I’m anxiously awaiting arrival of the new Shimano Ultegra 12 speed groupset so that a Parlee RZ7 bike build can be competed. My riding buddy ordered the same bike with SRAM and he is ready to go. One item we want to improve is the stock Parlee handlebar. I bike screams for the need of a true aero set of handlebars. Unfortunately Parlee has not been able to produce a gen 2 bar worthy of matching the rest of the bike.
Issue No. 1: The Parlee stem is designed for a 35mm diameter handlebar. There are aluminum spacers out there for a 31.8mm to 35mm diameter conversion from the BMX world. Anyone have experience with these positive or negative?
Issue No. 2: We need a small slot in the center of the handlebars to route the brake cables through. There are some nice bars out there. The Specialized Rapide and ENVE Aero are examples. But they do not come with a slot. Strangely the ENVE SES AR Road does have a slot; but it’s not really aero enough. The PRO Vibe Aero may be an option ($$$).
A small slot could be milled into the Rapide and ENVE Aero; but questionable if that automatically voids any support. I could argue that a carbon cylinder with an aluminum spacer is equal to or stronger than the same carbon cylinder alone. Also the slot would be along somewhat of a neutral axis and have less stresses applied than at the outsides of the stem/handlebar contact area.
Another thought is to do an experiment and buy a ~$50 RXL (Chinese) bar on Amazon and then get a $36 carbon fiber starter kit and wrap the center section to the 35mm diameter. Or use “as is” and use with the aluminum spacers and mill a slot. The ~$85 dollar experiment is appealing on the price vs. the PRO $420 price tag!
I’m not a racer by any means. I’m 64 and just trying to hang with the youngsters a little longer. I’m thinking if I ever broke a bar it would be due to a significant crash (Yikees!). The photos show the stem along with some 3D printed spacers I printed. The full cylinder shows how much space we are talking about (1.6mm wall thickness). The split design is similar to aluminum spacers out in the marketplace. Interested in other’s thoughts and experiences. Thx!
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