I’ve been riding my Bianchi Oltre a lot over the pandemic, over my Felt TT. Road bikes are just a lot more comfy (shocker).
This past week I upgraded to carbon wheels --after 15+ seasons of training & racing, I’ve never had “real” wheels. I’ve always just kept the stock ones. But a guy on my team owns an LBS and had a pair of Easton EA90 Aero 55s --new, that someone no longer wanted, so I got them for a song.
I’ve always been told carbon wheels would be faster, better overall, I see so many people with them but wondered how much of that was hype and that they just look cooler.
But wow, I’m REALLY impressed with these: definitely faster, stiffer, more comfortable, more reactive, a lot lighter (400g lighter than my fulcrums), they handle better, and yeah they do look cooler (sound cooler too). But yeah, it’s not hype.
I’m now thinking of rounding out the upgrades with aero / carbon handlebars.
–I looked at the Easton EC 90s (match my wheels) but I thought I’d jump on here to see what ST recommends.
The Vision Metron look promising. Black inc has a sick set. What should I look for -they need to work with my D12.
I can’t find it right now, but thought saw somewhere before that watts saved for going from a full round bar setup with lots of handlebar tape and no hidden cables to a “good” aerobar and stem combo with tape ending just after the hoods “bare tops” was almost on par with a savings of an aero wheelset.
I have the Easton EC70s aero handlebar and am very happy with it. Not sure what the difference between that and the 90 is other than it’s a touch heavier.
I can’t find it right now, but thought saw somewhere before that watts saved for going from a full round bar setup with lots of handlebar tape and no hidden cables to a “good” aerobar and stem combo with tape ending just after the hoods “bare tops” was almost on par with a savings of an aero wheelset.
Maybe I’m wrong, but thought I had heard that.
I heard the same thing from an interview with the Specialized guy who does the “Win Tunnel†videos.
Like the OP, I’ve mainly been riding my road bike since COVID, most recently with a Bianchi Infinito CV that I bought a few weeks ago. Stunning bike, very comfortable, and a great complement to my Cervelo S Series aero road bike, which has a much more aggressive fit.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/324294663881
+1 on the knockoffs. I’ve bought 2 from Aliexpress of this exact design. The exact model I bought is no longer available (changed to this model), but I wouldn’t hesitate to go the same route again. Got some 400mm for Summer’s roadie and 420mm for my own. They’re sturdy and look great.
I have these, not installed yet (currently have the S-works Aerofly II)
The Sacra can be installed with bar tape and comes with bar plugs. They are very stiff and very light. I got the widest option and they are just 209g. FYI, the company closed, but if you message them on Facebook they will still sell you one since they have stock.
Note, they have a 100mm drop, which is likely less than any other bar you’ll find.
OP, the EC90 is really nice and there are always bonus points for matching. I would recommend the EC90, Sacra, or S-Works for non-integrated. If you are considering integrated, then Vision is a nice option. Farsport F1 may be the best bang for the buck, for integrated. Lighter than Vision, Black Inc, and others, while also being cheaper.
If someone recommends Chinese knockoffs, what I hear is “I dont wear a seat belt and I haven’t died yet.” For such a critical critical component I’d prefer to be 99.99% sure I won’t break my teeth instead of 95% sure.
I have used a few different aero bars over the past five years and I have been very impressed with Enve aero bars. I used them with Di2 and they worked great for routing. Highly recommend.
I was referring to the actual Easton ones. Not the Chinese knock offs
Sorry for the confusion.
Also, lots of great advice here to work my way though. Thanks everyone!
And for someone who asked about the wheels -I’m a believer. They’re definitely faster. No regrets buying them so far. (Though they are tubular so I’ve got to figure out how to deal with that before I NEED to deal with that!)
EC90 is also a Chinese brand of bicycle components.
I did mention “matching” in response to OP having Easton wheels. Also, if I was referring to the knockoff then the last part of my comment wouldn’t make sense either.
