Since I’ll never be able to ride like Jerome Clementz, I can at least ride his bars. At 750mm, the Truvativ Jerome Clementz BlackBox riser bars are just the right width for all-terrain dominance.
Truvativ Jerome Clementz BlackBox Bars Features:
- Carbon Fiber
- 750mm wide
- 20mm rise
- 5 degree up-sweep
- 7 degree back-sweep
- 240g
- MSRP: $198
Riding the Bars of an Enduro World Champion
OK, so I’m no Jerome Clementz, but I can ride his signature bars. These beautiful, unidirectional carbon fiber bars are built to the exacting needs of Mr. Clementz himself. The man knows how to ride a bike up and down, so his bars have to be made for efficient all-terrain engagements. And, to further prove their mettle, these bars were piloted to the top of the 2013 enduro world series.
As the only carbon fiber bars in the Truvativ BlackBox Athlete Series, the Clementz signature model offers what I’ll call the “perfect” width. To me, 750mm is absolutely spot-on perfect. You get just the right amount of leverage in all conditions, but don’t feel like you’re piloting a beach cruiser. Aboard the Niner RIP 9, these bars have been perfect. While typical 29er setup is to go with flat-top bars, I opted to give these a whirl and boy am I glad I did.
I always ride my 29ers with a negative rise stem. In this case, the Niner alloy stem on the RIP offers a -8 degree rise (perfect). Combine that with a slammed stem (no spacers underneath) and the bar’s 20mm rise becomes mostly offset. That lower ride height ends up working well with only a small sacrifice when climbs get really steep.
The performance of these bars has been bonkers. Dropping about 40 grams from the Niner Flat Top 780mm bars, adding 15mm in rise and changing the upsweep/backsweep profile really made a huge difference in bike handling and comfort. While I prefer flat bars, it takes the right flat bar to put me in proper position. So, while these bars have more rise than I’d like, the overall package has been bonkers. Leaning harder and harder into turns, whipping the bike around and charging through rough terrain are all like second-nature.
While there are lighter-weight bars on the market, you’d be hard-pressed to find its equal in a 20mm rise design. Jerome knows how to ride a bike and he knows what he wants in bars. We’re all lucky enough that he has awesome taste in bars.
The Good
- What I’ll call the “perfect” width for my tastes
- Low enough riser to work on 27.5’s and 29ers alike
- Instant comfort
- Stiff, powerful leverage
- Softens the ride
The Bad
- Seem to be a little hard to find right now
- I’d love these in a 10-degree rise format
The Bottom Line
After taking the overall Enduro World Championship, Jerome Clementz has solidified his place as the enduro rider to beat. His bike skills are undoubtedly enhanced by his signature BlackBox riser bars. No question, these are comfortable and offer steering precision that other bars can only aspire to.
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