Comparisons
Race Face says that their carbon is “optimized for small bump compliance,” and while I’m usually disinclined to give much credence to statements like that, it holds a lot of truth in this situation. Particularly compared to the Easton Havoc 35 Carbon, the SixC bar is noticeably more forgiving.
Now, the flipside of this is that the Easton bar feels a touch stiffer, but for me at least, I’d say the Easton is too stiff – it really does a number on my hands, and it’s noticeably more tiring than the SixC (or even the RaceFace Atlas, for that matter).
Compared to the Atlas, the SixC (aside from being substantially lighter) has that “damp” feeling that only carbon can give you. I can’t say that I notice a huge difference in stiffness between the two, but the SixC bar performs better in terms of vibration, which again, is a bit easier on the hands.
Durability and Issues
In terms of durability, I’ve crashed on these bars a couple times. They’ve gotten a little scratched up, but nothing that’s damaged the carbon. I’ve also had my levers rotate in crashes a couple times, and thus far that hasn’t damaged the bar at all (unlike some other carbon bars I’ve ridden). So far so good on this front.
The only real downside I’ve come across so far is that the 35mm bars limit me a bit with the dual crown fork – the larger diameter bar interferes with the top of the fork stanchions in some configurations. This isn’t a huge issue, but it’s something to be aware of if you’re inclined to push your fork way up through the crowns.
Race Face Atlas DM 35 Stem
The SixC bar that I was riding was attached to the bike via a Race Face Atlas direct mount stem. The 35mm diameter version of the stem is only available in at 50mm length and 0mm rise, although it does come with 5mm spacers that can be used to lift it up a bit.
It’s worth noting that the Atlas DM stem for 31.8mm bars has a few more options, but it’s an entirely different style of stem, so the similarities are really in name only.
I don’t generally expect a whole lot out of a stem. It basically just needs to hold my handlebar securely and not creak. The Atlas DM is a success on both of these fronts. It is secure, silent, and completely out of mind when I ride.
Setup
Like a few of the other direct mount stems on the market these days, the Atlas DM is a single bolt clamp, meaning that it doesn’t have a detachable faceplate. To remove the bar, you have to remove the controls on one side. I also found that with both an Atlas 35 and the SIXC bar, I had to loosen the stem’s mounting bolts on the fork crown in order to get the bar to slide out of the stem – otherwise the bend of the bar wouldn’t make it through the stem.
While it’s a minor inconvenience, the purpose of the single bolt design is to save weight; the Atlas DM 35mm stem weighs in at a scant 118g (with bolts, without spacers), which is significantly lighter than most of the “faceplate” style stems.
On top of the matte black finish, the Atlas DM does have some fairly subdued graphics that are handy for getting the bar centered and rotated to your liking.
In terms of stiffness, I’m not going to act like I can notice an appreciable difference in direct mount stem stiffnesses, and the Atlas DM is no exception to this rule. There was no perceivable flex in the stem.
Bottom Line
A lot of people base their bar and stem purchases mostly on colors to make sure everything matches, or by looking at the manufacturer’s stated weights. It’s easy to overlook the stiffness of a bar, in large part because it’s a pretty tough attribute to quantify. But not all bars are created equal, and finding a bar with the right mix of stiffness and vibration damping can make long days on rough trails a lot more enjoyable.
The SixC 35 bars, when paired with the Atlas DM stem, hit that balance pretty much perfectly. (And it’s pretty clear that most of that credit goes to the bar.) They’re stiff enough that the bike tracks well, but they keep my hands fresh longer than any other 35mm bar I’ve tried. Given that they’re competitive in both price and weight, if you’re looking for a wide, 35mm carbon bar, this setup is the best I’ve ridden.