11 November 2025
Research drives design at PRO, and we comprehensively test every new product we produce. The latest generation of mountain bike handlebars is an example of this data-driven product development, with width, backsweep, and the balance between stiffness and compliance all being fine-tuned for 2026.
As riders have pushed the limits of downhill and freeride bikes, the general perception of what is possible on mountain bikes has shifted. Even cross-country tracks are unrecognizable from a decade ago, and bike design has adapted accordingly. A decade ago, XC bikes had head angles around 70 degrees; now the 66-degree angle of some cross-country bikes would have been at home on a 2015 Enduro bike. One angle does not exist in isolation on a bike, of course. Increasingly the same is true in cockpits.
In PRO’s predominant markets, trail and Enduro riding, a few trends have influenced cockpit design. Bikes feature taller stack heights and because bikes have become longer stem lengths, which have been short for years, will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. For handlebar design these factors have led us to focus on stem and bar combinations rather than single piece cockpits. The micro-adjustability of being able to roll a handlebar forward or back in a stem, coupled with the backsweep, upsweep, and rise (in certain handlebars) allows for greater flexibility and enables you to achieve a more comfortable bike it.
Historically PRO MTB handlebars featured a 9 degree backsweep, but with the PRO Tharsis EVO and the next generation PRO Tharsis 3Five Handlebars, launching in 2026, the product design team have moved to 8 degrees of backsweep. It is a small change, yet it makes a significant difference. An 8 degree backsweep provides a more natural wrist angle, which in turn improves comfort and control.
The 4 degrees of upsweep the new PRO handlebars offer is also designed to allow for a natural wrist position. These factors combine to reduce fatigue and avoid you getting the feeling that you’re fighting to stay in position on the bike. Rather your hands are in a natural position from where you can reach your brake levers and shifters without changing your grip.
The design choice of 8 degree backsweep and the 4 degree upsweep was confirmed by PRO Community Rider feedback and by the PRO product development team who are all avid riders during the testing phase, as well as by data from Bikefitting.com. Backsweep and upsweep also allow for the micro-adjustment of your cockpit, as we touched on earlier. Rolling the handlebar a single degree can lift or lower the point of contact with your hands, and subtly change the angle of your wrist. This enables greater personalization than a one-piece cockpit can offer.
While upsweep provides a slight lift, significant changes to the height of your point of contact can be achieved with riser handlebars. The rise is measured in millimeters and only once the rise from the clamping area to the tops is complete does the bar begin its gradual upsweep. Riser bars have to a large extent replaced spacers, though PRO will continue to offer spacer sets for mountain bikes.
PRO offers 0, 10-, 20-, 30-, and 40-millimeter riser handlebars, providing you with the choice to select the right option for you and your bike.
800 millimeter bars were the norm a few years ago, with riders trimming them if necessary to enable the perfect fit. This however leads to stiffer handlebars as the carbon, in particular, and alloy construction is fine-tuned for particular widths. The move to oversized, 35 millimeter, clamping diameters has increased the stiffness of handlebars, which is why PRO’s product development team have created a testing protocol which adjudges the vertical and horizontal compliance of our handlebars.
Each PRO MTB handlebar is designed to ensure that they are compliant enough to help reduce fatigue, but still stiff enough to ensure steering accuracy. It is important to note that trimming a handlebar will reduce compliance, as you are in effect moving your point of contact closer to the stiffer central clamping area. That is why we are offering slightly narrower handlebars, which ideally you will not need to trim. The PRO Tharsis EVO Handlebar for example is 780 millimeters wide, which the product development team believe hits the sweet spot for more riders than an 800 millimeter handlebar. Shorter riders will also note that the flat or low rise handlebars are often offered in a shorter, 760 millimeter width.
PRO’s extensive range of mountain bike grips allows you to complete your cockpit to meet your exact needs. Visit our website to find your perfect grip: www.pro-bikegear.com/global/accessories/grips/ and browse the full range of PRO MTB Handlebars here: www.pro-bikegear.com/global/mtb/handlebars/.