In case your fingers are telling you it’s time for a brand new handlebar, PNW Parts have a brand new merchandise on the menu. Their new Loam Carbon handlebar is their high shelf providing, although it’s made to be snug and predictable greater than anything.
There are many handlebars in the marketplace, so how do you select the appropriate one? For PNW, that concerned a strategy of in-house and third-party testing of horizontal & vertical deflection. In accordance with PNW, the horizontal deflection is what’s liable for a bar feeling predictable or unpredictable. The vertical deflection leads to a bar feeling snug or stiff.
The intersection of the 2 is what PNW was after, with the objective of a snug & predictable bar. They declare to have achieved this with CBD. No, not the questionable complement, however their Compliant Bore Design. Utilizing EPS molding, PNW was capable of create a novel internal bore profile that has a constant, optimized wall thickness. Primarily, they’re able to management the design of the within of the handlebar in addition to the skin.
When produced with pre-preg UD carbon fiber, PNW claims to have discovered the right middle-ground for carbon handlebars.
PNW Loam Bar Specs
On the subject of the bar itself, the PNW Loam Bar is at the moment supplied solely in 800mm widths with a 35mm clamp (31.8mm bars are in improvement). You possibly can select between a 25mm or 38mm rise, each with 5º upsweep, and 10º backsweep. That geometry is similar discovered on their Vary Gen 3 handlebar for a barely extra upright driving place.
The Loam bar is offered in a matte black end with satin PNW branding, and extra coloration decal units are supplied for $5 every. The PNW Loam Carbon bar is priced at $145.
Precise Weight
For an 800mm huge bar, the PNW Loam bar is decently gentle at 229g. And since PNW despatched out a cockpit package, we additionally weighed the grips (96g), and the Vary Gen 3 stem. The stem despatched was a 40mm size with 35mm clamp, which weighed in at 144g with out the faceplate gentle/digicam mount. The mount provides one other 16g.
First Impressions
When it got here time for testing, our REI Co-Op DRT e3.1 check bike appeared like a worthy platform. The bike comes inventory with a Promax aluminum bar & stem setup, and I’ve been placing loads of miles on it over the height of fall driving season. The experience consolation is noticeably higher in comparison with the aluminum bar, with my fingers feeling way more recent on the finish of a 29 mile experience.
Is it higher than different carbon handlebars? That query would require extra back-to-back testing, however relaxation assured the Loam Carbon bar is definitely worth the worth of admission. The standard is superb, the geometry is dialed, and visually it appears to be like like an improve as effectively.
