ilike3bikes

FSA, 3T and Deda make compact bars ranging from 123 to 125 to 128 drops. I have tried the FSA 125s and the Deda 128s. I can ride in the drops all day with the FSA 125s, not so much with the Deda 128s. I have the Deda 128 on my Cervelo RS now; I want to go back to the FSA 125s in about a 44 length.

Bob Dopolina 

Actually that may have more to do with hitting a price point that their carbon products can't.

Rowan

Humble your opinion is not. Everything you write is worth reading.




(Except when you post threads about being Home Alone).

DrPete 

OK, so you replaced them after they were damaged, and they were more expensive than if they'd been alloy bars. I think I might understand that, even as a lowly amateur cyclist down here with the unwashed masses. I'm reassured, however, that since I was just mashing away in an industrial park that I wasn't able to actually break the top tube of a CF frame in two and severely bend an alloy bar, and that was really a hallucination. After all, I'm not an Asian Tour pro, so I must not be able to stress a frame like that.

It only takes one, so this lowly amateur will still pay 1/3 the price for the product that's essentially the same weight and less likely to fail when it comes to road bars.

Bob Dopolina 

I certainly never said stuff doesn't break or that the hoi polloi is capable of or doesn't, in fact, break stuff on a regular basis as you clearly point out.

And yes, our cockpits are replaced after every season but we would replace alloy bars as well. Nothing different between the two in that regard but that's not really your point, is it? Is there something about the level at which I used to ride that bothers you? I'm certainly not there now but there are riders on my team who are and still do. So what.

Your point about the weight savings no longer being there and that alloy bars are 1/3 the price is completely valid and I did address this in my post. Here we agree. I listed the reasons why I think someone might choose carbon bars over alloy. I still think that applies.

Enjoy your alloy and I'll enjoy my carbon.

Bob Dopolina 

I gave it up for Lent and liked it so much I decided to keep it going.

king-tony

I'm glad I saw this thread. I'm going to get rid of that silly carbon fork and steerer.

Bob Dopolina 

I always reminds me of how it was Hincapie's alloy steerer that failed and not his carbon bars or fork...

DrPete 

Fair enough. Only thing I really took issue with was that we "wannabes" do actually break stuff too. You're right--a crashed alloy bar is going to get the same inspection from me as a crashed carbon bar, but I feel far more comfortable identifying damage to an alloy bar than I do carbon, and with the cost being lower I'll be more likely to do the right thing and replace a damaged bar. That's the big point from the CC snippet I posted--You can't assume that just because something is super-expensive that it's super durable. It's a fallacy that I'm sure shop owners see every day--"for what I paid for this, it should last forever."

Another thing I don't really agree with is the idea that the equipment decisions of pro teams don't matter to an amateur. If I'm looking for equipment that'll take a beating, I'm going to look for the stuff that's used by people who are much harder on their equipment than I am.

And at the end of the day, there's a lot more alloy in the peloton than carbon when it comes to bars. So either cost is more of an object than anyone believes or there's some reason most teams are still running alloy bars. Looking at the 5 pro bikes that pop up on cyclingnews.com this morning, 4 of them have alloy bars. All of the alloy bars come from companies that also offer carbon bars (Oval Concepts, Ritchey, and 3T). So if these are designed to be the flagships that sell bikes to all those wannabes, why do 1/5 of them have the "top-of-the-line" bar?

motorthings

i think the point of all of this is not that everyone should be riding on carbon bars, but simply that there are perfectly logical reasons for some people to use them, and that those reasons do not apply to everyone at any level (from freds to pros). i choose to run carbon bars, but that says nothing about the wisdom of anyone else's decision to use them or not. some reasons for not using either option are perfectly reasonable, and some are superstitious and unfounded. simply because carbon bars made by reputable companies are more expensive does not necessarily mean they are "top of the line", it simply means they are more expensive to manufacture, and they must make enough sense to enough people to justify offering them at a given price.

guessing at the reasons for x number of pros using one option or another is simply that, guessing. the waters of sponsorship, personal preference, mechanics preference, spare bikes, stage profiles, weight strategies, etc are generally far too murky to make any sense out of why a certain component is chosen over another one. even if we could know that, it probably wouldn't apply to us mortals anyway. that is why for me it simply comes down to what i like.

2ndGen

For me, race bike: Aluminum
Road bike: Carbon



But, I'd never use a carbon bike on a mountain bike.
The overwhelming majority of carbon bar failures seem to be on MTB's.

zigmeister

Interesting how the 3T lineup of bars have LTD, Team and Pro models. Every Pro model is aluminum.

My FSA SL-K compact bars are ok, but definitely "flexy" in the drops. It took me awhile to get used to it, and I am still not so sure about cranking on them in a sprint. Looking to move to aluminum likely, not just for the flexy issue, but also they are not comfortable at all in the drops. Compact seems like some nonsensical "trendy" idea that doesn't seem to work so well in real life for some people.

tanguy frame

Perfect timing on this thread! I was looking for new bars for my rebuild, just pulled the trigger on the 3T Ergonova Pro (Aluminum) $65 w/free shipping! I was looking for a wing style bar and got lost in the analysis of options. Thanks for all the comments!

Psimet2001 

Thank God that when it comes to all of the interfaces between rider and bike there are so many options. I'd hate to think that someone would ever really believe that one saddle would fit all, one shoe, one pair of shorts.....or one handlebar.....I think you get where I am going.


Personally I have found compact bars to be amazing. I am also not alone in that regard. I also realize there are some that are better it with deep drops. Some with Ergo drops, Some with classic bends......etc.....

2ndGen

Totally agree. The compact fit for me (by FSA) is perfect.
Handlebars are as personal as saddles or pedals or stem lengths.

halfspeed

I guess it's not common sense that parts designed for ultra-light weight might be less durable.

That's another fallacy. The usage scenarios for pros and amateurs are very different. While pros are harder on equipment, that equipment gets constant maintenance from full-time mechanics and it's significantly more expendable since it's covered by sponsorship dollars.

Bob Dopolina 

+1.

mugatu

https://velonews.competitor.com/2011/...ment/an-oddity

alloy bars, protour prototype bike