I've been running S&M Grand Slams for some time now, I just wasn't comfortable on a 28" wide handlebar so looked for something bigger. I liked the bends and the 29" width and 8.25" rise was perfect for my wingspan. I then tried to save some weight and grabbed some S&M Grand Slam XLTs to lighten things up, but while the bends were supposed to be exactly the same the upsweep was out by a degree or two and I just couldn't get used to it.
Shortly afterwards I got myself a new chrome bike and was once again on the look out for some lighter bars than the Grand Slams and, naturally, in chrome, it all has to look the shizz. Only thing was now that I was used to the bends and geometry I was limited to what I could get. It's easy to find bars that are 28" x 8" but once you start to look for anything bigger there's not a lot that's still race legal (29" wide is the maximum legal width, with bar ends if you want to get technical).
I started to look outside the race brands, because I found that if I stuck with race brands it limited my scope too much. For a few years now the freestyle gear has been as light if not lighter than the race gear, so it's no surprise when companies like S&M, Supercross and the likes advertise a bar, or fork, that would work on the race track or at the skate park.
In my search I was directed to the Fit Sky High bars. They have the same bends as the S&M Grand Slams, we just as light, and were significantly cheaper and most importantly to me they came in chrome. The only difference I could spot was the S&M are made in the USA and the Fit were imported, not a big deal for me where they are made as long as they do the job. Also the Fit bars do have the famous lifetime warranty of the S&M's.
There were no surprises over the months of riding with the Fit Sky High bars, they felt like the Grand Slams in every way. They are big, comfortable, stiff, and strong. I have had a couple of small crashes with them so far and they aren't showing any signs of wear or fatigue and they are still as straight as they were the day I got them.
Features:
Specs:
If you are looking for some new bars and the Fit Bike bars sound cool to you but not in the right size, there are a load of other options available, like the Highs for example. 28" x 8" with a back sweep of 11 ° and up sweep of 1.5 °, sound more like your size? You'll have to check out fitbikeco.com for their other handlebar offerings.
Rating 20/20: (amended when we found out that these bars do have a life time warranty)
| Value for money: | 5/5 |
| Weight: | 5/5 |
| Functionality: | 5/5 |
| Looks/Finish: | 5/5 |
Comments:
For more information about Fit Bikes check out www.fitbikeco.com
Fit Bikes products are distributed in Australia by Elite Cycle Imports (ECI) www.eciimports.com
Reviewed by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com February 28, 2012
Updated Friday March 16, 2012 (found out that Fit Sky High bars have a lifetime warranty)