In the world of Ritchey, these are ape-hangers. The Ritchey WCS OS Carbon Rizer Bar gives a whopping 30mm rise from the stem to the hands. Since these are designed not for bikes ridden in straight lines on straight roads, but for mountain bikes being piloted up and down steep pitches, the rise is for achieving an ideal balance between the bike and rider.

The nice thing about riser bars is that they allow the stem to sit just above the headset, without resorting to spacers. The lower the better, in our opinion. Saves weight, adds strength and stiffness. And Ritchey, being Ritchey plays with the carbon lay-up to provide maximal torsional strength and vibration damping.

The Ritchey WCS Carbon Rizer Bar comes in 31.8mm handlebar diameter only. It is 660mm wide, has a 9 degree sweep, a 6 degree bend and 30mm rise. The center of the bar is textured for better gription by the handlebar clamp. Ritchey recommends using only Ritchey or Syncros stems with this bar, as others will void the warranty. The ends are reinforced with thin alloy inserts for insurance when clamping shifters, brakes, and bar ends. The color is clear coat over carbon. 160g.