cthenn

This is my favorite bar.
https://ritcheylogic.com/wcs-logic-2-blatte-road-bar

Can find these for around $65 online. Comes in sexy gloss black too! (Gloss white as well.) Excellent weight for the cost, at 233g. Love the shape too, though that's a personal preference. Strong, stiff, light, cheap, what else can you ask for? As far as Alu bars go, this is about as good as it gets IMO.

CliffordK

Personally I'm not beyond using used bars. So, my bars are whatever I can find. Usually Aluminum, although I have a couple of CF bars ready to be mounted up.

I do prefer the flat top "aero" bars, but highly dislike the sharp curves at the bottom of the "ergo" bars.

Aero compact bars are a good compromise in form, although I don't know why they should be so short.

Anyway, I typically find bars for about $10 to $20. Maybe a little more for those CF bars that I'm going to try out this spring.

I do have an aluminum Specialized "zertz" bar in use on one bike. Interesting bar. I'm not sure if I'll keep it or not as I can't tell any difference for ordinary riding, and it may have unnecessary flex for climbing.

Obviously the bars also have to match the bike. No reason to use CF bars on a vintage steel ride. On the other hand, CF bars aren't obligatory for most CF frames.

Wileyrat

I just spent $100 At Competitive Cyclist for some 44cm FSA K-Force light Carbon Nano closeouts. They're definitely with the 100 bucks.

kbarch

Just looked at the receipt for my latest build, and it seems I spent more than I thought on the bars. However, since it's not an insignificant component, yet it still cost less than 5% of the total (14% as much as the frame) - fairly proportionate, as it were - it just didn't register as "expensive." Bars are not something I give much thought to the cost of, I guess; it's just part of "miscellaneous." Tell you what I AM sensitive to the price of, though: group sets. There's a clear line in the sand at $1k. Fortunately, I've tried the fancier groups and they didn't tempt me - in fact, in some ways they turned me off.

MovingViolation

Just forked out for ENVE carbon (duh) road bars + matching ENVE stem to go on my BMC Roadmachine (it's an 02 bike model which came without the integrated carbon bar/stem) and took them on their first outing yesterday.

Apart from my Moulton Clown Bike, these are my first drop bars that are not 'compact'. So far, I *really* like them. much more comfortable in the drops and all-round vibration-chatter damping is much less than with the stock alloy bars.



Seems to have been money well spent.

robbyville

My last set of bars were Ritchey Carbon Curves and I think I paid around $220 for them about 5 years ago, nice and comfortable plus pretty light.

BUT I think that I win the "ARE YOU CRAZY" award. Although you said not to include Integrated stem/bar combos I had no choice. This beautiful beast, Pro Stealth Evo bars, painted to match my new frameset went for a whopping $800 ouch!

Sy Reene

I assume you're referring to some of the Ritchey alloy models? Their WCS line of bars goes up to about $320 msrp.

The SL80 is a nice bar.. still have it on the bike but just got in a half-price sale of the FSA K-force compact bar. Why? I decided it would be nice to have cable grooves to get rid of the resulting bump, and a flatter top of the bar. At the same time, never would I have gone to the $280-300 range for bars.

If I hadn't stumbled on the FSA sale price, I was going to go for the Brand X carbon ergo bars over at Chain Reaction.. I think a decent carbon value for $110

maartendc

Wow, those are some nice handlebars! I assume most of that cost went into the custom painting?

DrIsotope

You can get the PRO Stealth Evo for a good bit less, but the MSRP for that bar is $699. Or roughly what I paid for my last frameset.

robbyville

Yeah, it was done through the framebuilder. They also offer an Envy stem which is painted to match as part of their normal build programs, beautiful as well. I just decided that since this was my only kick at the can to go full custom that I'd basically go all the way with parts that I wanted. The only downside is that Pro (subsidiary of Shimano), still hasn't changed this particular bar to have internal drilling so that I could use the bar end junction box for the DI2 whereas the Pro Vibe Aero has been.

12strings

Forgive my total lack of knowledge in this area, but...WHAT??!!

I've never even approached this being a problem, either from 95degree outside rides, or indoor training. And I sweat more than most people I know.

Doge

I'd pay a lot to get the profile/size wanted if I had to, and I don't normally have to.
They are an interface point. Pedals, seat and bars are your only connection to the bike. Maybe that does not matter anymore then the next parts in line (stem, steer tube...), but I think it does. As much as the difference in these bar options matter, it is worth the money. I would unlikely pay 2X for a bar that is basically the same as the other, because fortunately, as most pointed out, you can get good for much less. But when there is a difference, I think it is an important interface point and worth the bigger prices - if required.

Case in point.
When the ENVE SES bars first came out they were about the only flat top, cable exiting at rear near the stem, wider on drops/narrow at hood bars that were out in the size I wanted. They were also carbon and lighter than most. I bought them (at a significant discount). I thought they offered an advantage for the positioning we wanted. Today - I would not buy them, just because there are other less expensive options that are about the same.

smarkinson

Have a look at this post, scroll down to post #9 for the bad stuff.

https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespe...corrosion.html

Funny thing is this stuff has only eaten holes in one of my bikes. Other bikes I own and have owned in the past have been mostly fine (there is always some white powder, salt I assume, build up though but not enough to warrant replacement of the bars) but this one bike (Giant) and the replacement bars I used (fizik) had very bad corrosion issues in very short times, less than 2 years. I recently changed the bar tape on the carbon bars simply to inspect them (the bar tape was still in good condition) and they were still perfect after about a year of use.

I suspect the issue was the type of alloy used, 6061 is supposed to be more corrosion resistant, the fizik bars were 7075-T6 alloy. The fact I live in a high humidity environment probably doesn't help.

I have had pitting in an aluminium alloy frame as well which is about 10 years now, I have since retired that frame as I don't trust it's structural integrity anymore.

If you have aluminium handlebars then you should definitely replace the bar tape and inspect the bars for corrosion regularly (maybe once every 12 months) particularly if they are 7xxx series aluminium.

B. Carfree

But you can't alter the shape of the bars without going carbon.

When we picked up our last tandem six years ago, we decided we would ride it home (about 450 miles). As we were doing the final fitting, my wife, who rides captain, mentioned to the shop owner that she had been having some serious wrist issues. He said he had been experiencing something similar and the solution for him was to change to some silly-expensive carbon bars with a nice flat top, about $320. (He's not the type to push something expensive just to make an extra buck.) We decided to make the change. At the end of the weekend, as we rode up to our doorstep, my wife mentioned that she hadn't had the slightest twinge of pain the entire ride, which was quite a change. Of course I bought one for her half-bike, but at least I found that one on-line for a lot le$$.

Maelochs

Money spent on the wife is calculated with a different type of math and doesn't count at all as "money spent on bike parts."

ReneV

I have a 3T Aeronova Team Stealth (carbon, 210g) @ USD225 and a PRO PLT Compact Ergo (alloy, 267g) @ USD45. Both are what I wanted and both live up to my expectations.

Doge

The bars selected for gravel, long road, short road, pavement type I would expect to be different. The stem choice and everything else down the line should be matched for the purpose.

We have a lot of bar/stems. Along with the posts and seats they make it to different bikes that we don't own.
I found they are a great place to cut weight at the higher end. This is dad-bragging, but there are some good bar pics here.

Solo Stream on here for road/hill
WP_20160124_13_19_58_ProSM.jpg
Same bars on "hill bike".
MASI Di2 2.png
Same bars again, team bike. Normal hands on hoods drilling it position bars not slammed and more aero.
12036485_10154141279724330_3763811118890725480_n.jpg

Other bars on green bike - setup for sprint/short distance. These are one piece, very stiff and strong. Screwed up and used this in Paris Roubaix. Should have used the bars on top.
RogersCup.png

These are the SES bars. There is a separate stem on them. They are the general RR setup. We wanted the fine tilt adjustment from a stem/bar (see below) and cable exit. I just drill now, but that was then.
Venge Di2 Wires.jpg

Same SES Note the hands on hoods and flared drops.
11156386_915277361843682_6938291076114643028_n.jpg

The tilt (bar / stem) is to optimize for this position. Not advised for groups, but way fast for solo. I've had some say to me this is not as stiff. Yes, true, there is more compliance in this setup by design.
11174936_10204063596570697_2841711266724308969_n.jpg

robbyville

Great post Doge!

fietsbob

Heat treated Nitto, aluminum (3), zero carbon..

generalkdi

Apparently, about 109 USD + Shipping + taxes, just bought these : https://www.competitivecyclist.com/v...-handlebar?s=a

Maelochs

I just paid about $34 for these carbon bars from Toseek (about 200 grams.)

I have the aero version on my other Workswell, same profile, but I might need to hang a big handlebar bag off these so I went with the strength of a round tube.

Then after a few final rides with these $17-dollar alloy Forza Cirrus bars (285 grams,) I decided I didn't need to switch after all.

I might get a longer stem to compensate for the shorter reach and switch anyway because I like the more compact drops .... still not sure.

That is one reason I don't pay the big bucks for bars. To me, if they don't break, they work.

I buy whatever has the right profile ..... or I try to. if i absolutely Knew that the only bars that fit perfectly cost $80, I'd do it. But how would I know without testing?

cthenn

Are those energy blocks stuck to the top tube? Explain.

Doge

Yes.
When food is in front of you it is easier to eat, and when organized, not eat too much.
There is also a formula like 1 every so many laps/etc, so it is a counter as well.

99Klein 

Tried the carbon thing....really didn't like the flex...at all. Went with Zipp service course bars. Inexpensive and sturdy.

f4rrest

I need some bars to replace the "ergonomic" ones that I've endured for 10 years.

Since the bike had a zipp aluminum post, I was thinking of the zipp service course bars to match.

Did you get the 70 or 80 version?