Easton Monkeylite SL Composite Riser Handlebar
By Jon Sharp

No one does carbon fiber like Easton. Whether it be for biking, or any one of the other sports they produce equipment for, their carbon fiber products are generally stronger and lighter. New this year, they've revamped their line of carbon fiber handlebars and their carbon seatpost. Before, they were pretty light. Now, they're incredibly light. As before, however, they remain some of the strongest handlebars on the planet.

The Easton Monkeylite SL is a carbon fiber riser bar. At 24 inches, it's a little more narrow than most riser bars, but at 135 grams, it's a lot lighter than every other riser bar. If you want to go extra light, Easton also makes an EC-90 straight bar that weighs in at a scant 99 grams.

At this point you might be thinking, "This guy is a weight-weinie who only cares about how light he can make his bike." Not true. Although I love to shave weight off my bike so I can make it up hills easier (or at least so my mind thinks it's easier) my main reason for loving this strange and expensive material is for it's ride characteristics. Carbon fiber damps high-frequency vibrations. In other words, it smoothes out the incessant vibrations of both trail and pavement. The Monkeylite SL does a fantastic job of smoothing out the ride. I couldn't feel any flex in the bar, but everything just felt a little more comfortable. And, once again, to show how strong they are, Easton subjects their bars to the kind of stress that would destroy your frame and wheelset.

Installation is a little quirky for a handlebar. Although this bar boasts strength exceeding most bars on the market, you have to be careful when installing shifters/brake levers. Also, you cannot slide this handlebar through a conventional stem, you need to use a stem with a removable face-plate. If you were to try and work it through a stem with a single pinch-bolt clamp, the bar would be damaged and you'd void the warranty. At $140, I'd sure want to get my money out of it. Stick with the rules, and you have a 5-year warranty.

Summary: The Monkeylite SL is extremely light, extremely strong, and extremely comfortable. If you find yourself getting numb hands or excessive fatigue, even with a good suspension fork, you might look into a carbon fiber bar from Easton. I found that I feel much less fatigued after long ride with these carbon bars. Even if you don't notice problems caused by excessive vibration, you'll notice the comfort only carbon fiber can provide. Also, carbon fiber looks so good.

Jon Sharp is a contributing editor for GearReview.com specializing in mountain biking.

For more information, contact:
Easton Sports, Inc., Bicycle Products Division
7855 Haskell Avenue, Van Nuys, CA 91406-1999
818.782.6445
www.eastonbike.com