I have a 36x100 EXS Aerover and I am lovin' it. I have around 2,000 Km on it. I don't notice the flat section in the drops since I use a thick bar tape. I will change the bar tape in 2-3 months for the summer and see if I notice it or not. The flare in the drops is also pretty useful for me when in crosswinds. I've never found the 36's twitchy or uncomfortable, if anything sometimes I will think they are still a little bit too wide (and I have the hoods tilted a little bit, not aggressively as a tried and caused pain in my wrists) but that is just my position. I was considering going for the Roval 38x900 but I am unsure on losing stability with a shorter stem and probably find out that 36 is better for me than 38.OtterSpace wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2024 7:32 amQuoting my earlier posting for reference. I have over 1000 miles on them now and thought I'd loop back to add some feedback.OtterSpace wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 12:58 amI received my bars on Friday and now have around 50 miles on them so I'll only cover some first impressions not covered by others yet.
Overall I like the bars and would purchase them again so far. The inside of the bars are very clean compared to other carbon bars that I have used for extended periods (Zipp sl70 aero, Haero Carbon H.380, Darimo Ellipse).
Something not yet covered by others, as far as I can tell, and not directly spoken to in EXS marketing is that the inner face of the drops have a flat surface. I use very thin tesa tape as handlebar tape so these flat surfaces are very noticeable when riding in the drops. However, if you have thicker tape these flats are likely smoothed over to a degree. Although this feature is very noticable when riding I am not sure if I like it or not yet. The flat allows you to kind of wedge against the bar more (good) but the transistion from flat to round is fairly noticable with an abrupt chamfer (bad). Given that EXS does not advertise this flat section I am not sure why they implemented this feature it could be for more strength, easier manufacturing, better aero, easier shifter install etc. I'll report back how I like this feature after more riding time. Thankfully if I eventually don't like this flat feature there likely are simple options to fill and transistion this space while adding more comfort.
The handlebars come with plugs for the routing holes on the bar to use if you don't plan to route through those holes. However, I found that a 3/4 inch round vinyl wrap feels better as it doesn't protrude like the included plugs do and the wrap is large enough to remain adhered to the non flat surface.
Weight and stock covers:
I orderd the Ti garmin + gopro mount. No specific fixing blots were included for it so I used the shorter bolts from the normal outfront mount which are much longer than needed but can fully screw in and attach the Ti mount. The photo below shows how much extra bolt length there is for each of these screws. Edit: EXS reached out and said they have short screws for the Ti mount but they forgot to include them and will ship them out to me shortly which is great customer support.
Additionally after lightly attaching the Ti mount to the handlebar I could tell it wasn't 100% flush (basically it is very close but not perfect) and would lightly mark the carbon surface where it connected in likely a cosmetic and not structural way. Because of this I cut another vinyl wrap sticker out of 3M 2080 gloss black G12 to cover where the metal mount connects to the bars which can be seen in the photo below to help mittigate any extremely rare chance of the Ti mount causing compressive problems with the carbon bars:
Lastly for my headset spacers no 10mm or 15mm spacers were included only 5x5mm spacers, the top bearing cover for my bike, and the required 10mm transition adapter to the EXS handlebar.
All minor points but worth feeding back to the community and EXS. In comparing this handlebar to the Roval bar fit and finish, like for example the flushness of the top cap and bolt, overall I would say EXS is ahead of others in final fit and availability of spacers to fit a wide range of bikes but there are minor details they can improve as they continue to scale up with the success they likely are experiencing.
Regarding the flat molding on the bar highlighted in the quote: I've come to slightly prefer the shape (picture below) and dont think about this shape much anymore and have adapted well. While I prefer the flat slightly I wouldn't seek out this shape in the future when purchasing another handlebar. Also most people won't notice it from using thicker handlebar tape.
flat.jpg
With more time on the bars I've really come to appreciate the flare for a few reasons. Initially I liked it for the wider drop position which is nice for descending. However, for that alone I wouldnt seek out a handlebar. With more time riding I've found that it is more comfortable, and clearly more aero, to move the shifters inwards to follow the flair which I consider a win/win. I don't think I'll purchase a handlebar without flare again.
Overall I still dont see a better option on the market right now that has a balanced approach yet hits broad compatibility, looks good, and is generally aligned with industry trends towards narrow, flaired, and one part (barstem). Really my only hope is that they push the market more in future products but I understand that buyers like me want something before the broader market is ready to buy in volume to recoup design cost so I generally go to whatever vendor is at the leading edge and taking those risks.
With that said I'm in the market for another handlebar. However, I'm only 50/50 if I'll go Aerover. They go down to 36cm (which I require), I like the flare, the 1 part shape, and the integration they offer many bikes, and highly recommend it compared to other similar options, so why not buy 100% buy Aerover again?
Handlebars are evolving quickly and I want narrower, more flare, and am willing to accept 2 part if needed for a few years until the volume market catches up. The market is evolving quickly, along with the UCI rules, but I feel the pull to go narrower. I've been on 38cm since 2014 and 36cm since 2020 and have always felt more comfortable and faster as I go narrower.
EXS if you are listening please make a narrower bar. Tons of people seek out the 36cm already because Specialized and others don't offer it but I understand the risk. The narrower sizes tend to sell out quicker so I feel like there already is a market for the same bar in a narrower width.
However I might roll the dice on even narrower bars with more flare for my next purchase.
The only thing I don't like are the rubber covers in the bottom part of the handlebars. They protrude and look awkward. The other thing I found weird is that the grip in the section where the hoods are clamped was very slippery at 5N.
I love this cockpit. I don't think there is anything close in terms of quality to be honest. I just got bored of the super aero/stiff looks and I would like a cockpit a little with a 'rounder stem' like the Cadex IC that will fit more the top tube shape of my SL8. But I won't invest in the Cadex so I think I will keep the EXS for the season.
