Tech features:

The newest carbon bling from Level Nine has just stepped on the scene with a clean look and a fresh design. Level Nine’s Pro Team Carbon handlebars have a mean-looking matte-black finish and a piece of grip tape around the clamp area for a secure anti-twist fit. The handlebars are confidently backed with a five-year warranty, and the company is adamant about testing its bars on trails from Whistler to Sedona and on its home turf in Oregon. Level Nine’s Pro Carbon handlebars come in two options: a riser bar with a width of 785 millimeters and a flat bar with a width of 760 millimeters. Both bars have a 31.8-millimeter-diameter clamp and weigh under 250 grams. The riser bars sell for $190, and the flat bars sell for $160.

Field test results:

Installation of Level Nine’s Pro Carbon bars was easy thanks to a centered, red cross-hair on the front of the handlebars that allows the installer to easily rotate the bars into the correct position. Level Nine nailed the width on both of these bars, but those who prefer a narrower bar will find that cutting these bars down is easy thanks to the pre-marked lengths on the bar ends. The flat bars, at 760 millimeters wide, worked surprisingly well on our trailbikes, giving us a stiff and low feel at a cheaper price than the risers. The flat bars provided a more leaned-over, cross-country position that was wide enough to offer ample control, but some aggressive trail or enduro riders might prefer a wider and taller bar. True enduro junkies have to fork over the extra $30 for the wider bars with a 15-millimeter rise. These bars allowed the rider to sit up a little bit more, and the extra width allowed them to stretch their elbows way out and charge down the mountain with tons of leverage and control. We really liked the stiffness of both of these handlebars and felt they would be a good replacement for stock aluminum bars.

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