Originally Posted by
goldfilm
Thank you. I’ve seen very few bikes with carbon bars under 3K or even 4K. But I’ll ask about upgrade options… D-Fuse vs IsoSpeed vs FutureShock seem to be similar with their own pros and cons, but general consensus seems to be “tires, tires, tires”
Now, main issue now is availability. Not sure if it’s related to the pandemic effect or the time of the year, but none of the popular brands have medium sizes in stock.
I think FutureShock stands out above all the other front end systems with something like 20 mm of actual damped travel. At least the higher-end version is damped. Whether you actually need it or not is another matter - but it is going to give you the plushest feeling front end on the market. I think the rear ends of all modern carbon endurance bikes are pretty comfortable. As with carbon bars, I think carbon seatposts add significant comfort, especially when well exposed.
Yes tires are king for comfort, but pretty much all modern endurance bikes should accommodate at least 32 mm wide rubber (and some considerably more).