USE are well known for their seatposts (the classic Alien and more recently the Sumo) but they haven’t always been as well known for that other important contact point – the handlebar. The Atom Wide Flattie, which is their very latest ‘bar with a 710mm width and carbon construction, could change that.

The bar is made from 3k carbon fibre with a 31.8mm clamp size and five degree bend. Aluminium inserts give a nice bit of reassurance when clamping lock-on grips into place. It’s 710mm wide, but we won’t enter into the ‘bar width debate here, suffice to say we reckon this is a good width for most people. Trim marks let you cut it down to 650mm if you desire – although why you would go narrower is beyond us. Embrace the wide ‘bar.

Weight is a respectable 166g. It’s certainly not going to win any prizes on the scales but if you want a bit more solidness in your ‘bar, the Atom is a good choice. It’s clearly been built to be durable and tough for everyday riding, and our testing has found that to be precisely the case.

Once mounted up, the Atom’s generous width and nice shape delivers good control on my 29er test bike. There’s little discernible flex, a notable benefit of the extra weight the ‘bar is carrying.

A minor gripe is the USE logos not lining up once the handlebar has been setup in the desired position – something we hope the company has remedied since we received our sample.

At £125 it’s towards the top-end of the market and looks expensive compared to the Mt Zoom bar we tested previously.=

Verdict

Good looking bar from a British brand with a decent width but it’s a little on the expensive side.

Pros

Good width
Trim marks
Aluminium inserts

Cons

Expensive

Price: £125
More information: www.use1.com

Here’s what USE has to say about the Atom Wide Flattie

Customisation is made easy with cut down marks on the end of the bars allowing you to shorten the length up to 650mm by 5mm increments.
Size: 31.8 stem only (28″ 710mm wide)
Material: 3k carbon construction with aluminium inserts at the end of the bars to secure lock-on grips.
Finish: Gloss
Graphics: New red and white graphics