First Look: Spank Vibrocore 2015 handlebar – goodbye Armpump?
Spank introduced its new handlebar technology Vibrocore at Eurobike. The interesting part: a special foam inside the handlebar dampens waves and vibrations effectively to ensure a better riding experience. The Vibrocore system is available with the Spike downhill handlebar and the Oozy Enduro model.
A handlebar might appear quite simple at first sight, but it is everything else than simple, to create a good quality and long-lasting handlebar. Factors like appearence (rise, upsweep, backsweep) and dimensioning of the material are important for performance. It is necessary to find the perfect sweet spot between good damping values and enough stiffness, to ensure good and precice handling.
In order to reach this sweet spot Spank has developed a new technology called Vibrocore. A normal aluminium handlebar is filled with hard but very light foam. This strengthens the handlebar from the inside, increases stiffness and absorbs small high-frequence vibrations. Spank makes use of the physical fact, that waves spread easier in materials with high density (aluminium handlebar) than in material with lower density (foam).
The Vibrocore foam core only increases the handlebar’s weight by 20g.
The technology was developed with the help of Downhill world cup competitors Mick and Tracey Hannah. Both say there is a better contact feeling with the Vibrocore handlebars without slower rider fatigue.
The Spike 800 mm wide Spank Spike Downhill handlebar is already available with Vibrocore technology (325 g). From November on the 760 mm wide Oozy Enduro Model will be available in a Vibrocore dampered vaersion (235 g).
More information spank-ind.com.
Text: Aaron Steinke Photos: Klaus Kneist
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