Carbon handlebars: Stradalli or Toseek/EC90?
#51
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Chapeau on your elevated level of chutzpah!
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Why? I want an aero handlebars because I like how they look. If they weight extra 100 grams, I really do not care: my weight is about 75 kg, so 100 grams is 100 / (75000 + 8500 for the bike) = 0.1197%, just above tenth of a percent of an extra weight! Professional athletes may care about it, I do not.
Last edited by fmilovanov; 10-02-18 at 12:10 PM.
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Why? I want an aero handlebars because I like how they look. If they weight extra 100 grams, I really do not care: my weight is about 75 kg, so 100 grams is 100 / (75000 + 8500 for the bike) = 0.1197%, just above tenth of a percent of an extra weight! Professional athletes may care about it, I do not.
"that's neat you like the look of aero bars. Then buy some quality ones. Looks arent everything, but i totally get that it can weigh heavily in a decision."
The reason why I mentioned weight in the first place is because usually when people want an aero bar, its for performance improvement. I was pointing out that the weight you save with those Ritchey bars is better than the 'aero' savings you would see while commuting. Also, they wouldnt feel like a cooked noodle when riding. But again- I completely get the desire to go for look as a primary reason for choice.
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Chutzpah is also when someone keeps pushing an opinion down my throat after I said I've heard it and don't need it anymore. Dear Sir - can you, please, stop talking to me? Can I say it in more polite way?
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I can't believe this thread is still going.
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So...only one or two has experience with Stradalli bars or Toseek??? Not both???
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That exactly what I am trying to figure out: is this Stradalli brand can be considered high quality (for 3X money), but people instead trying to convince me that Toseek is bad
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Also to get an answer that means anything you need quite a large sample group of users as with knock off brands quality control is unknown so even if a few people have had no problems it doesn't mean you won't.
That is why people pay the money for a "name" brand like 3T, Zipp, Easton etc.
Especially for handlebars where failure can be catastrophic.
Having a handlebar fail in a sprint or when hitting a pot hole is completely different to having your cheap food blender fail while making a smoothie!
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You don't know what you're talking about, hence this thread. Then you hear answers you don't like and you try to argue them. Not from a position of expertise, again, because you had to create this thread in the first place. No, you're arguing from a position of petulance and pettiness because you haven't got the confirmation you were initially seeking.
If you don't want to be talked at, stop posting. Otherwise, discussion board.
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In addition to dozens of other deals or there, CC has Zipp Contour SLs on closeout at $100-130 and dude's still asking about this cheesy stuff.
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Oops... must have missed something. I saw a some Zipp carbon bars for around $100, but they weren't aero. Can you share a link, please?!!!
#65
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Also, guys: is TIME a real brand, or it's another Tosseek? Found this on eBay, and wondering?
Or it's bad idea in general to buy used handlebars?
Or it's bad idea in general to buy used handlebars?
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Also, guys: is TIME a real brand, or it's another Tosseek? Found this on eBay, and wondering?
Or it's bad idea in general to buy used handlebars?
Or it's bad idea in general to buy used handlebars?
as for used handlebars, I would use em if I liked em. I dont think I will ever be in the market for decadeish old carbon aero bars though, so no idea if its a good idea to buy them or stick to new.
#67
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I bought a set of these Toseek Aeronova copies. At AU$40 delivered, I wasn't expecting much. Sure enough, the decals were a bit wonky, the wall thickness was all over the place, and worse, the angle of the last part of the drops differed when viewed from the side. But at the angle I wanted to mount them, that last part of the drops pointed up and was surplus to requirements... after cutting 38mm off one end and 40mm off the other, I couldn't see any more asymmetry no matter how hard I looked, so after some fettling they're fine on that score. The Aeronova shape is bloody awesome. Looks badass, and is super ergonomic. Weighed a hair over 220g after cutting.
But yeah, cheap carbon is a risk, so of course I tried to break them before fitting. And yeah, I heard a few fibres break, which at least indicates they don't test them. But perhaps it's not unusual for carbon parts to break a few fibres when first loaded, who knows? Any reputable brand would most likely test their carbon parts before you get them. Anyway, they flexed about as much as I'd expect given the (40cm) shape, weight, and price, no big deal. But initially I fit them to a Kalloy Uno (also cheap and light - 120mm @17°, 120g), and my front end was like overcooked pasta. So I splashed out on a Zipp stem weighing another 20g, and now it's al dente.
The internal routing would have been no biggie, except I was using Alligator i-link which made it an epic PITA. After a bit I upgraded to the far superior Jagwire Elite Link which was no problem. Although there's no room to cross the cables inside the bar which would have made them sit a little better between the bars and frame.
All in all, I found them to be an excellent buy, given the truly paltry sum in question. I bought two more pairs for my other bikes. Same asymmetry, sketchy wall thickness, initial breaking of fibres, and iffy decal application (the next couple of pairs had more subtle decals which look a lot better), and the weight varied by 10-15g. Also the process of choosing where to cut off the dodgy bits was painstaking (if you cut the same amount off each end it won't be quite right), but hey, US$30, FFS.
By the way, the comment above about weight as a percentage of total isn't on the money, because you notice weight differently on different parts of the bike. For acceleration it's tyres and tubes then rims. For standing on the bike, it's the seat and then the other parts at the top of the bike. The bars count for that, but also because they're pivoting off the headset you notice it as well in low speed turns and trackstands, and just wheeling the bike around. Losing 100g off your bars is going to make a much more perceptive difference than losing 100g from your cranks.
But yeah, cheap carbon is a risk, so of course I tried to break them before fitting. And yeah, I heard a few fibres break, which at least indicates they don't test them. But perhaps it's not unusual for carbon parts to break a few fibres when first loaded, who knows? Any reputable brand would most likely test their carbon parts before you get them. Anyway, they flexed about as much as I'd expect given the (40cm) shape, weight, and price, no big deal. But initially I fit them to a Kalloy Uno (also cheap and light - 120mm @17°, 120g), and my front end was like overcooked pasta. So I splashed out on a Zipp stem weighing another 20g, and now it's al dente.
The internal routing would have been no biggie, except I was using Alligator i-link which made it an epic PITA. After a bit I upgraded to the far superior Jagwire Elite Link which was no problem. Although there's no room to cross the cables inside the bar which would have made them sit a little better between the bars and frame.
All in all, I found them to be an excellent buy, given the truly paltry sum in question. I bought two more pairs for my other bikes. Same asymmetry, sketchy wall thickness, initial breaking of fibres, and iffy decal application (the next couple of pairs had more subtle decals which look a lot better), and the weight varied by 10-15g. Also the process of choosing where to cut off the dodgy bits was painstaking (if you cut the same amount off each end it won't be quite right), but hey, US$30, FFS.
By the way, the comment above about weight as a percentage of total isn't on the money, because you notice weight differently on different parts of the bike. For acceleration it's tyres and tubes then rims. For standing on the bike, it's the seat and then the other parts at the top of the bike. The bars count for that, but also because they're pivoting off the headset you notice it as well in low speed turns and trackstands, and just wheeling the bike around. Losing 100g off your bars is going to make a much more perceptive difference than losing 100g from your cranks.
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I like my EC90's. A bit of flex but no to much.
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You're commuting with these? Buy something you trust. If that's a $40 pair of no-phone-number, have to cut to make even (WTF?) bars, go rock em and let us know how they do for ya. What you're hearing (in inverse), is yes, perhaps $200 bars *are* worth it. But only you can make that decision. Just seems you're arguing everyone here because you want someone to tell you for you.
Heck, just get 'em. For $40, if they don't work, then spend real money. Or get better at the Google. Only you can decide if you trust them.
Heck, just get 'em. For $40, if they don't work, then spend real money. Or get better at the Google. Only you can decide if you trust them.