Race Face is bullish on 35mm stem clamp diameter handlebars. They are rightly proud of their Next 35 Handlebar, which they’ve designed with both 10 and 20mm rises. The 3.2mm increase in diameter results in both increased stiffness and reduced weight, two very good things for cross country and trail riders, who want increased efficiency and less mass for every component they secure onto their rigs. Yes, with an increased diameter at the clamp, you need a specific 35mm handlebar clamp stem. Once they agreed that was the diameter they wanted, and made sure they had stems that could match the bars, they then went about deciding on what carbon to use and how to do the layup. They went with UD, uni-directional, carbon-fiber cloth because it’s easy to work with, light, and strong. They finished the bars with a matte clear coat because it looks sooo good. As stiff as the bar is for control, they adjusted the layup to function as a damper for small bumps on the trail; the added compliance is a nice benefit to go along with the stiffness and weight. The 10mm and 20mm rise bars have an eight-degree rearward sweep and five-degree upward sweep. The width, uncut, is 760mm. Weight for the bar is 180g.