Last year I heard that PNW components were making a gravel handlebar and since I had an integrated cockpit, it was hard for me to switch everything to try it but this year I had the perfect project for it and the rest is history.
About PNW components
The short story: They hate how expensive bike parts are. That’s why they started PNW Components. Their team has decades of experience working for top bike brands in the industry, fostering strong relationships with leading manufacturers and working at the forefront of what’s new in the bike world. What this means for you is a top performing product at a fraction of the cost.
The other part of the story: They want you to love riding your bike. Part of that means that their relationship with you doesn’t just stop when you buy a product. They’re dedicated to being your digital trail buddy and that’s part of the reason they back up all their products with an industry leading lifetime warranty. By keeping overhead costs low, working directly with manufacturers and focusing on engineering products that deliver exactly what customers want, they’re able to save you money and ultimately have it stay in your wallet for more important things like post ride burritos.
The Coast handlebar
A few years back, they started playing around with wider bars on their mountain bikes. Trendy? Yes. Beneficial? Absolutely. It turns out the same benefits extend to Drop Bars, which is why they designed the Coast to give you more stability, further control, and extra comfort on your gravel or city bike. They are available in 440,480 and 520 mm width.
Testing
The testing occurred over a 400 km period during the spring season. The installation is fairly easy and if you are not sure on how to install your handlebar, there is a great how to in the resource section of their website.
The drop of 105mm and the reach of 65mm is perfect for me since I don’t have long arms and I am pretty comfortable with the Coast handlebar. I selected the width of 440 mm which is the standard that I use and it is perfect for me since 420 mm is normally my road bike width.
It is also reassuring that PNW components offer a lifetime warranty on all their products.
In conclusion
The PNW Coast handlebar checks all the boxes for me, especially with its $59 USD price tag. It’s also the ideal choice for my upcoming race gravel build without a doubt.
You can have more information about PNW components here:
