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Any pointers, anywhere cheapish?
Aliexpress. Try flyxii or yushin for starters but any seller with a top rating will do. The former will do there own brand bars and the latter will sell copies. I have had the copies before in the past with no issues what so ever. Just make sure they are a trusted seller.
I know someone that has a set of [url= http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Newest-road-bike-full-carbon-fiber-Handlebar-carbon-bicycle-Handlebar-31-8-400-420-440-carbon/1054431200.html ]These[/url] - nice and light (although not as light as claimed - 210g 😯 ) and less than £30! also hexinyi is a relatively "trusted" seller
Farsports have been good in my dealings with them.
http://www.wheelsfar.com/accessories/handle-bar-fsd08-320.html
Miracle or Ican on aliexpress are one of the good companys to deal with.
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/409931
Are these the same Zipp that merlin and ribble are selling for shed loads more?!!!! (or the Chinese ones 'Zipp' copies?). Just seems like imported here then whacked up on price.
They're hookie copies. Whether they are fit for the purpose is another matter tho
Well the Zipp version weighs 190g, the one in the link weighs 280g - so I would guess its not the same product.
Are these the same Zipp that merlin and ribble are selling for shed loads more?!!!! (or the Chinese ones 'Zipp' copies?). Just seems like imported here then whacked up on price.
If you have to ask, are you sure you are ready for the direct chinese import approach 🙂
Hmmmm some of the reviews are suspect. Excellent! and another Excellent then Excellent!
I had a set of very cheap Bontrager RXL branded bars off ebay about 5 months ago, they have now just cracked. I suspect if they were proper Bontrager bars they would not have.
I took the leap a while ago of buying proper branded carbon bars for my road bike as I think the risk in this area is just too high if you suffered a failure.
I took the leap a while ago of buying proper branded carbon bars for my road bike as I think the risk in this area is just too high if you suffered a failure.
Hmmm good point. I have Easton Havoc carbon bars on my mountain bike and trust doesn't even need to be thought about.
Where though for decent 44cm width branded bars? Its alu-wrap or £100>
Do they need to be carbon? Even the Pro's usualy opt for alu as they prefer the alu bars and don't need to save weight, bar's dont save much anyway. And a nicely butted alu bar will be comfortable anyway, and different brands butt them in different ways, some have very flexy hoods/drops, others dont, etc.
Shape's more important than weight, find some you like the shape of and just buy a nice alu version. My preferance is Ritchey EvoCurve's.
Do they need to be carbon?
This ^^^
Shape's more important than weight
And most definitely this ^^^
Only slightly relevant but my friend popped round on his Chinese Pinarello copy. Totally made with Chinese carbon bits and it came in at 15.9 lb with pedals,computer and cages.
I was impressed.
I got these in 440 width. Alu but crazy light.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/zipp/service-course-sl-short-shallow-bar-ec028688
I wouldn't trust branded items from Aliexpress - they'll be copies. Go with the products on there where the manufacturer isn't trying to pretend it's something it's not.
Wondering what bars you got at the moment and what is it you want to change about them?
[i]Where though for decent 44cm width branded bars? Its alu-wrap or £100>[/i]
So you're saying you want aluminum with a carbon wrap? Why's that.
Plenty of decent aluminum bars - Ritchey, Zipp, FSA on my road bikes and they're all fine. 3T bars have a 65g difference between ali and carbon so no big deal.
Although I do fancy a change to 3t for no other reason than they would match forks brand wise.
No I'm saying its all alu wrap or you have to pay over £100 for decent carbon.
I want comfort and flex/vibration absorption etc. Weight is secondary.
I wouldn't trust branded items from Aliexpress - they'll be copies. Go with the products on there where the manufacturer isn't trying to pretend it's something it's not.
A million times this!
FWIW I've got some (real) Bontrager Race X Lite Carbon bars and don't really notice any vibration damping.
I've a lovely set of hylix carbon bars(integrated cable routing) brand new unused check my profile for link ..
Lovely bars I have non integrated ones on way
£45 posted uk
Save yourself a 3 week wait and gamble of customs charges 😉
Will do
I want comfort and flex/vibration absorption etc. Weight is secondary.
Just get some better/thicker bar tape with maybe some gel pads (e.g. [url= http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/ftb/gripstape/handlebar-tape/swrap-roubaix-tape ]this[/url] or [url= http://www.fizik.com/accessories/bar-tapes/bar-kit/ ]this[/url].)
I toyed with getting some China specials but couldn't bring myself to do it, too paranoid about quality. I'm aware that many already on here will swear blind that there's nothing to worry about, but we all have out limits!
In the end I got some (genuine!) FSA carbon bars from CRC, reduced to around £70/£80 from far more, which are doing very nicely so far!
No I'm saying its all alu wrap or you have to pay over £100 for decent carbon.I want comfort and flex/vibration absorption etc. Weight is secondary.
If carbon bars made a noticeable difference the pros would be using them. Just get better tape and run bigger tyres.
[i]I got these in 440 width. Alu but crazy light.[/i]
That's not crazy light.
And if this is for the new PX then haven't you only had it a week or two? Ride it a bit, get use to it, before you start chopping and changing parts.
Unless the shape is wrong for you I wouldn't start swapping bars in search of comfort. If it's just a bit of road buzz then just get something like [url= http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/ftb/gripstape/handlebar-tape/body-geometry-bar-phat ]this[/url]. (I'm also tempted to suggest that you probably have too much weight on your hands.)
21st May- I've ridden it almost daily since. Even when I went to London for my birthday it.....came too 8) so unlike a lot of fashion roadcyclists, I'm riding more than them and finding bits that I like, bits that I don't like and adjust quicker..
The hotel room... 
[img] 
[/img]
Mrs Hora must be very understanding 🙂
Or keen to get rid of him for a couple of hours 😉
Carbon forks(which you already have) and decent bar tape will reduce most of the buzz.
As others have said the shapes more important ,I dont get on with the ergo/Anatomic stuff prefer the traditional round drops but in a compact shape.
Running Deda RHM 02 in gloss white on mine at the mo,reasonably light and dirt cheap so Ideal for trying out, also using some Bontrager Gel bar tape which is pretty good to.
Find what shape you like before you splash on carbon, I learned that the hard way.
For me carbon is worth the outlay (if discounted) for the damping and the rock solid feel, the weight saving is a bonus if there is any.
And carbon handlebars are one area where I'd prefer to go with a trusted brand.
I got some Hylix carbon bars for about £55 off Ebay (imported from China). I've also since bought some genuine Easton EC90 bars which weren't much more than £100 from Merlin.
Deda make some pretty light alu bars. My stock Genesis bars are lighter than the Zipp Service Course ones. How is 280g light for a handlebar??
Carbon bars are nudging 200g, so its a comparable weight saving to alu vs carbon for mtb bars surely?
USE make a really nice set of carbon road bars. The 44cm width are under 200g and have a lovely shape and neat cable routing features.
I've had a set for years and not a bad thing I can say about them.
[quote=mtbtomo ]Carbon bars are nudging 200g, so its a comparable weight saving to alu vs carbon for mtb bars surely?
Not compared to the 3T Prima 199 alu ones on my roadie (I'll let you work out for yourself how much they weigh - can't be bothered digging out my build spreadsheet to check exact weight, but I know they were very close to claimed). If it's comfort and flex you're after then doubtless those are more flexy than a carbon bar, which might be an issue for some, though I certainly don't find it a problem - the only real advantage of carbon roadie bars is actually stiffness.
I should point out that I'm a carbon whore, with a lot of other carbon bits on all my bikes (I've had carbon framed roadies since '97) so it's not some anti-carbon thing, just that they don't really make VFM sense (I have to admit I also have KCNC alu bars on my MTB having spent too much replacing broken carbon ones).
aracer - but surely the 3T prima's are an exception to the rule and they presumably aren't cheap. Are they 25.4dia or 31.8? The only ones I can find for sale seem to be 25.4dia?
Definitely an exception. ITM 'The Bar' was pretty light at 220g, but plenty of carbon bars are going <180g. Not necessarily cost effective weight saving, more of interest if you want funky aero profiles and what not.
These are the ones i bought in the end, nice balance between stiffness and comfort. Had some bontranger Race-X-Lite carbons before them and hated them, they were both too flexy and a really horrible shape (tiny drops with really tight curves). Considering the carbon version is £150 more they're a bargain (unless £3 per gram saved is important).
Easton EC90SL from Merlin.
£100
I use these and love the shape. Comfy and light too, stiff as well
Not that expensive - less than half the price of carbon ones at a similar weight, though it appears they've now been discontinued and 3T only doing carbon bars. Should be 26.0 rather than 25.4 (though IIRC my current set are actually 25.8), so as everything's changed to 31.8 while I wasn't looking you'd also be going NOS for a decent stem (must remember to stock up myself as I feel no need at all for 31.8)
Nothing else as light, but a few other <220g options I think. OK so carbon are lighter if they're coming in at ~180g, but it's an expensive weight saving.
Think I'll stick with branded. Merlin aint 100 anymore 🙁
Jesus I thought this was a joke,
Cheap carbon road bars? Copies? Do you know what happens if your bars snap?! CERTAIN DEATH!
Stop being ridiculous and buy some deda/3t Alu ones. Go to a shop and try the different shapes (shallow, classic, anatomical) and widths and find the one you like.
JUST STOP IT! NOW!!!!
Edit: imagine if a kid reads this and you put these dirty horrible disastrous deathly ideas in his head!!!!!
Yes- see my post(s) above? 😉
I've got Easton carbon Havocs and I wouldn't chinese bars to my mountain bike.
Have you had a fitting session on your bike?? Might be worth giving it a go before you start changing bars and saddle etc.........
I've raised the bars/rotated the hoods. The only thing I wasn't happy with was the saddle. Now sorted..
I just like the look of carbon bars 😉
I find carbon bars are a revelation. The reason is not weight but comfort. Mine have 0.25cm of flex on the drops and that means I can ride all day with thin 2mm tape and no padding in my gloves. Since I have small hands that makes the bars more comfortable. The pros like the increased rigidity of alloy. I can see the attraction of cheap chinese bars to try, but I ride Giant and Ritchey WCS and don't give it a moments thought. Forget carbon stems, no benefit.
I don't recommend rotating the bars to bring the hoods closer, a shorter stem is a better way forward.
TiRed which bars did you go with?
Ritchey WCS Streem for the race bike and OEM Giant Contact bars on the nice bike. Both in 42cm.
The Streems are a lovely shape (I have alloy ones on the commuter too), but discontinued. I suspect that the cheap chinese bars are overbuilt (based on weight) and won't flex as much as a nice pair of 200g bars that cost £200.
Personally, I think it is money well spent, but others can disagree. You may hate the slight flex, but I don't. If yu want to dabble, look for a used pair.
Hora, if it's comfort you want get some nice tyres such as vittoria open corsa, challenge strada or schwalbe ultremo ZX in 25mm width rather than carbon bars. It will make a difference to the rolling resistance too.
Alternatively, MTFU! Those Planet-Xs are made of a cheese/carbon composite, I can't believe anyone would be after more flex....