off-road.cc

The Mt Zoom Ultralight 760mm Carbon Flat Bar is perfectly named – it's all those things, without doubt. With its generous width and nine-degree sweep, it should suit most modern cross country setups, and it's more than stiff enough for general riding or racing, too.

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This thing weighs 133 grams! It's no narrow toothpick either – it's 760mm and fits the usual 31.8mm clamps. Of course, dropping weight is no use if the performance is affected, but the Ultralight is impressively stiff and gives precise handling.

The matt UD carbon finish is subtle, with the logo and cutting markers in stealthy black gloss.

The clamping area has a rough finish for a secure grip in the clamp, and Mt Zoom includes a small tub of carbon grip paste too. I had no issues with any movement from any area.

If 760mm is too wide it can be cut down – there's no given limit – but bar ends are not recommended and there is a 110kg rider weight limit. You do get a two-year warranty, though.

Value

The Mt Zoom Ultralight stacks up well on both weight and price against the competition. The M5 Mountain Handlebar is Enve's lightest offering at a claimed 192g in its 760mm guise, for instance, and is £180. Alternatively, Race Face has the 740mm Next SL at a claimed 167g and £130.

In fact, the only lighter comparable bars we know are super-exotic options such as the Schmolke TLO, which is custom-made with a similar UD carbon finish and sub-100g for €370, or around (at the time of writing) £320.

Careless torque

It's worth noting the recommended torque for your controls (2.5Nm) is very low – a torque wrench is an especially wise investment alongside this bar, though it is with any carbon component, to be fair. The central clamp is a more typical 4Nm.

Overall

For riders looking to lighten up their rides without sacrificing comfort or control, the Mt Zoom Ultralight offers a great bang for the buck. It's light, stiff and very well made. The price is good, too.

• mtzoom.com

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