I’m close to pulling the trigger on a pair but have seen bits and pieces around saying that their alloy version (the Aeronova Pro) isn’t compatible with mechanical Shimano shifters, and am now unsure if that’s also true for these
I’m currently running an 11sp 105 groupset, and am hoping that somebody who has owned them/worked on them/a riding buddy that has them and can give a firm “yes” or “no” re: whether this version can be internally cabled with 5800 shifters.
This probably doesn’t help too much but…I’ve got these bars on my road bike and run Campagnolo mechanical without any probs at all. They were an after-market fit and have been recabled once since without any drama. Not shimano but mechanical nevertheless.
Hope someone gives you a definite answer.
Yes it will work but it’s a bitch to route, or at least that was my experience. Expect alot of cursing. Best chance of success is to first route the inner cables (maybe use some old ones that you don’t mind bending), and then let those guide the outer cables. But even then… I sold mine recently and I left the outer cables for the eventual buyer because I knew how annoying it would be. I did use standard housing, perhaps some of the more fancy housing like Nokon or Jagwire will be easier to route (I think they use a liner and then segmented housing, which should simplify things quite a bit)
I have a pair that I haven’t installed yet. I am planning to replace an ergonova team with them this winter when I recable. I can’t see why they wouldn’t be compatible with shimano shifters and I can’t imagine 3T would eliminate such a huge part of the market by making it incompatible. The internal routing may be more difficult that the ergonova since the cross section of the tops is so much narrower.
I have an aerotundo which is the same bar only with a different bend for the drops. If I remember correctly the bars came with cable guides. Either tape the outer cable to the guides or pass a used inner cable through them and afterwards use the inner cable as the guide.
The outer cable will never know if the derailleurs and the shifters are Shimano, Sram or Campagnolo even if you told them
I use this bar on a Di2 bike but see no reason that it can’t be used with mechanical. The bar ships with cable guides, two in each side, so the cable routing isn’t too bad if you use the guides. If you ever have to route cables without any guides it can be tedius/frustrating (I recall having to resort to tweezers to fish the cable out at the other end). As others mentioned it would be easier in that case to route the inner wires first and use those to guide the housing.
I really like the bar, BTW. The way the tops are shaped is particularly good for IAB.
Somewhat off topic but did those who switched to the aeronovas find they had to use a shorter stem? The specced reach for the aeronova is huge compared to the ergonova but I’ve read in a couple places online that the measurement location is different so the actual difference is reach is not that large.
The compatibility list is a bit random and often vague. For example, on Sigma Sport it says “Please note: The 3T Aeronova Pro Alloy Handlebar fits all Campagnolo groupsets, but not all Shimano and SRAM groupsets”
Others list the individual groupsets, but there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason.
The outer cable will never know if the derailleurs and the shifters are Shimano, Sram or Campagnolo even if you told them
The difference seems to be the position/angle that the cable(s) leave the shifter, and whether or not they mate well with the access ports on the bar
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And yeah, I was thinking that (IAB = Invisible Aerobars?) when I saw them. My current set up - ITM Alutech - doesn’t exactly spread the load on my forearms.
The reach is pretty extreme - something like 25mm more than my current bar.
Personally I’m happy with my current reach so plan to switch from a 120mm to a 100mm stem. I figure it should feel essentially the same
Edited because I said I was going to use a 100 metre stem :s
Thanks, I’ll look Nokon and Jagwire up.
Any specific models of cables in those brands that you think would work particularly well?
I think one is called I-links or something? I don’t know if they have multiple segmented offerings. I have no personal experience with these though, I’m a cheap bastard and don’t fancy paying $50 or more for cablehousing. And yeah, the reach of these is quite a bit more, but somehow to me they didn’t feel 20mm longer, I didn’t adjust my stem at all to be honest.
I just finished cabling one this weekend with Shimano 5800, and while kind of a pain in the ass, not much worse than any other bar with internal cable routing. I think a lot of the confusion comes from the Aeronova Pro, that you can see has a much small opening, which looks like it would make running shifters and brakes through very difficult unless running Di2. But it is a very nice bar and cabling will work.
Thanks, I’ll look Nokon and Jagwire up.
Any specific models of cables in those brands that you think would work particularly well?
The segmented housing Jagwire stuff is called Elite Link, and is a piece of cake to fit. The segments are designed to “grip” onto the liner, and not simply slide off and end up in a pile on the floor (like the Nokon stuff). This makes it a bazillion times easier!! On the down side, it costs a bazillion quid (or 50 quid each for the gear and brake kits, in the UK).
Looks good on the bike, though. And it is really good for tight radius turns if you are trying to manipulate the routing. The only thing I was worried about was whether it would rattle inside the bars, but I haven’t heard anything when they are under tension with the inner cable wired through (and I ride on some pretty shitty roads in West Yorkshire).
