Gravity CSI Riser Bar
Reviewed by Stephen Dempsey
Width: 740mm
Rise: 15mm
Upsweep: 6’
Backsweep: 9’
Setback: 15’
Weight: 287 grams
Overview:
The CSI Riser Bar is an extremely strong, lightweight, hybrid alloy/carbon bar that sells at a discount price, serving the needs of DH, Freeride, and even XC/trail.
The integration of unidirectional carbon and double-butted 6066 aluminum makes this bar stand out from its peers. In a world where even our coffee cups are now made of carbon, one might ask, “What is the point of putting the alloy and carbon together? Aren’t all high-end bars now carbon?”
Here are the answers.
Strength:
Been bombing through a section of DH trail lately and have the thought pop into your head, “Did I tighten that front wheel all the way? Are my stem bolts tight after that last crash? Wonder if I should take a good look and check for any cracks after such a crash?!” Traditionally, you take a big impact to a carbon component, you scrap it. Once a chip is beyond the clear-coat and gets into the weave of the carbon, take that carbon part out of the work force. The cost of the new component will be less than the impending hospital bill. Unlike most carbon/aluminum hybrids, Gravity takes the two materials and thermally bonds them together to offer the best of both worlds. Instead of simply wrapping carbon around a metal component, Gravity makes two become one; delivering the structural integrity of both the aluminum and carbon. CSI, or Carbon System Integration, is extremely strong through great design, and it only weighs 287 grams! Should one get too close with Mother Nature and dump the bike and body into the dirt, rest assured the CSI’s aluminum core can take a beating. It was comforting to know that when the bar was scratched up from a minor tree impact, it was still as strong as the day we installed it.
Stiffness:
The CSI bar offers all the structural integrity of aluminum with definite carbon dampening characteristics. Such qualities are not found in a tapered aluminum or full carbon bar. You know the feeling, when you pull extra hard in the cockpit to avoid an unforeseen obstacle. It wasn’t your superhuman strength that made that bar flex like Schwarzenegger in his youth. It was that 20-gram carbon bar. Sometimes components can be “too light.” Made of 6066 alloy with bonded carbon, Gravity ensures the rider gets the best of each material’s high points. Our testers noticed a responsive feel, making the bar very stable when working the arms and front end through the chatter, not flexi. But, at the end of the day, our hands were thankful for the extra dampening. With thinner diameter aluminum on the inside and a structural, bonded carbon on the outside, the CSI bar was a great balance between dampening and confidence inspiring stiffness.
Width and Angles:
At 740mm wide (29 inches) the Gravity CSI bars are ready for nearly any application. Other than those few tall DH riders looking for 800mm, the bars can used anywhere. A hefty 9’ backsweep, 6’ upsweep, 15’ setback and 740 mm width, Gravity built a bar that is ergonomically sound. When things get technical, the extra width offers increased control on steeps or in corners, allowing the rider the pull harder over obstacles or dip lower into corners due to the added leverage. The upsweep and backsweep warrant a comfortable riding position. We never had any numb hands or heavily crouched body positioning.
Conclusion:
Gravity nailed it when bonding the two materials. Any rider looking for extra width, healthy sweep, and burly construction should look no further than the CSI bar. A high quality bar at a discount price.
MSRP $119.99
Check out the Gravity CSI bar at RideGravity.com
