I’m planning on buying some carbon drop bars for one of my road bikes. Noticed that Easton does not recommend the use of aero bars with their EC90 bars. I have Profile Jammer GT’s for this road bike and want some carbon bars that are compatible.
Just curious-why aren’t aero bars compatible with this bar. Any recommendations for an aero bar compatible carbon drop bar?
They do not want people bolting things to the carbon,i have seen a aluminum bar distorted by bolting aerobars on.
Kestrel sells a carbon bar that accepts aerobars.
The problem is: (1) if you over tighten the bolts, you can crack the carbon and (2) if you put a stress on the bar that they were not designed for, you could potentially crack the carbon. I think it’s a liability thing. I used to have carbon bars on my road bike - great for hilly, long races. But when I wanted to put on speedbars (UCI legal aerobars), my LBS said NFW. So I didn’t. Wound up putting my old Deda Newtons back on the bike. So, actually - I have an extra EC90 42 c-c bar collecting dust - if you want it cheap, drop me an email, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you are planning on putting aerobars on it. I have some other light handlebars (aluminum - which you can clip whatever you want to) if that’s what you’re looking for as well.
Sorry to make this a FS post.
The carbon bars that accept aerobars most likely have a support shim inside the bars which reinforce the area the clip-ons would attach to.
“The carbon bars that accept aerobars most likely have a support shim inside the bars which reinforce the area the clip-ons would attach to.”
And once you add that reinforcement you end up with a weight comparable to an aluminum bar. Some people will claim that the carbon offers a vibration damping component, but other who have used carbon bars do not find this to be the case.
“And once you add that reinforcement you end up with a weigth comparable to an aluminum bar. Some people will claim that the carbon” “offers a vibration damping component but other who have used carbon bars do not find this to be the case.”
The easton is actually a very comfortable bar. Has great ergonomics (well, for me anyway)… And the weight thing, while I haven’t confirmed, I suspect…
A roadie who rides out of my LBS had a set of Easton carbon bars on his bike, and he bolted a set of clip ons to the bar. He didn’t know he wasn’t supposed to do that, and one side of the bars broke where the aerobars were bolted on. This happened on a group ride. Thankfully, the bar tape held the bar in place and he was able to get back to the car before the whole thing gave way. So it is a very bad idea to slap clip ons to a carbon bar.
RP
Every man knows reading directions and instructions makes your testes shrink, but when it comes to lightweight bike parts I think it’s worth the risk.
I would be interested in the bars, you can drop an email at goneinablur@theraces.com
Thanks
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You can either pay $400 USD for a pair of Schmolke carbon bars that will accept aero bars, or plunk down considerably less and get Kestrel’s lower-end carbon bars. I have clipped on several pair of aero bars onto them for hundreds of miles with no problem. They only weigh something like 180 gr in a 38mm width.
I wouldn’t recommend easton carbon bars. I tried them and didn’t find they where any better that aluminum alloy ones. In fact I went back to the alloy ones. Simply put IMHO they are not worth it!