OneUp Components Carbon Handlebar

There has been a lot of talk about compliant cockpits lately, as component makers seek to provide a more comfortable experience with less fatigue as the potential reward. OneUp Components has taken the 35mm diameter cockpit design one step further by giving the bar an oval shape that tapers off through the transition zone, in an effort to provide vertical compliance while maintaining horizontal stiffness. As for the stem, OneUp has managed to ditch the good old starnut in favor of an external preload system that frees up space inside the steerer tube to store a multi-tool. We’ve had this innovative combo out on the trails for a few months now, and we’re here to tell you all about how we’ve been getting along.

OneUp Carbon Handlebar Highlights

• Geometry: 800mm wide / 35mm diameter / Sweep: 8° Back, 5° Up 
• Weight: 20mm Rise (220g) 35mm Rise (225g)
• Max stem clamp width: 65mm
• Max control torque: 5Nm
• Colour: Black
• Decal kits: Available in Red, Green, Blue, Orange, Purple and White
• MSRP: $138 USD

OneUp EDC Stem Highlights

• Lengths: 35mm, 50mm
• 35mm Diameter / 0° rise
• Color: Black
• Top Caps available in Black, Red, Green, Blue, Orange, Purple and Gold
• Stack Height: 38.5mm
• Bar Clamp Width: 55mm
• Material: 6061-T6 Aluminum
• Weight: 157g (35mm) / 173g (50mm)
• Preloader system: compatible with regular headset spacers below the stem
• MSRP:$109 USD

Video Review

Understated and sober, these new components fly under the radar at first glance. Closer inspection reveals plenty of attention to detail, from the elaborate shaping to the clever solutions found to reach the design goals. Starting with the bars, OneUp wanted to make a bar that would be significantly more compliant than what is currently available on the market. You can only do so much with carbon layup before you run into the physical constraints of a particular shape, which is why OneUp ended up going oval. Curious to see whether this was just a marketing ploy, we actually came up with our own handlebar flextest which we presented in Vital’s Gear Show a few weeks ago, check it out right here if you haven't seen it already (jump ahead to 7 minutes to go directly to the flex test):

Lo and behold, the OneUp bar showed the most amount of vertical flex out of the 8 bars we tested, with 14% more flex than the average score. On the trail, this translates to a certain “softness” that most other bars can’t match. It’s not like you feel the bar actually flexing, but it takes the sting out of bigger hits and it also seems to really filter out trail chatter. The end result is more comfort and less arm fatigue after a long day of riding.

We’re also fans of the angles, which feel spot on in action. We also discovered a set of small markings on the bars that seem to correspond to headangles. This means that if you know your bike’s headangle, you can align the bars to this number and you should be in the ballpark in terms of bar roll (we didn’t find the markings to be always in the right spot and they are also very hard to read, but we salute the idea!)  Out of the box the bar measures 800mm wide, we cut ours to 780 for this test. We did find that we had to tighten our controls a bit more than the recommended torque to get them to stay put, as the bars are a little bit slippery in that area.

Looking at the stem, the big story here is obviously the ability to store tools in the cockpit. OneUp previously offered a version of the EDC ("Every Day Carry") stem that required threading the inside of the top portion of the steerer tube, but this new version provides an external preloader instead, which means you no longer have to risk voiding the warranty on your fork to run it. To install this stem, you proceed in the opposite way to the one you are used to: start by aligning the stem and tightening down the main bolts, then use the preloader bolt to compress the headset. It’s a little bit more involved than installing a regular cockpit, notably because you have to align the stem before putting any pressure on it which leaves it prone to moving around a bit more, but overall it’s not too taxing and the system works well enough. We did find that we had to re-torque the preloader every couple of rides in the beginning, but then it seems to settle in and not require much attention after that. The range of adjustment isn’t huge, so make sure you put enough pressure on the stem when you first install it.

With no starnut in the steerer tube thanks to the EDC stem, you’re now free to stuff it with tools instead. The EDC tool arrives in a specific holder that snaps into place in the EDC stem (there is also a lower section that you push into the steerer tube from the bottom, which then helps secure the lower end of the EDC tool to prevent it from rattling around). OneUp have given a lot of thought to the tools featured here, and they’ve come up with nifty little solutions to make the best use possible of the limited amount of space available. The multi-tool includes the usual allen and torx keys, which are comfortable and easy to use even if the tool itself is pretty small. OneUp even provided an 8mm allen which actually consists of two other tools that combine. Not super easy to use but great to have in case you need to nip up a pedal or a big linkage bolt (although be careful, we did manage to mangle this one trying to remove a stubborn pedal while out traveling). The lower part of the tool is a tube that can be loaded up with chain link mini pliers and a set of tubeless “worms” (or a CO2 cartridge). Super practical to have at hand, allowing you to fix your tubeless tire if you get a cut in it out on the trail. Just pull out the tubeless tool, insert a worm, stuff it in the cut and pump your tire back up again. OneUp even managed to fit a chainbreaker in here, actually using part of the system that holds the multitool in place as one of the sides of the chainbreaker (this part can also do duty as a tire lever, and there are 4 different sized spoke wrenches on it too). 

All in all, we’ve been very impressed with this new cockpit from OneUp. The handlebars work as advertised, providing extra vertical compliance for a more comfortable riding experience, while the innovative EDC stem and tools are super handy to have at your fingertips for all your trailside repair needs. As is often the case with OneUp, the pricing is super competitive as well, which is another plus. Yes, the stem preloader may need to be checked more often than a classic old starnut set-up, but having all your tools stored in such an inconspicuous spot more than makes up for that slight inconvenience.

More information at:
https://www.oneupcomponents.com/products/edc-stem
https://www.oneupcomponents.com/collections/handlebars/products/carbon-bar

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 46 // Years Riding MTB: 14 // Weight: 190-pounds (87-kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Photos and Video by Johan Hjord