Berm Cycle Roam Titanium Riser Bar

The Berm Cycle Roam Riser bar is phenomenally comfortable to ride with excellent vibration damping – titanium isn’t just just a premium idea, it’s a seriously good material for handlebars. While there’s only one size/shape available and it’s not exactly cheap, the Roam actually is cheap for titanium, and it’s competitive against carbon bars too.

Berm Cycle Roam Titanium Riser Bar – Technical details

Berm is a small Singapore-based boutique brand. Rider-owned and rider-designed, their high-end titanium frames and components are beautifully done – and look absolutely killer. The Roam Riser Bar was its first product, followed by a range of titanium products and frames covering gravel, enduro and even BMX – all made from titanium.

These are designed in Singapore, created in China and then shipped back to Singapore for all post-production finishing such as polishing, coating, engraving, and testing.

The Roam Riser bar is currently only available in a 780mm width, with a 31.8mm clamp diameter and 30mm rise (a 35mm clamp version may soon follow). They feature the familiar 9-degree backsweep and 5-degree upsweep, and weigh in at 290g. The width and rise won’t suit everyone, but it’s certainly a very safe middle ground for the masses.

Sutbly etched logos adorn the front, keeping the aesthetic clean, and a rough area (sans alignment markings) denotes the clamp area. It’s also available in a radical anodised ‘oil slick’ edition, where each bar has its own unique pattern.

Berm Cycle Roam Titanium Riser Bar – Performance

I’ll admit it, I’ve always had a penchant for carbon handlebars, right back to when riders wouldn’t trust them for anything other than XC racing. I even rode some at the Megavalanche Race in Alp d’Huez, though subsequently was ‘advised’ to retire them because of so many bad crashes. They still looked OK to me, but with carbon you often can’t tell. Still, I’ve crashed on so many pairs since in altercations with inanimate objects, mostly only causing cosmetic damage. Probably.

Titanium, meanwhile, is known for its fatigue resistance; it’s strong, which is a good thing, as I do have the odd crash now and again… it’s also extremely corrosion-resistant, which means it should remain looking lovely for years to come.

I fitted the Roam to my short-travel 29er trail bike, as that gives my hands and arms a pummeling on long descents. It took a little time to line them up and get the angle right, due to the lack of markings, but it wasn’t a big issue.

The Roam Riser felt instantly comfortable. It has great levels of compliance and comfort, with just a subtle flex that really translates to precise handling and direct feedback – so nice through tight tech natural terrain. Vibration absorption is next-level over long chattery descents, and in the more notchy tech stuff, I felt in perfect control yet suffered no arm pump or post-ride fatigue.

These may actually have ruined carbon for me, as they’re no more expensive than a lot of leading carbon options, only slightly heavier, and a lot tougher. They’re also incredibly beautiful to look at, which doesn’t hurt.

Berm Cycle Roam Titanium Riser Bar – Verdict

Whilst there isn’t a massive choice when it comes to titanium bars, these are cheaper than some significant competition. For instance the Stanton Ti Bar has the same 780mm width and 31.8mm diameter clamp (plus a 25mm rise and 9 degree backsweep), but it’s considerably more at £220.

The Thomson Titanium Riser MTB bar, meanwhile, is is available with a 15mm rise or flat, and in riser form is a franky staggering £460.

What about carbon? The Race Face Era carbon handlebar is £140 and the OneUp Components V2 Carbon Handlebar (one of my favourites) is £150, and both balance excellent vibration absorption and and compliance with control-enhancing stiffness. They come in various width and rise options, too.

All that may well swing it for some, but you’re not saving masses to dodge the fear of unseen internal damage and the potential need for an expensive replacement. Titanium could, for some riders, work out the better deal – if so, the excellent combination of price and performance here means the Berm Roam is the first place you should look.