Manitou Mattoc Pro - Light Weights and Low Prices

These are popping up for sub-£200 at the moment which makes them a tempting alternative to your Rockshox Pike or Fox 36 forks for little more than what their competitors would cost for a simple service.

Ridden for six months on a mixture of cross country to heavy enduro, the Mattocs have been brilliant. Yes, the reverse brace and matte black / red graphics aren't for everyone; but most forks get treated to a decal kit anyway!

The criticisms, to get them out of the way, are relatively straightforward. Having three adjusters on the same stanchion, although mechanically prudent, isn't the most user-friendly interface - especially when the adjusters in question are rather small and very smooth, so not exactly compatible with mud and gloves! While we're on the dials, the overhanging nature of the largest red adjuster meant that the very first crash on these forks took a hefty chunk out of the soft alloy and made a mess of the otherwise snazzy red anodizing. It's hardly something to write home about, crashing your bike and being upset that it shows, but competitors like Rockshox and Fox have this adjuster much more recessed into the crown to reduce the chance of damage. If you like your bikes silent, these might not be the fork for you as there is noticeable noise as fluids work their way around the circuits - but as someone who's had pikes with a creaky CSU in previously, this is no deal breaker!

However, these are details which are hardly worth discounting such a massive potential cost saving. Where it really counts, on the trail itself, how do they fare? The answer isn't straight forward. They're one of the lightest 160mm forks out there at under 1.9kgs, and their 34mm stanchions put them more on par with a Fox 34 than the 160-180mm Fox 36 option. Honestly, when you're really pushing this does show; but when you're not smashing them down the toughest terrain, you're not hefting around unnecessary 36mm stanchions either. As a 110kg rider when kitted up, these forks were really quite impressive with a massive amount of mud clearance too. Another great little detail is the hexlock axle which not only feels safe as houses, but seems to add much more rigidity than a QR alternative - but you do need to keep a 6mm allen key on you at all times (and yes, I found out the hard way!)

Without wading into the technical side which is available in numerous other reviews, they're infinitely adjustable and have a brilliant feel. When it comes to the trail side of things, they are absolutely seamless in keeping the front end planted on any climb, soaking up any terrain on the descents, but still supportive enough to pop off lips and take the bigger hits. In short, it's a fork of few compromises as it remains composed in every aspect, never throwing up any harsh or unpredictable feedback.

If there's a fork to throw off Manitou's 'budget build' reputation, it's this. But what else would you expect from a fork which shares so much of its engineering with the Dorado? It's not your everyday set-and-forget suspension this... it offers absolutely sublime trail riding if you're willing to put the time in; you will get it set just-so, and it will inevitably show massive results when you do. Much like the Rocky Mountain Altitude I paired it with, it's not for smashing big mountain terrain (although it'll have a damn good go if you do). It's at home on a refined, lightweight build where speed and control are key but, when that 160mm of travel is occasionally needed, it can sweep in seamlessly and get it done. Understated brand, underappreciated performance, and certainly an under-priced fork.

Back to Back to Back: Enve DH Carbon vs Pro Tharsis DI2 Carbon vs Spank Spike Vibrocore Handlebars.

1 – Visuals: The first impression you, or anyone else, will get of the bars and the most subjective part of this review. The Enve DH bars have that classic matte-and-white understated styling that just goes with everything and brings a superbike feel to any build. The Pro bars have a murdered-out all black look which looks at home on any bike but doesn’t scream style. The Spank, the only alloy bar on test, comes in a variety of colours so can highlight any custom build or retain a subtle OEM colour-coded look.

2 – Price: The sticking point for most of us mere mortals who pay to ride, rather than the other way round! 
At £90 the Spank bars come in at the lowest price, followed by the Pro Tharsis at £120 and the Enve in excess of £160.

3 – Feel: How does it all translate on the trail? 

The Pro bars are exactly as you’d expect: light and incredibly stiff. The bonus of it being one of the few bars with recesses for DI2 cables is commendable, but even on a trail bike their rigidity was to the point of discomfort; for smashing out timed runs their trail feedback was excellent, but they were hardly a comfortable companion for long days in the saddle.

Enve are one of those brands where the reputation invariably precedes all else and that rep is, well... enviable. There’s a subtlety to these where they feed back exactly what’s going on downstairs without the irritating ‘buzz’ in a lot of other handlebars which invariably saps energy from your arms, loosens your grip and is all-round unpleasant.

The real surprise of the test, however, was the Spank offering. I’m always wary of a gimmick, as all bikers need to be with the new standards inundating the market, but it was genuinely excellent. Granted, it pays a weight penalty compared to the skinnier carbon counterparts on test, but circa 100g for the incredible feel these bars provide is a trade I’ll snatch with both hands. The aforementioned irritating chatter is refined by the clever foam insert within the bars and fed back as a much more manageable rumble. These bars don’t detach you from the trail, but rather report it back in comfortable doses in a manner only the very best suspension setups usually can. It’s no silver bullet but, paired with the same well-set suspension and grips tested with all of these bars, made a noticeable difference both on long rocky descents and general trail feel; it’s akin to replacing a dodgy front-end bearing you never knew you had.

The Rankings:

No prizes for guessing the Spank Spike Vibrocore comes out on top. Like when dropper posts first came into play, there’s a feel to this bar that we’ll happily pay the weight penalty and wonder how we ever coped before. The vast choice of colours and low price are an added bonus to make this bar a no-brainer for my next build.

Enve DH comes a second when all three factors come into account. However, they remain the undisputed kings of performance and would still be the bar I reach for if I was counting grams and milliseconds on a world cup build. Weekend warriors and penny-pinchers need not apply!

The Pro Tharsis should feel no shame in being bested by the two other bars on test. If the engineers called me a fat, lazy hypocrite who needed to work on his fitness rather than blame a set of carbon handlebars I’d have to agree. However, for a pricey bar it lacks the ‘bling’ factor of Enve or the performance-enhancing feel from the Spank bars. It’s a tidy bar, make no mistake, with the built in DI2 option keeping any cockpit clean. On a personal level, the trail feedback and high price would make it a no from me as an upgrade, but they probably wouldn’t be the first component to change if they came with a factory build. 

Answer Pro Taper 780 DH Riser Bar

I've ridden this bar for two months. At £54.99 (on Hotlines) and 335g, it has a light weight that's reasonably light on your pocket. The wide choice of colours make it easy to suit one to your bike, and at £54.99 you won't be disappointed. It's cheaper than similar DH bars out there, and lighter too. The colour retention is fantastic, and the finish is very scratch resistant. Despite the light weight and considerable width, there is absolutely no flex in them. The bars lead to some seriously responsive handling that really increases confidence. The choice in rise is really useful, as now you needn't buy a new stem to facilitate these (must-have) bars. Answer provide good marks if you wish to cut the bars down to size, and because of the durability of the finish, you don't have to decide straight away: fit the grips for now, and the marks will still be there in a few months time. I can't see how these can be beat, unless you try the carbon version?