Truvativ have faded out of the limelight while SRAM have been single ringing and wirelessly electrifying the world, but the Atmos bar and stem combo show their still well worth a look. A few extra options would make them ideal for even more buyers though.
Design and build
The cold-forged Atmos stem is nicely and consistently finished inside and out with no scary thin sections or sharp edges. Truvativ backs that up with chunky T25 bolts rather than sketchy watch screws. The double clamp bands are broad enough to not bring me out in a sweat and the edges that sit against the bar are nicely chamfered so they won’t bite into the carbon. A 40 to 90mm size range should cover most XC/Trail bikes and at 100g without the GoPro mount it’s light enough to race.
The Atmos bars are considerably heavier than a superlight race bar (I weighed a Mt Zoom carbon bar of the same width at 118gm recently). However, combined with the stem they’re not much heavier than the Syncros Hixon bar and stem combo they replaced on my Cervelo ZFS long-termer. The 9-degree sweep is standard issue and the bar can be run either way up to droop or rise slightly depending on preference. There’s plenty of grip tape width for securing the bars and light / GPS mounts etc. and Plimsoll lines for tilt and centring. 40mm markers on each side let you chop it right down to 680mm if you want to avoid Bart Brentjens saying your bars are too wide.
Performance
Maybe it’s my age and the long history of cracked CNC components that comes with it, but I always let out a big sigh of relief when I see a cold forged stem. That highly compressed, smoothly organic ‘boney’ look immediately makes me think I’m less likely to suffer my fractures when something over-machined snaps. Despite its competitively low weight, the Atmos 7K has given me zero reason to worry in several months of hard hammer. No creaks, cracks or bar/steerer slips, just solid, vice-like grip on control however sideways I’m getting or however big the rocks I’m slapping. The vertical logo also means I can flip the 6-degree angle to inverted for a lower front end without it looking weird too. The GoPro mount is reassuringly secure if you want to vlog your riding or mount a light and having it mounted on the chin means your light or camera won’t get in the way of above-bar equipment like a GPS.
The bars have been equally trouble and trauma-free, with a back and upsweep that feels natural. Keeping the bar and stem to 31.8mm gives them more compliance and comfort when you’re hammering hard trails for hours too. The useful forgiveness doesn’t add too much flex or vagueness when you’re trying to get a handle on the trail though. Vibration damping and fatigue reduction are decent too, so you can run more low-speed compression and narrower tires without numbing your hands. Something appreciated when my wingman Ryan borrowed the bike to do an insane Everesting session on the UK’s jankiest, rockiest trail center at Stainburn. It’s a shame Truvativ doesn’t do a low-rise option in the carbon to match the one they do in alloy though.
Verdict
Truvativ Atmos is ideal if you’re after a lightweight, fully adjustable flat bar cockpit from a reputable brand that’s been super reliable even on brutal boulder marathons. It’s an acceptable rather than astronomical price too.
Adding a carbon low-rise option would be an ergonomic, handling balance and aesthetic win for a lot of people who are going to be put off by a flat bar. Being 31.8mm only also limits their back compatibility if your bike currently has a 35mm stem.
Tech specs: Truvativ Atmos Carbon flat bar
- Price $183 / £174 / €195
- Sizes 31.8 x 760mm only
- Options Natural carbon only
- Weight 192g
