Cranks Brothers Components

Cobalt Lock-On Grips

At just 65 g the Cobalt grips certainly don’t disappoint in the weight department. I once scoffed at foam grips, thinking that they were kind of cheesy and certainly not up to the task of serious bike riding. I was wrong—they allow you to sink your fingers in for a solid grip and they seem to work well with sweaty hands, even without gloves.

The grips measure 130 mm across, which should be wide enough for most people. Much of the construction is plastic, but the lock rings are anodized 6061 aluminum alloy. The bolts are of the T10 torx variety, and a wrench is included. Available in blue, gold, silver and red, the Cobalt grips retail for $25.

Cobalt 3 Stem

The Crank Brothers Cobalt 3 stem is without a doubt one of the best looking stems on the market. It features a two-tone color scheme, matte and gloss surfaces and has no faceplate. At less than 140 g, it’s light enough to satisfy all but the most die-hard weight weenies.

One of my few nits to pick with the Cobalt 3 stem is the lack of a faceplate means you need to wiggle a riser bar through the clamp. Try as I may to avoid it, I ended up scratching the handlebar in during the installation. The Cobalt 3 stem is available in four color combinations and in standard lengths from 80 to 120 mm. All lengths come with 6° of rise which can be inverted. It retails for $100 and carries a 5 year warranty.

Cobalt 2 Handlebar

The Cobalt 2 handlebar is available in numerous configurations of flat or low-rise, with widths ranging from 600 to 720 mm. They’re only available for use with 31.8 clamp diameter stems, and you can have any color you want, as long as that color is black.

The Cobalt 2 handlebars are made from 2014 aluminum alloy whereas most entry-level bars are made from 6000-series aluminum alloy. In layman’s terms, 2000 series alloys are harder than 6000 series, though not quite as hard as 7000 series (though presumably not as expensive, either). At 300+ grams, the Cobalt 2 bar isn’t setting any records for light weight, but at $50 it’s not exactly breaking the bank, either.

Check out www.crankbrothers.com

Kenda