Just got/installed Easton Attack TT bars.
Thought others might be interested in them.
The Easton Attack bars are pretty impressive; they are the lightest base/aero
bar combo available. They are also expensive – $500; but got 20% off at TriSport.
They are also less expensive than Oval, Zipp, and Hed comparables. They are very light (390
grams for the large; 360 is advertised). When I got them, I tried to install the
cables but was perplexed by the 90 degree bend for the brakes. I ended up taking
the bike to a shop; they were too busy and essentially refused to install the
cables. They were more concerned with the internal cable routing through the
frame, but they gave me some good tips. Turns out that the cables go all the way
through the bars and to the ends of the brakes/shifters (there are these flimsy
grommets that just broke off). I stuck a wire hanger down the downtube to route
the internal cables with some tape on the cable end; not that difficult.
How does it ride? The bars are surprisingly comfortable, even though they are
only 38 cm wide. They are very stiff and the whole bike now feels as if it is
one piece. It would be great if the base bar could move independent of the
aero extensions, but it can’t. The base bar would be better if canted upward a
few degrees; this would make descending better. Speaking of descending; there
isn’t much travel with the brake levers; you have to dial in the brakes at super
close tolerances to get good braking. The angle of the bar limits the brake
lever travel; you can easily squeeze up all of it. The brakes seem to be a bit
further out than a road bike setup, so you stretch a bit. On a long descent, my
hands were getting tired. Standing out of the saddle is ok; there is a bit of a
wobbly feel because your hands are far forward. The bends in the aerobar are ok;
wish they were s-bends. Also, they come in 3 sizes. I have the large and it isn’t that big. I am 5’ 11’’ and they
are about right for me. If you are a lot taller, these are probably too short.
The pads have very little cushion and don’t feel great; I emailed Cee Gees
and they just added replacement pads for $19.95.
On the flats,
though, the bars are awesome. I tucked in behind a motorcycle and was able to
hold 35-37 mph for a glorious stretch.
In sum, the bars are made for going fast and flat. They are surprisingly
comfortable when climbing; the 90 degree bend is very comfortable for your palms
and riding on the pads isn’t bad. In the bars, they are feel secure and aero.
Out of the saddle is ok once you get used to the somewhat wobbly feel. The only
detraction is descending; the small clearance between the brakes and the bars
requires extra attention with finger/hand placement and there isn’t much travel
for the brake levers
Here’s what they look like on my Scott Plasma-it’s just under 16 pounds. That FSA TT chainring adds 120 grams-but it is very stiff.
great looking ride and nice review. I’d look into some other brake levers…those QS2s don’t have a lot of travel to begin with. Check the Cane Creek, Vision, or the new SRAMs…you’ll lose a few more grams as a bonus.
Thanks for the great review. You just confirmed that I made the right choice. I just installed Attack TT on my bike. Bars are awesome - light, strong, very simple and coold design. Profile brakes with internal cable routing fit perfect. Don’t give up Profile brake. The only other brakes I would concider is the carbon version - see pictures.
Good review, thanks. I have a pair on the way, you confirmed that I made the correct choice. I’ll be using Bontrager brake levers rather than the profiles, though.
look at easy rider’s pics…the QSC levers have almost twice the travel as the QS2. Since the lever travel seems to be the only problem you have, it looks like a switch will make things right. I’d get out and look around at brake levers. I removed my QS2s a while back for the same reason (and I even had them on Profile bars).
I have been looking for a pair of used Easton Attack TT’s for a long time but was looking for a medium. I am 5’10" tall but with shorter arms so I was thinking the mediums. You are only 1" taller than me and using the larges? I might have to rethink the size I need. I still think the medium is the way to go but it is always nice to hear from others.
The set up looks amazing. Great weight on the bike and by the looks of it great set up.
Thanks for the review and now I might even look at buying them new. I was just hoping that someone would have bought a pair and that it did not work for them.
I am currently using the following set up which is a poor mans version of the Attack TT. The weight on this basebar/aerobar set up is 510g and could be a bit less if I cut the upturn off of the Easton Delta force bar but I do not want to do that for resale reasons if I do get the Attack TT. The other nice thing about this is that I have the option to run S-bend or single bend.
Awesome! What a relief; I really like the Profile brakes because they have a return spring. The Zero Gravity brakes are a little finicky and work better when complemented with a return spring.
So cool that you have the same bars and thanks a ton for the picture of your levers on them. This will make descending a lot better!
And here’s the cable routing from below:
Bars look awesome…I’ve been thinking about the DeltaForce basebar because I’d love to get a little bit of drop compared to the totally flat VisionTech basebar. Not sure I could handle $500 for a set of bars that wouldn’t be a substantial time or weight improvement.
The attack tt’s are cuttable (says so on the box), so I’d get the large size to be on the safe side.
This being said, though lighter, your set up is pretty sweet. Looks like Hed aero’s (i had those prior) and the base bar looks like it’s pretty comfortable for all around use.
What IS “better” about the Attack TT’s is they are rock solid b/c they are essentially one piece, and of course they are sick light.
Awesome! What a relief; I really like the Profile brakes because they have a return spring. The Zero Gravity brakes are a little finicky and work better when complemented with a return spring.
So cool that you have the same bars and thanks a ton for the picture of your levers on them. This will make descending a lot better!
You just need to remove the washers inside the QS2 Levers behind the allen bolt. It’s Profile’s simple way of having “adjustable reach” The levers usually come stock with 3 or 4 washers.
I tried the Attack TT’s in the shop. I agree with most of the comments above - stiff, light, etc. BUT I thought the elbow pads were not sufficient.
I even went through the trouble of having custom brackets made to work with Profile pads. They match the spacer shape perfectly and blend right in. Even after that I still could not get comfortable and gave them to my brother. He never used them and is now Ebaying them. Not trying to make this a commercial but thought people may be interested in the spacer.
Seems to me to be a middling review with some downsides. I am in the market for a new bar and based on your comments I think I’d pass on the Easton. Living in the Seattle area means lots of climbing, including steep out of the saddle stuff and some fast descents.
Your set-up looks nice though and I like the cable routing.
