Syncros iC Fraser & Hixon go big & SL for 2020 with lighter carbon MTB bar+stem combos, bigger & wider bars, and more options for all mountain bikers. We’ve seen Syncros iC integrating carbon mountain bike bars & stems for race bikes for more than three years, now adding up to five different MTB integrated cockpit options from World Cup XC to DH racing, with every other trail-riding discipline in between. What seemingly started as a way to shave weight on the race course and get super low, has evolved into a setup Syncros assures is both lighter and much stronger than separate handlebars & stems.
Syncros iC – complete integrated mountain bike cockpit family
Individually, we covered each of the Syncros one-piece iC mountain bike bar & stem combos from the cross-country Frasier to the more gravity-ready Hixon family. Our first racing glimpse was probably the earliest, lightest edition on multiple XC World Champ Nino Schurter’s Scott Spark RC 900 race bike. But it was last summer’s lightweight, but still DH race-ready Scott Gambler Tuned that rounded out the most heavy-hitting of the gravity-ready iC setups.
While initially it seemed limiting to have a mountain bike cockpit setup that wouldn’t let you change handlebar or stem geometry, now with so many size options in five different iC bar/stems there really looks to be a cockpit for every type of mountain biker. Slam that stem and Race XC with the Fraser iC SL SE or just rail XC singletrack with the standard Fraser iC SL. If more technical riding is your bag, the Syncros Hixon iC SL can be your trail bar, the Hixon iC 1.0 Rise your enduro bar, or bolt on a direct mount Hixon iC DH to bomb downhill – all with clean one-piece lines and discipline-specific strength & light weight.
Syncros Fraser iC SL SE cross-country race cockpit
Originally designed to get low under Nino Schurter, a longtime member of the #slamyourstem club, the first Fraser iC SL Special Edition incorporated a low, swept-forward design to mimic a -25° x 90mm stem, combined with a flat bar with 6° of upsweep and 9° of backsweep and 740mm wide – the preferred geometry of N1NO (at just 220g).
Now, thanks to another fast member of the Scott-SRAM team – young Andri Frischnech needed a slightly less dramatic setup. So the Fraser iC SL SE is now also available in a virtual -17° x 100mm stem, with the same 740mm wide bar & 6° up /9° backsweep. Either size of the carbon Fraser iC SL SE bar sells for the same 450€ pricetag.
Syncros Fraser iC SL cross-country MTB cockpit
Pretty much the original XC evolution of the iC concept, the 350€ Fraser iC SL was meant to be the perfect mix of lightweight, responsive, durable and reliable in an all-around cross-country mountain bike bar. Evolved from the Hixon iC trail bar, the Fraser iC SL made almost 15% weight savings with its super light SL carbon layup in a 740mm wide flat bar, with a virtual -8° stem and options for virtual 60,70, 80 & 90mm stem lengths (6° up /9° backsweep). This is the bar of choice for ex-World Champ & World Cup winner Kate Courtney, with the same 220g claimed weight as the Special Edition bar.
Syncros Hixon iC SL trail MTB cockpit – Now Lighter & Wider!
The Hixon iC is actually where Syncros’ mountain bike integrated cockpits got their start on the 2018 Scott Genius, combing benchmark trail bike strength & light weight. Now it’s even lighter & wider than before at a claimed 260g (in 780x50mm). The new Hixon iC SL is 2cm wider than before at 780mm and drops more than 10% off its weight thanks to a new lighter SL carbon layup, while maintaining the same strength as before – and all-mountain rating.
The new 330€ Hixon iC SL is available with a virtually flat stem in 40, 50 & 50mm lengths with 15mm of rise. The bar portion is now 780mm wide, with 6° upsweep & 9° backsweep.
Syncros Hixon iC 1.0 Rise enduro MTB cockpit – Now Lighter!
For those looking for a wider enduro bar, the Hixon iC 1.0 Rise gets a bit higher moving from 15 to 20mm of rise and a slight geometry tweak, while also shedding just a few grams thanks to improved SL carbon layup.
The new 330€ Hixon iC 1.0 Rise now comes with 40 or 50mm virtual stem length, 20mm of rise, and an 800mm bar with 6° upsweep & 7° backsweep – a claimed weight of 270g for the longer option.
Syncros Hixon iC DH direct-mount downhill MTB cockpit – Now Lighter!
Only available last summer on the special edition Gambler, now any DHer can direct mount Syncros’ “ultimate in lightweight and strength for the downhill racer” to the upper crown of their fork. The 310g Hixon iC DH comes in just one size – a virtual 50mm stem and 800mm wide, 15mm rise carbon bar with 5° upsweep & 8° backsweep. The Hixon iC DH is available now for 350€, and will fit all modern Fox, RockShox, Marzocchi, and many other DH forks.
