Easton has been building cycling components from carbon fibre for years andhas developed a reputation for structural trustworthiness. The EC70 XC bar weighs 159g (Easton claims 155g) even so, that’s still pretty light for a 685mm wide bar. It’s certainly going to make it onto a list of sensible upgrades for anyone wanting to slash a bit of weight without putting themselves at risk.
The bend geometry of Easton’s carbon bars is much improved with the 9-degree sweep now putting the ends of the bar in a place where your hands are likely to be. It’s very comfortable, a feeling aided by a built-in degree of flex in the ends to help tune out some of the vibration that makes it past even the most supple suspension.
Easton has also given you more working area by getting the bends done and dusted nearer to the stem. We slapped them on both XC race-spec hardtails and 5in travel AM bikes and felt like they were the right bar for the job. All things considered the Easton EC70 is a no-brainer purchase for a risk-free carbon bar. It’s not cheap but you do get what you pay for, and that includes piece of mind.