Choosing a nice set of riser handlebars can make all the difference to the way the bike feels. Some riders like their handlebars to be wide, some like them with massive rise and others prefer them to be short.

With so many riser handlebars available on the market it can be really difficult to choose a handlebar that feels just right. So, we have collected what we consider to be the 10 best riser handlebars currently available on the market, which have been chosen based on their value for money and performance.

NS Bikes Proof Bars 2012

First up on this list are the ‘Proof Bars’ from NS Bikes. These handlebars are big! NS Bikes haven’t made too many changes from the 2011 Proof Bar, but what they have added are some wicked new colours to choose from. Our personal favourite colour is the ‘Lemon and Lime’, but is a bit of a ‘Marmite’ colour, you wither love it or hate it.

The NS Proof handlebars are manufactured from a 7050 alloy, which gives them a great deal of strength and weakness resistance.

The NS Proof handlebars have a rise of around 3.3 inches (84mm) and are 29” inches (730mm) wide.

Weight is not an issue either, due to their unique construction creating a very tough bar, so there is no need to worry if you’re a heavy rider as these handlebars are certainly more than capable of a few knocks, as they are used by many of the top pros. A fantastic bar and deservingly belongs on this list.

 

Octane One Chemical Bar 2012

Next up is the reasonably priced ‘Octane One Chemical’ bar. At around £16.99 these handlebars are an absolutely bargain! They are available in a great selection of colours and are built to last.

These handlebars have 75mm of rise and will feel just as nice if you’re running suspension or rigid forks. Not as big as the NS Proof Bars at only 28” (710mm) but are still very comfortable. The only down side to these particular handlebars is that the graphics will wear away quite quickly, and we would definitely recommend that you mark the stem lines on if you do change your handle bars or adjust them frequently. For the price that you can pick a set of these bars up for they are worth every penny.

 

Deity Components Villain 2 Handlebar 2012

One of the nicest set of handlebars on this list and not just because they have used the same text font for their logo as we have .

The Villain 2 Handlebars sit comfortably in-between the ‘NS Proof Bar’ and the ‘Octane One Chemical bar’ as they have 50mm of rise, but still remain fairly long at around 28 inches (710mm). Great choice of colours again, with the choice of a nice bright green which is a similar colour to the ‘Proof Bar’.

They are perfectly designed for street and dirt jumping and fall in to the medium price bracket range at around £34.00. However we did manage to find retailing at around £45, so make sure you shop around first.

 

Black Market Bikes Moly Hatchet Cromo Bars 2012

Black Market Bikes have some fantastic products and the Moly Hatchet Cromo bars are no exception. They are available with 2 or 3 inch rise and are 29 inches in length. One thing that practically stands out for me about these particular set of bars is that they feel so wide.

They only downside to these handlebars is that they seemed to flex a little, which may put off some riders but others may like especially if you are running ridged forks.

For £39.99 these handle bars are a bargain and certainly won’t burn a massive hole in your pocket.

 

If you are looking to save a little bit of weight, and are looking for a set of handlebars that are tough enough to handle the demands of street then the Easton EA70 MonkeyBar could be just what the doctor ordered.

We aren’t joking when we say that they are light (265 grams), to the point where there doesn’t feel like there is anything in the box.

These handle bars are probably more suited to a DJ bike, where weight could be more of an issue however, If you ride a bit of both and are looking for a set of handlebars that are nicely suited to both styles the MonkeyBar EA70 is perfect.

 

Answer Pro Taper 720 AM Carbon Riser Bar 2012

At £79.99 these handlebars are one of the most expensive on the list. Available in three sizes the 2 inch rise would be the handle bar of choice for us but not as much rise as we would like to see and if they offered a set with 3 inch rise, I think they would increase in popularity.

For this price tag you would expect these handle bars to be bomb proof and with the materials used alongside the technology to make the Answer Pro Taper bar I think we can rest assured that they are. Made from Carbon as the name implies, they have been specially designed to allow the weight to be evenly distributed along the bar, which means that there is great strength in the clamp and rise sections without adding excess weight at the ends of the bar.

A little on the expensive side, but if you are looking for a solid set of handle bars then these are a great choice.

 

NS Bikes District Bars 2012

These without a shadow of a doubt are our favourite set of bars featured within this list. The NS District Bars tick all the right boxes – They are not that expensive at around £54, they are high, wide and not forgetting the awesome colours that these bars are available in, Lime in particular is our favourite.

If you ride a 24” bike these bars are the perfect match, particularly if you are a tall rider as finding a decent bar with a decent amount of rise to make the bike more comfortable can be tricky to find.

The more eagle eyed reader will have noticed that NS products are featured a couple of times in this list. The main reason for this is for the main fact that their products are built to last and have been tested to the extremes by some of the top riders such as Sam Pilgrim. In our opinion if a manufacture supports some of the sport’s top athletes with their products, which can then withstand all the punishment a pro will chuck at them why should you settle for anything less?

A super tough handle bar perfectly designed for a 24” or 26” bikes and we can’t recommend them enough.

 

Deity Components Villain 3 Handlebar 2012

This is the much bigger and wider brother to Deity Villain 2 handlebars that are featured near the start of the list. The Villain 3 handle bars are a limited edition and look absolutely solid. You will have to be quick if you would like a set as Deity only released a certain number of these handlebars worldwide, though we are unsure what the sort of numbers we are talking here. If you are in the market for a new set of handle bars and are looking for a set that look the part and don’t cost the earth, then these would be the handlebars to choose.

The thing we love about Deity is that they listen to what riders want and then go ahead and produce a great product. The Villain 3 handlebars have been specially designed for DJ or Street Riding and featuring 75mm rise which is 3 inches. They however are not as wide as some of the other handle bars featured on this list at around 710mm Length (28 inch) which is half an inch shorter than some of its closest rivals.

They come in some great colours and are not heavy either at around 329 grams. Strength is paramount with these bars, no flex and they are completely at home on a 24” or 26” bike.

 

Severed Bars

Severed Alliance bars are high and wide and where designed specifically for street riders.

If you haven’t heard of Severed Alliance before they are a rider run and owned company based in Manchester. Currently, I am unaware of anyone else who supplies these handle bars in the UK apart from Pearl Distribution, they also don’t display the price tag of these bars but I would guess the price tag to be around £40-£50. Contact details are available on the website, so if you are interested in these great looking bars then give them a call.

The Severed Alliance Severed Bars weighs around 490g, and 710mm wide, though exact details on the exact amount of rise these bars have is unknown, but you can tell by the picture it must be at 2-3inch rise.

Like all good bike component manufactures Severed Alliance have tested their products vigorously for a minimum of 1 year by some great riders, to prove that if they are strong enough to withstand whatever is thrown at them.

 

Maximator Bar

Finally we have saved the best till last. The Maximator handle bars from Resistant Cycles are the biggest baddest set of street handle bars we have ever seen. With over 4 inches, yes 4 inches of rise your bike will feel like a Harley Davidson.

They are also around 28 inches in length and make getting the front up a piece of cake.

Resistant cycles released this particular set of handlebars in their 2012 range, but after searching the web, we can’t find a retailer who seems to be supplying them currently. We really hope that Resistant Cycles are still producing the Maximator bar, so if anyone from Resistant Cycles reads this could you confirm in the comments below.

 

Whilst creating this list of handlebars, one thing really stood out for me and that’s the materials used in handlebar manufacturing today has come such along way since the 90’s. Handlebars are becoming stronger and much, much lighter due to the new materials being used. Any of the handles bars featured on this list if they were available 10 years ago would of cost sooo much more.

We hope to see manufacturers and individual companies experimenting with new materials to create the perfect set of handle bars.