Oval Concepts' well-proven T800 bar is a light, if narrow, top-end cross-country pipe. The 660mm width means it’s not wide enough to add significant control leverage so it'll appeal more to old-school riders. Its 10-degree backsweep leaves it feeling wider and more relaxed than it is.
The central grip tape wrap keeps it secure, although there are no twist or centring marks unless you can see the central logo through an open face plate stem. The 1000K carbon fibre construction gets a multi-directional Kevlar-enhanced top weave to keep it protected from knocks and clamp surface scarring.
Control and bar end clamp reinforcing segments are built in for extra strength. A concern was that ours was 15g lighter than stated on the website. It’s described as “not for downhill use” but nothing nasty happened during our tests. It’s definitely on the comfy not super-accurate side though.
