While searching for an upgrade for cockpit this season I’ve been horribly disappointed with the weight of the available aero bar setups. I’m currently riding an aluminum 3T ahero set up that is about 680g, not the best but it was what I could afford at the time. I want to move to a full one piece carbon setup for aero reasons but they are so heavy. Just a quick run down of what I’ve found so far.
3T Ventus 997g
3T Breeza II Team 527g
3T Breeza II LTD 428g (lightest Ive found)
Cinelli BAT 630g
Hed Vantage 590g
Sampson Stratics 740g
Easton Aeroforce/
Deltaforce combo 620g
Zipp Vuka 860g (and the most expensive)
HED Vantage 8 590g
Except for the Easton set, these are all on piece carbon units. The only one with an integrated stem is the 3T Ventus. Im trying to wrap my head around why aero bars are so heavy! I realize that to get the flat aero wing shape you need to reinforce the side extensions a lot but there is no call in having a 500g difference between some models. That wouldn’t fly so much in almost any other area of the bike so why does it seem overlooked here?
With cost aside, where is the line between aero and weight when it comes to the cockpit? Is the Ventus going to be that much faster than the Breeza II LTD? Is it going to be so aero that it makes up for being 569g heavier, over twice as heavy! I ride both road and tri and focus on winning Olympic distance but also race half and full irons for fun. Weight has always been a factor in builds for me but can someone please help me understand why the industry thinks triathletes don’t weigh things?
I’m strongly leaning toward the 3T Breeza II LTD right now. Has anyone here used it that could comment on their experience for or against?
I’m also open to other ideas, what is everyone using and why?
There is a lot to consider here…like you mentioned about the integrated stem on only one of those that you had listed. Now you need to take into account that the stem weight will be between 75g-165g depending if you’re using alloy/comp/alum/etc.
I’d look into the Vision TriMax Carbon SI. It has an integrated stem and total weight is ~735g.
The other thing to consider is that the integrated bars have little adjustments that can be made unless you get a straight extension. Sometimes a better route for more adjustability is to get a carbon base bar, then get the carbon clip on extensions (typically by the same manufacturer) that way you can cut off excess and reduce weight. Just my thoughts.
think about the % change in total bike + rider weight that 400 grams represents
now consider how that affects actual speed (not at all when flat, a little when uphill, makes you slower downhill)
as compared to the % change in total bike + rider drag that a good aerobar represents, and how that affects your speed (makes you slower every second of every ride every day!)
you can toss the weights into analytic cycling and do the math yourself. the answer is that small amounts of aero trump small amounts of weight.
If you have no spending limit. If I can save a few hundred dollars by getting a heavier aerobar (but not less aerodynamic), same with wheels, etc then I have enough money to go to the wind tunnel for a few hours and be significantly faster than if i just bought the most expensive lightest part that is of equal aero performance to the aluminum versions. If you have all the money in the world then just keep buying the lightest everything
Yes, its true that all else being equal, lighter is faster
But lets say you cut the weight of the bar in HALF, and made a 200 gram, aero bar.
You know that will save maybe less than a second on a flat course?
Only a couple seconds on a rolling hill course
Maybe a handful of seconds at savage man.
Which would be fine, but the aero bar also has to be able to handle the triathlete cranking on it when out of the saddle, for years and years, and never break.
Those thin, aero sections need to also be strong, which means more weight.
If they were large diameter round extensions they could be lighter. (compare S3 vs R3)
the answer is that small amounts of aero trump small amounts of weight.
Your point is valid, but isn’t it also logical that if you can have the same amount of aero, and carry less weight, you’d be better off?
400 grams is a lot of weight on a light weight bike, and it all adds up pretty quickly.
syntace C3 aero bar at 378 grams (large) plus the syntace CX basebar at 185 grams= 563 total. Get a negative (-30 degree) stem and you are set to go. Cost? I paid $278 total for mine.
A lot of this weight on integrated bars comes from the alloy forgings that are used as bonding plugs for many of the carbon sections. You can’t make the complete bars out of carbon (with integrated stems) easily so it’s generally most accepted to do an alloy forging in the center of the bar. Additionally, you need to clamp the extensions and this is usually done in alloy as well. So when you get to the end of it, you have carbon from halfway out the basebar into the bullshorns and in the extensions…not much lighter than an alloy clip-on with a carbon basebar.
I’ll also add that CEN testing is not easy to pass for a lot of these bars and has bulked the bars up a bunch (but made them very safe over the past few years).
I will agree with the people noting that the aero is worth more than the weight in almost every case, but frankly there are only a few aerobars on this list that are really freakin’ aero. The others are all in the same ballpark.
I empathize with this post, but as an OE spec-guy, I’ll specify the bar with the most adjustability. As an aftermarket consumer, I’ll ride the most aero bar I can ride given my position is fixed. I’m riding a Shiv, so you know what I’m riding…
How about 501g for bars, brake levers, AND shifters? Okay, not a “real” weight because these bars only use friction shifting, but still badass. This was version 1, v2 has just been finished and it’s 50% more badass. An experiment in staying clean/aero while still shaving weight.
