Alongside Leatt’s latest offering of flat and clip-in pedals sits the new Launch Control Handlebar Kit and Gravity 6.0 stem. Now what exactly is a handlebar kit? Well, it’s simply Leatt bundling its new Launch Control handlebar with the brand’s ReaFlex 6.0 grips, but is this a commercial tactic or engineering excellence? Here we dive into the details and ride impressions to find out.
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Leatt Launch Control Handlebar Kit
Dimensions of the Launch Control handlebar are nothing out of the norm; 800mm wide with 10mm cut increments, 5° upsweep, and 9° backsweep. As for rise, there are two options to choose from, 23mm or 38mm, with our test handlebars being the latter. On the scales they weigh in at 284g, a respectable weight given their aluminium construction.
Where things get a little more interesting is the inclusion of the brand’s own ReaFlex grips, designed to combat vibrations through the handlebars. The inner core of the grip is lined with what the brand is calling ReaFlex energy-absorbing gel. Dubbed a ‘non-Newtonian’ gel, the lining claims to alter its viscosity depending on what forces are applied to it, with the special sauce making the grips particularly efficient at absorbing minor vibrations.
Key Details
- Width | 800mm
- Diameter | 35mm
- Rise | 23mm or 38mm (Tested)
- Backsweep | 9°
- Upsweet | 5°
- Material | 7050 Aluminium
- Colours | Black or Silver
- Weight | 284g (Handlebars) + 133g (Grips)
- Price | $189 AUD (Including grips), $59 AUD (Grips only)
Leatt Gravity 6.0 Stem
If we are honest, in 2025 there isn’t much that separates stems from one another apart from aesthetics. And the Leatt Gravity 6.0 is a prime example of a well-machined, clean-looking stem, although there are a few differences that set it apart.
The most unique feature is the integrated steerer tube seal, which sits behind the handlebar and prevents grit and grime buildup from potentially damaging the steerer tube. We can’t think of a time when this has become an issue, although a thoughtful consideration nevertheless.
Next is the zero-gap faceplate, where the top portion of the faceplate is designed to maintain a flush interface. This achieves what the brand claims is a 210° clamping area on the faceplates, which spreads the force more evenly, an important consideration when using more delicate carbon-fibre handlebars.
The faceplates have also been spread further apart from one another to improve stiffness, measuring 65mm, and visually, it appears a far broader construction. For comparison, the faceplates of a Burgtec stem we had on hand measured 50mm, and there are plenty of stems on the market that are far narrower. In principle, this will add stiffness to a 35mm bar diameter interface that is often said to be too stiff, with Leatt itself fighting vibration issues with the included ReaFlex grips.
Key Details
- Length | 33mm, 40mm (Tested) or 50mm
- Diameter | 35mm
- Rise | 0°
- Material | 7075 Aluminium
- Colours | Black, Silver or Bronze
- Weight | 160g
- Price | $199.00 AUD
On The Trail
While the bars themselves are 800mm wide, with the grips installed, the handlebar kit measures more along the lines of 810mm. Their broad stance makes for a very stable ride and gives the rider a lot of leverage to prevent the front wheel from being thrown around. The generous 9° backsweep did take a little getting used to, as we were more in-tune with the common 8° backsweep found on OneUp or RaceFace bars. We did end up trimming our bars down to a more respectable 780mm, which made it a hair easier to navigate tighter trails.
The first sentence in the Leatt marketing pitch describes the aluminium bars as ‘Ultra Stiff’ – fair to say we were a little nervous. We think they went a little heavy on the description here, as we never found the Launch Control’s to be harsh or jarring through rough terrain.
We’ve spent a lot of time on OneUp’s Carbon and Alloy bars over the years, which have been a FlowMTB favourite for their vibration-damping characteristics. The Leatt’s sit close to the OneUp Alloys in terms of compliance, and have a noticeable amount of flex when pushing hard against the grips. It’s hard to say how much of the vibration damping is thanks to the ReaFlex grips, regardless the package seems to work well together.
When comparing the price, the Launch Control 6.0 kit is good value, seeing as well-known alloy handlebars retail for a similar amount, without any grips included in the box.
It’s worth noting that due to the shape of the underside of the stem, we couldn’t run the stem all the way down against the headset top cap. The stem fouls on the top cap with approximately 2mm gap, hence we had to run at least a 5mm spacer underneath the stem to provide sufficient clearance.
