Race Face have always recognised that cross-country isn’t all about minimal weight and the Atlas was the first proper hardcore all-rounder bar that really did the job well.
The blend of nine-degree backsweep, 20mm height gain, straight six-degree upsweep and subtle taper butting still feels fantastic every time we use it.
There’s a real solidity to the cold-drawn air alloy construction that makes you jump stuff you’d normally walk and goads you into wrenching through corners at warp speed with tyres sliding and rocks scattering.
The 27in width is perfect for pushing your limits without catching trees, although laser etched cut markers are provided. We’ve never had any reason to doubt its strength despite doing some pretty reckless stuff on it, yet it still doesn’t numb your hands with buzz on long rides.
Plus while there are other bars coming close now, we still don’t think you can beat this original performance-enhancing pipe in the £50 class. A weight of 270g keeps the scales happy too. They're perfect for the new generation of 5in-plus travel trail or all-mountain rigs.
