2008 FSA Gravity Light 31.5in Handlebar and Stem
Friday, November 9th, 2007
For 2008 FSA has created some upgraded products that are sure to appeal to the gravity hungry. Fabien Barel and other FSA athletes have been running their 800mm Gravity Light Handlebar for awhile now and it’s finally available for the public.
Check out the details inside on this 31.5″ handlebar and their Gravity Light stem.
FSA Gravity Light 800mm 31.8mm Handlebar
(click to enlarge)
FSA has perhaps the longest production bar I’ve seen made for a downhill mountain bike. The weight of the bar isn’t the lightest, but it can’t be at this length. The good thing about bars this long is that you can cut them down to fit your taste. If 800mm isn’t your thing, they also make it in smaller 710mm & 660mm versions that are also lighter as the handlebars don’t need to be reinforced quite as much. The finish on the FSA bar is quite nice and its got some nice laser styling to it.
(click to enlarge)
- Triple butted and tapered AL7075/T6
- Full width for DH/FR applications
- 31.5″ (800mm) wide
- Shot-peened to increase surface hardness
- Two-tone anodized with laser logos
- Sweep: 9° x 4° rise
- 31.8 x 25mm rise x 800mm width
- 404g
(click to enlarge)
FSA Gravity Light 50mm 31.8mm Stem
(click to enlarge)
The FSA Gravity Light stem is pretty simple but it is machined a good bit to save weight, while still maintaining a stiff interface. The stem comes in a variety of variations (1.5″ steerer option, 50mm, 60mm, 70mm, and 90mm lengths) and is a good stem combo with the Gravity Light bar.
(click to enlarge)
- 6 degree
- 50mm length
- 100% CNC machined final shape
- Forged AL2014/T3 oversize body
- 4-bolt CNC AL2014/T3 front clamp
- 40mm stack height
- 156g
(click to enlarge)
The Gravity Light stem is quite nice but I’d have preferred black bolts to match up a little bit better. Additionally the bolts when they’re torqued down with a bar had a small bit of bolt that sticks through the back side of the stem (as seen above). Nothing functionally wrong with it but it could be a little bit cleaner in execution.
(click to enlarge)
You can purchase any of these fine FSA parts at your bike store or if you’re looking to get some online, hit up Chad at RedBarnBicycles for a great price.
[2008 FSA Gravity Light Bar/Stem Gallery] [FSA Gravity Website]
Previous Coverage
November 9th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Good golly, those are big. I hope people realize that bars that wide are designed for a particular riding style
I got laughed at when I started running a 710…who’s laughing now?
November 10th, 2007 at 11:30 am
Elaborate. What specific riding style does not requires this longer bar? As I see it, leverage is a simple concept. Greater leverage translates to less force and thus less energy over time to counteract forces the mountain throws your way. Meaning, my arms won’t tire as quickly. Who wouldn’t benefit from this?
November 10th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Well, i would say DH racing…
But guy marsh and some other riders like the stability of the wide bars.
But for dirt jumpers and freeriders it would be very hard to pull of any kind of barspin or x-up.
Just what I think
November 10th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Wide bars don’t fit everyone’s height/size, style, trail’s, and bikes. Some slower technical trails can’t fit bars this wide through them.
Depending on the application as well there are benefits to running wider as well as shorter bars.
I think its good that they’ve got wider bars available. That way if you want a shorter bar, you just cut it down. You can’t really add bar easily to a handlebar.
The only downside is a bar of this length has to be reinforced and if you were going to cut it down a lot, you’d be better off getting a shorter bar from the beginning.
November 10th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
A response to the guy who used my name:
First: You suck. Use your own name.
I agree, the leverage bonus with a wide bar is nice, though how much more leverage do you need to turn a 26″ wheel?
It also translates into you hands/arms moving a lot more than on a narrow bar. Remember the farther away you rotate around a given center, the longer the distance traveled is.
I found when I’m running long bars, my steering response is a little slower because my movements were more exaggerated to make the wheel move to the same degree.
The big bars work great keeping me stable during wide open high-speed ripping, but I find their limits in more technical terrain
It’s great they’re making a huge selection of bars, but bigger isn’t necessarily better
November 19th, 2007 at 3:25 am
Anyone know what climbing is like with super wide bars? Are they poor for uphill riding?
November 22nd, 2007 at 5:14 am
Breiter is better?…
Immer mehr Hersteller werfen zur Zeit Lenker auf den Markt, die breiter als 72cm sind.
Beispiele:
FSA Gravity Light in 800mm (damit würde ich hier auf den Trails um viele Ecken schon nicht mehr kommen)
FLi XXL Ltd Edition 760mm
Sunline oversiz…
January 26th, 2008 at 10:50 am
That stem looks pretty sharp in the back… I would think the review would mention how knee-friendly it is, since that’s a pretty important aspect of a mtb stem.
January 26th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
rp it is a preview and it is not a review.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I currently run bars just over 750mm and wider bars are so much better for a guy my size ( 6,2″). i tried a 710mm bar a while back down a track and i felt they were far to narrow. a wider bar allows you the throw the bike round turns like a pro, your weight is more over the front and makes for a much more comforable ride at speed. I would love a pair of bars like these, especialy for my up and coming race at fort bill.