E-thirteen Race Carbon Handlebar and Alloy Base Mountain Bike Stem [Review]

Back in August e*Thirteen added handlebars and stems to the lineup, and I’ve been testing their carbon handlebar and aluminum stem on my Orange P7 hardtail over the past several months. Both pieces perform solidly on the trail thanks to thoughtful design and quality construction.

e*Thirteen Race Carbon handlebar

The Race Carbon handlebar is 800mm wide with a 9-degree back sweep and a 5-degree up sweep. e*Thirteen offers the Race Carbon handlebars with either a 20mm or 35mm rise. I tested the 20mm rise version for my trail bike. All of the stems and handlebars in the e*Thirteen cockpit range use a 35mm clamp diameter.

Since I ride a lot of tight, forested trails I cut the bars down to 780mm wide. For riders looking to go even narrower, it’s not recommended to trim the Race Carbon handlebars to less than 760mm wide. The uncut bar weighs 225g.

Installation and dialing in the position is a breeze thanks to the alignment graphics printed on the front of the bar. I was able to center the bars quickly and found a comfortable position right away.

On a hardtail it’s important to eliminate as much chatter as possible and I found the Race Carbon bars are a good match for this bike. They offer a good ride feel without any harshness.

The shape of the bar puts riders in a solid posture for attacking descents, and they actually feel good on the climbs as well. For me the cockpit felt natural right away, which has not been my experience with other setups.

⭐️ MSRP: $139 USD. Find the e*Thirteen Race Carbon handlebar currently on sale at JensonUSA.

e*Thirteen Base 35 stem

The Base 35 stem is offered in a 40mm or 50mm length, and I chose to test the 50mm option. e*Thirteen offers a pricier stem, called the Plus, which has the same dimensions but nicer finishes for an extra $50. The Base stem I tested weighs 155g, compared to 150g for the same size Plus stem.

For the most part, stems are pretty ho-um but e*Thirteen managed to throw in a couple of cool features. For starters, the Torx bolts have rounded edges to prevent injuries to arms and knees in the event of a crash.

The Base stem also offsets the steerer bolts and faces them toward the bars, rather than running perpendicular. This creates a cleaner look and minimizes the bulk at the back of the stem.

Like the bars, the stem boasts solid performance and ease of use. I’ve found the length is a good match for the bars and lends comfort to the overall equation.

⭐️ MSRP: $49 USD. Find the e*Thirteen Base 35 stem currently on sale at JensonUSA.

Thanks to e*Thirteen for providing the bars and stem for testing and review.