Race Face Next R 35 Handlebar

Earlier this year, Race Face came out with a new component lineup to meet the demands of one of the fastest growing disciplines in the industry, Enduro. The called it Next R and it fits, snuggly in between the XC Next and DH SixC product lines. I get my hands on a new Next R 35mm rise bar and with just a short few weeks on it, here are my impressions:

Out of The Box:

Pulling the Race Face Next R carbon bars out if their packaging, the first thing I ask myself was if I accidentally ordered a SixC bar. I then realized the decals were different but besides that, the profile, feel, and weight were nearly identical. Made to fill the gap between Next and SixC, I was pretty surprised on how similar they were to their bigger brother, the SixC.

When looking at the decals of the Next R bar, I was really impressed with them. The design is bold, yet fairly stealthy. Unlink the other carbon bars Race Face makes, the Next R bars only come in black/gray. It would be nice to see them introduced other colors to spice things up and add more customization for your $4,000+ steed.

The profile of the Next R bars follows that of those in their other lines. The 8° backward, 5° upward sweep feels very natural while riding which is great for building confidence out on the trail. I opted for the 35mm rise because I’m a taller rider (at 6’ 2”) but Race Face does make this bar in 10mm and 20mm rise which means they made the Next R bar for everyone.

In addition to the same profile, the Next R bars have hassle free cutting lines incase 800mm just ain't your style. Cut anywhere between 799mm all the way down to 750mm.

As for weight, I was quite surprised to see the Next R bar to be nearly the same weight as the SixC. In a previous review on the SixC carbon bar, the actual weight of the 20mm rise was 213 grams. In the 35mm rise configuration, the Next R bars’ actual weight came in at 211 grams. This is much heavier than the XC version of the Next bar which is at 180 grams.

When it comes down to it, I wouldn’t be surprised if the only thing that Race Face changed from the SixC bar to the Next R bar was the decals. Everything else on paper suggests they are nearly the same bar which probably came out of the same carbon mold.

On The Trail:

Putting some torque on the bars, I found the Next R bars to offer outstanding stiffness and strength, yet had excellent damping characteristics to it. I felt completely supported even on larger jumps and drops and could still feel my hands by the end of an entire day of riding at a resort with decent DH trails. In essence, they felt just like the SixC bars I’ve owned in the past.

Bottom Line:

The Next R line up from Race Face was designed to fill the gap between the XC /AM focused Next and DH focused SixC component groups. Although other components like the Next R stem and crank may fill this gap, personally I feel that the Next R carbon handlebar are potentially just a rebranded SixC bar (they share the same profile, weight, and feel). Is this a bad thing? If you're a true weight weenie and a true Next / SixC bridge gapper, maybe but for me, No. The SixC carbon bar is one the best aggressive bars on the market. If price is a factor, go with the SixC or Next R that’s a better deal. I can confidently say they will perform identically. If you Mr. “Enduro," go with the Next R because you know, they are so much more enduro.. ;)