limited market for this style of bike unless you are building up a super light mini DH bike… My bike isn’t that light and it never will be and even though it wasn’t going to be the end of the world going to a 740mm bar, I would still quite like go back to 760mm… Having said that, I have no other reason to run anything else and they seem happy where they are. What I have taken from this, is that I would certainly and without doubt, buy the Lite bar over the standard one if I was going to put a set of Renthal’s on a trail bike, 4X or even a dirt jump bike. – Tom

On the left, a new Renthal Lite FatBar and on the right, a standard FatBar – notice the difference? Renthal really went to town on their R&D hooking sensors and measurement reading gizmos to pro bikes to monitor where and how best to use the material without affecting the strength – the new Lite bars look and feel like their big brother, but come in a whole lot lighter and no, it’s not just because they are 740mm!

Renthal FatBar Lite: 38mm Rise – If it’s a high rise you’re after, forget bothering your boss, times are tight! But Renthal has the solution in the massive 38mm Fatbar Lite. The numbers then; 38mm rise, 7 back, 5 up and once again spanning 740mm, they share the magical formula found in their peers – a proven combination! Rise is a personal preference and some may want the 38mm, but for me, they had only one destination – my Charge Blender jump bike. Yes, a massive yes – they are bang on for a lightweight jump build tipping the scales at only 271g. The stiffness of the bars is second to none and perfect for a jump or 4X setup giving you the rise to ‘huck the hell’ and the stiffness to point your wheel where it needs to go – particularly beneficial if your wanting to snap out of gates… – Nathan.

ASK RENTHAL?
FJ – “The bars are significantly lighter for an alloy against alloy bar, especially when compared to the std FatBars. Will they be suitable for DH use? Not talking WC stuff, just UK type DH?
Renthal – “The FatBar Lite is intended for use as a Trail/XC handlebar, fitted to a bike with a single crown fork. We encourage DH riders to use the FatBar for their twin crown fork equipped bikes. The FatBar Lite needs to meet the same Renthal strength standard as a FatBar for normal use. However, there is one key difference; peak loads in a non-riding impact (a crash in normal, non-engineers speak!) are different levels. Due to the limited steering angle (and direct mount stem) of a DH bike equipped with a twin crown fork, the loads through the handlebar in the event of a crash are much more likely to be significantly higher than are experienced with a single crown fork. Hence the DH bar needs to be built heavier to improve durability in the event of a crash. The FatBar Lite, which is intended for use with a single crown fork, can retain a low weight, whilst still maintaining the necessary strength and fatigue life for its intended usage.”

Renthal Lock-On Grips – 4 Compounds, 4 Riders!

The lock-on grips have seen more prototyping and testing with factory riders than any grip we’ve known – so what are they like? Here’s what some of our testers thought…

Medium Compound Lock-On Grips – The long awaited lock-on grips from Renthal have arrived, hurrah! Being a fan of the non lock-on options from Renthal, I was gagging to test the medium compound lock-on’s on my new Lapierre Spicy. This seemed to be a good idea and yes it was, as the Renthal’s will last you a long time in the medium compound, which naturally will have a downside too… They are a bit harder that your regular medium compound grips, but again, personal preference comes into this, but for me the grips were that touch too hard and not grippy enough and the softer compound would be more suited…

One thing across the range though, is the grip pattern and one that I feel is more suited to warm dry trails, but alas we don’t seem to get much of that here now do we? In muddy and wet conditions, the grip isn’t quite up there, which for a British company you may expect that to be in the bag? But then is this the compound talking and not the pattern? The size of the grip though is bang on – wide enough for the average hand and a diameter to match. All in, if the weather is fair they are a good grip indeed, but for more aggressive and wet conditions they don’t quite cut it for me I’m afraid. – Nathan.

Top to bottom and seemingly in no particular order: Soft, Medium, Kevlar and Super Soft compounds – good looking grips aren’t they?

Soft Compound Lock-On Grips – Again, like the bars, I have already been running the Renthal Kevlar Lock-On grips on my bike for a while, so going to the soft compound grip felt like a bit of a downgrade from the Kevlar one. I haven’t had any issues with the grip and the Renthal Lock-On designs is very clever and well thought out with a solid feel on the bars. Comparing the two compounds is hard as they are rated as having the same ‘softness’ and is pretty hard to tell any difference between the two… The main advantage of running the Kevlar grip over the Soft on is durability… So far though, I have seen no sings of wear and have been very happy using them.

I still encounter puzzled faces when I mention Renthal is a British brand – with all their success in Moto and SX, it’s no surprise many of you think that Renthal is from across the Atlantic.

So why buy the Soft ones over the Kevlar ones? Well I can only see two reasons; one being a choice of colour and two, price – even though the Kevlar ones are only £3 more and that extra bit of cash would buy you a bit more life of of your grip. Overall a very well thought out design and a grip that offers a good level of control and comfort, but not many reasons why not to upgrade to the Kevlar grip if the Soft is your chosen level of compound. – Tom

These grips take manufacturing quality to a new level, at least as far as grips are concerned – they look great, fell great and if you can get the right compound for you, your laughing!

Super Soft Compound Lock-On Grips – After being spotted on the bikes of some of the most factory riders out there, the Renthal Lock-On grips are probably the most over anticipated bicycle grip of the last few years and being a massive fan of the push on grips (wire and glue essential!) I was very excited about testing out the super soft compound on my trusty Orange DH rig.

The main reason why I like the Renthal push on grips so much, is because I have fairly small hands, like using thin gloves and I usually find lock-on grips lack the feel of a push-on style grip as they’re not sitting on a plastic tube like most lock-on designs out there. Renthal claims this is the softest grip material it has ever offered yet lasts three times longer than other soft grips; well the signs are good because I’ve yet to wear out a pair and they aren’t really showing any signs of wear and tear yet – granted, white grips tend to look grubby almost straight away and if you store your bike upside down, then I would pick up some Renthal “Clean Grip” grip covers to keep then looking fresh!

These grips are definitely soft, comfortable, offer plenty of control and work well with and without gloves. After a good days uplifting, I have not had any blisters or hand cramp… I heard stories of how pro riders didn’t like the super soft compound because they can feel it move on the bars, well there is a bit of movement but nothing to be concerned about – it’s certainly not that dreaded and very off-putting twisting ‘throttle’ grip you get with some lock-on offerings… The grips lock-on to the bars as they should do and so far I have not experienced any play or movement. Prior to this test I was using the ESI silicon grips and didn’t think I’d find anything better, but these Renthal’s have taken their place and it’s difficult to find any negatives – it may sound very obvious to say, but these really do live up to the hype and are every bit as good as the push-on models, only they offer all the benefits of a lock-on. – Robin

Kevlar Lock-On Grips – The Kevlar grips have some nice little touches such as the Renthal logo etched onto the end caps and a series of holes machined into the inner collar to help save a little weight… The cap screws used to clamp the collars onto the bars use a sensible sized screw, unlike some other manufacturers who insist on putting tiny screws in, which are a pain to remove once water has ingressed into the threads. The Renthal lock-on system works very well. Once the grips have been clamped on to the bar, there is zero movement and the grips feel very firm from the get-go.

The grip has a diamonized pattern similar pattern to ODI Ruffians, but slightly smoother, which is ideal for longer all day rides where hand comfort is important. The Kevlar compound is a happy medium between a hand grating compound and a wear-out-a-week later compound. The grip from the Kevlars seemed slightly better than average, but couldn’t match the grip from softer compound grips that I normally run. Oh yeah, and disappointingly they don’t glow in the dark! – Mat

ASK RENTHAL?
FJ – “Are the collars on the grips re-newable or a fixed part of the grip?”
Renthal – “The collars are permanently integrated into the grip body. This means they are not a renewable part. By permanently integrating the collar, we eliminate the chance of any play developing between the grip carrier and the collars.”

Conclusion.

With the amount of riders I see with the standard FatBar’s already bolted to their trail bikes, it goes without saying that the feel and dexterity of the FatBar has won fans from across the discipline spectrum. So with a new bar and one that’s designed for the kind of riding many of us do, are we going to see folk upgrade? Maybe not, but what these new bars represent is an alternative for those looking to save some weight and get some British gold on their bikes. At £60GBP these are absolutely bang on the money and it’s no surprise that the testers loved them. From the 10mm rise that would be awesome for the short travel rig, to the 38mm rise for those shredding the pump track – there’s a rise in there for you! Talking or rises, I’m pretty sure Renthal factory rider and all round legend, Fabien Barel runs 30’s on his enduro bike…

I’ve talked a lot over the last 2 and a bit years of Factory Jackson, about the feel of push-on grips over lock-ons, but with 1.63mm between them and with the rubber being attached to the collar (removing any ‘throttle grip), these new lock-ons have everything the push-on have, but without the need to glue or wire…

The grips! We’ve said how there was a fair amount of hype surrounding the release of the new lock-on grips and it’s fair to say Renthal took their time, but why rush? The grips look and feel fantastic, but what they represent is the level of hard work and understanding of the competitions down falls. Solid and available in 4 compounds – is there one in there for you? From trying a few myself and from talking to pro riders and the testers here, I think you’d be mad not to go for the Kevlar’s or the Super Soft’s – both are game changers and head and shoulders above the others. Price wise, your looking at £22 and £25 for Kevlar. Recommended stuff you should check out!

Renthal Cycle products are exclusively distributed in the UK by Ison Distribution and for more on the products tested here, hit the big logo below. Happy trails!

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