Race Face sent over some of their new products for us to check out and give you our opinion on. In the mix is the popular Atlas FR line of products that seem to have taken off within the freeride and downhill market. Today you’ll be reading about the Atlas FR SL integrated stem and Atlas FR low rise handlebar.

First up is the new Atlas FR SL integrated stem.

You look around the integrated stem market and what do you see? You see everyone doing the same thing—releasing 50mm stems that offer no originality in their design. If you want something cool, you pay extra to have reach adjustability, but often compromise on strength; fair enough. Well this has been the standard for as long as direct mount stems have been available…Until now.

Weighing in at only 135 grams (tested), the intensely machined 6061 aluminum stem is what makes every mountain biker’s mouth water. The face plate has some serious weight savings, while the handlebar clamp and crown bolts receive full titanium treatment. The Atlas FR SL integrated stem is available in every color as long as it’s black, while the Atlas FR version is available in white, black, and red to match the scheme of your ride. The mont fromme laser-etched graphics stand out immediately when you first see it, alongside a nice “SL” logo to show that it’s the top dog in its class.

It will work with any integrated crown that meets the Boxxer standard—a standard that is fast becoming the industry leader. If you mount the stem right side up it will give you a super short 30mm reach for the DH track to keep things stable. If you mount the stem upside down, the reach grows to 50mm and the stem drops your bar height 15.5mm from its original position. In either position, you have a super stiff and lightweight option for your DH bike that will breed confidence while pinning through your favorite rock garden or flying trough the air.

50mm position-side angle

30mm Position

On of the coolest things about this stem is the way the face plate clamps the handlebar down. Race Face calls this system “Interlocking U-Shaped Handlebar Clamp Geometry” which basically means that forces are transferred into the stem rather than through the clamping bolts themselves—making it feel stiffer and physically stronger when out on the trail.

For me components have to be light enough that they don’t limit your performance but also strong enough to take the abuse I dish out. Nothing bugs me more than having to replace an expensive part because I should have chosen something different in the first place. With the Atlas FR SL you have a lightweight two-piece stem that weights the same as the weight weenie three-piece designs with all the rigidity and stiffness that Race Face is known for. To me the titanium hardware is the icing on the cake. Retailing at $146 Canadian, you can’t go wrong!

Race Face has put a lot of attention into their parts that interact with one-another. For example the attention to detail they put into their chain rings that attach to their cranksets, or how well their clothing line works in harmony with eachother. Well the Atlas FR low rise handlebar is no exception to this rule. Available in all of Race Face’s signature color-ways, the Atlas FR handlebar is an astounding 785mm wide (31”) and offers a ½” of total rise. Just because it’s wider than the distance between most trees on a race track doesn’t mean it has to be heavy, our test bar comes in at a lean 329 grams uncut. For 2010, Race Face slackened out the handlebar rearward sweep from 9 degrees to 8 degrees, but kept the tried and true 4 degree upsweep. These angles have basically become the industry standard for a low-rise wide DH handlebar. The reason many riders are starting to lean towards wider handlebars is to have more control on the trail; think of it as having additional leverage when your front wheel is jerking all over the place.

Also, offering a wider bar allows the rider to cut down the length to suit their needs; luckily for us Race Face has lasered popular bar length markers on either end to assist in cutting the bar to the desired length. The bar is made out of Race Face’s tried and true ‘Air Alloy’ material that has more than proven itself over many years of abuse. Coming in at $90 Canadian MSRP, this is an option that will satisfy many riders looking for a super wide yet strong bar at a competitive price.

Stay tuned for a review on both the bar and the stem once our testers have had some time abusing both!

Weights:

For more information please visit Race Face

Thanks for reading!

mitch@painincorpoated.com