I’m building up a gravel bike and need to pick some bars. my frame is not aero, so i’d like to get some aero advantage with the bars, I also like a bit of flare, and “shock absorption” would be nice.
anyone have some bars they recommend??
I love my Enve Aero bars. I think the AR bars also have a flat top. The flat top is just so comfy.
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The Enve AR bars are my favorite. The flare on the drops is just right and I’m a big fan of the flat top. They’re very comfortable. Would be difficult for me to even try something else.
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I have the Zipp XPLR on my gravel bike. Not sure they will be as aero as you may be looking for but I find them extremely comfortable. The smaller amount of flare is just right for me as I am not a fan of the wider flare bars that you see on a lot of gravel bikes.
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I’m a fan of Salsa woodchipers in carbon. The flare is great for controlling the bike in chunk
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I don’t like gravel bars.
I prefer cereal bars or chocolate bars…
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@LocoTex @KevinKlaes do you have the Enve AR SES bars or the G Series Gravel bars on your gravel bike? I have the AR SES on my road bike and really like them. They have a small amount of flare, the flat top is nice, and my wrists appreciate the flat section in the drops (versus something that always has a curve) and extended bar ends. I’ve taken my road bike off road on some “Gucci” gravel and the ARs were fine. I’d probably want something with more flare like the G Series for rougher terrain, though.
You might want to consider the Lauf Smoothie. It isn’t aero but is reported to have a fair amount of damping. It can more easily take aero bars, though.
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Gravel Bike Handlebars | Flared Gravel Drop Bars – Redshift Sports I’ve been wanting to try these.
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I have the Enve Aero bars on my gravel bike.
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Yes, I use the Enve ARs on my gravel bike. I’ve also used them on a road bike and thought they were great there as well. I tested out some bars with a wider flare and I just didn’t think it was for me. The ARs felt like the much more comfortable option for a long day on gravel. I used them at Gravel Locos, Gravel Worlds and a few smaller events here in Texas and never thought of needing something different. Everyone is a little different tho and I can see that more flared bars might be good for some more technical gravel sections.
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@LocoTex @KevinKlaes do you use the same width on your gravel bike as your road bike, or did you go wider?
In my case I’m between a 40 and 42 cm on top and elected for 40 on my road bike. If I ever got a gravel bike I had been looking at the G Series, which the narrowest is 42 cm on top. This thread has me reconsidering getting another set of AR SES, but possibly in 42.
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+1 for Enve SES AR here. Nobody else has mentioned the fact that the shifter hood clamping section is straight and the flare doesn’t start til below that. A Shimano hood at a flared angle really hurts my hands, so I love that the Enve bars keep my hoods straight whilst still giving me flared drops.
Only strike against them in my book is they can’t take clip on TT bars.
Hoses run in a channel rather than fully internally routed, so you have to put bar tape on the tops to hide your cable routing. I’d tape the tops on my gravel bike anyway but I’m sure some will see that as a disadvantage.
(Additional maintenance advantage is you don’t have to cut the nuts off your brake hoses to remove them from the handlebar)
I’ve got 40s on my gravel bike but would probably put 38s on a road bike (my road bike has 38s but they are diff make/model)
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Not particularly aero, but I really like the Lauf Smoothie bars. Lauf Smoothie - Lauf Cycling - gravel bikes and lightweight suspension forks.
You don’t pay a premium for the logo, it doesn’t have outrageous amounts of flare but has a decent amount, and is comfortable and helps dampen vibration. I use the bars with a Lauf Grit SL fork on a ti frame, and it’s very comfortable. I’ve also had to have carpal tunnel surgery, probably after riding for decades sans gloves, so anything that helps the wrists is good for me.
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I did go a little wider on the gravel bike. I moved from a 42 cm to a 44cm. In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with the Enve AR bars.
I have the Enve Aero bars on my Melee and they’re great too. Wouldn’t concern me a bit to use those on a gravel bike either after seeing how thick they are built when I drilled them out so they’d fit on the Melee.
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I really like my Whisky Parts Co. Spano bars.
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I don’t like flared gravel bars… just regular road bars are great for me. I don’t feel like the flared bars offer any advantages for me.
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I’m just gonna raise my hand with the FSA AGX handlebars. Flared but not a lot, a slight forward sweep of the tops which is better for wrist angle and slightly “aero” which I happen to like aero bars. I bought a size wider(42cm) than my road bars(40cm) and I have been very pleased with both the feel and control offered on the tops as well as the drops. No notes.
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I had my eyes on FSA, I read that because of downward curve of the bars, the position on the hoods can feel too low (aggressive) do you notice this?
I’ve been running Coefficient AR bars for a year. 44 is a nice size for gravel. Really good shape and lots of different positions that feel good.
Add I. The Farr Areo Clipon Large for Unbound, RPI, and Gray Duck Grit. All of which have long straight stretches. To get a little aero in.
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