First Look: Pro Taper Fuzion Handlebar 2

What’s a handlebar, other than a refined hunk of metal that helps you control your bike? It’s also the point where the energy and impacts that the bike’s being subjected to feed into your hands and arms. This can make the amount of flex the bars are engineered with a very important factor. But too much flex for some riders is a negative, because of the lack of front end input, or because the overall flex of the bars might bother them. Now how can you figure out which type of rider you are? Well I think Pro Taper has found a pretty good solution. Enter the all-new Fuzion handlebar.

Typically any 1-1⁄8” crossbar style handlebar is going to be fairly rigid. For the longest time, Pro Taper has produced their crossbar-less oversized bar, which is fairly popular amongst some riders. Personally, I’ve always been wary of these bars. I’m a bit sensitive (picky as can be) in nature when it comes to feeling the handlebars flex. But at the same time I value the need to dissipate the energy feeding into my hands. In the past, I’ve tried a few things to eliminate this. This includes sawing through the crossbar and running different types of triple clamps that have dampening systems.

Earlier this year, I spotted a few Pro Taper-sponsored riders running an 1-1⁄8” crossbar handlebar, meaning that Pro Taper had to be releasing something soon! Sure enough, we were invited to Zaca Station by the PT crew to check out the new Fuzion. This handlebar was designed with a crossbar that flexed internally, and has a locking system to eliminate the flex if desired. It’s as simple as turning a dial to go from flex to rigid in an instant. The design inside this lock is pretty straightforward. When unlocked, the crossbar can move, flexing in and out under load. Now when you turn it to lock, a key spins around and locks to the crossbar. This eliminates the previous sliding motion, instantly making the bar much more rigid.

The best part about the design is that it takes no tools at all. The bar pad has a slot cut into it where the dial calls home. To access it, all you have to do is spin the bar pad upside down, peel back the Velcro, and turn the dial to the setting you'd like to try. You don’t even have to take the bar pad off. To speed things up, I did ride a few laps with the bar pad off completely. This way, I could reach down every few sections and click it back and forth to feel the true difference on the fly.

Honestly, doing this was kind of interesting. I was not only able to get a good comparison of flex vs rigidity, but also what it does to your feeling in the front end of the bike. When it’s unlocked, you of course gain more comfort, but there’s a slight bit less feedback coming from the front end. For example, sometimes you I didn’t sense the front tire pushing as easily as I might normally, or other little twitches that would lead to corrections. This is all in the most minor and nit-picking sense, though. Of course, when it’s locked you gain more feedback. You constantly feel the ever-changing landscape, but this also gives you more of a direct attachment to the front end. For some riders this can allow them to more directly plant the front tire where they want it and make small corrections quicker when it tucks or pushes.

That’s the beauty in this handlebar. You can change it based on the track you’re riding, or what kind of feedback you’re looking for from the bike. For those that don’t like to change throughout the day, this bar can just simply help you find if you like flex or a rigid setup. Once you’ve decided on your preference, you can leave it be throughout the day. I think that this quite honestly is a great idea, as you’re basically getting two bars in one, and it helps you figure out your own personal taste/setup. Personally, I found myself spending the majority of my time with it unlocked. But we’ve brought back a few pairs to put through the ringer. Keep checking in for a long-term review.

There are currently six bends available, and the specs are above. If you want more information on the Fuzion, check out ProTaper.com.