What style of handlebars for gravel

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Miller
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by Miller

I have a new frame to build up and, ignoring wider concerns of family, work and world, handlebar selection is a concern.

Should I go wider than the bars on my road bike? Should a gravel bar have a shallow drop with flare? I am liking the look of the Easton EC70 AX but what really works for mixed terrain and is it really different from road?

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cerro
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by cerro

Have tried the flared handlebar that came with a Specialized Sequoia but wasn't for me. Shallow bend and just a couple of centimeter of flare i my favorite. Like the Specialized S-Works Shallow women handlebar, or 3T Ergonova

NickJHP
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Location: Canberra, Australia

by NickJHP

I really like the shape of the Syntace Racelite handlebars. They have 2° of flare and 6° of sweep, and I find the drops very comfortable. I have them on both road and gravel bikes. They're available in either aluminium or carbon, and in widths up to 46cm, which is the width I use. In fact, bike-components.de have the 46cm wide ones in carbon on closeout at the moment for €75, which is less than 1/3 normal price: https://www.bike-components.de/en/Synta ... ut-p11896/

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Miller
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by Miller

Good pointer, thanks, I love deals on carbon bars. That drop looks quite deep?

jemima
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by jemima

Comes down to what you like the feel of.

Another slight-flare fan here: Satori X-Race Aero. The carbon bar is a good price.
Curve Grovel ti.

Carcinogent
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Location: France

by Carcinogent

Imo if you are happy with what is on your road bike, do not deviate much from it. If you are not happy, well...feel free to experiment.=) Alloy is cheaper than carbon if you are unsure what you want.

Gravel ain't MTB so not much different than road bike.

My 2 cents.

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wheelsONfire
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by wheelsONfire

Easiest way to determine that is also the costliest, trial and error.
I've tried both a few standard and two 12 degree flare (medium flare) and one high flare (not my cup of tea).
I am not done yet on what i prefer.
I think it's really individual if you like a wider, no flare or medium or wide.
On the high flare version shifters risk to be angled very much.
My next would probably be a 44cm version and on road (and up to now on gravel) i have used 42cm.
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

vinuneuro
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by vinuneuro

Easton and Zipp are a couple with a few degrees of flare. Many of the 'adventure' ones are too extreme with the flare imo.
2016 Diverge Expert

morganb
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by morganb

I really like the EC70AX shape, and I hated the earlier flared drops that I rode, like the Cowbell and such. I run 38-40 c-c bars on my road bikes and have 40s on this, but they measure 46 at the drops I believe. Despite the wide drops I ride in them a lot because they are so shallow that the position isn't much more aggressive. Its great for off road stuff when I jump onto single track but the hoods feel like normal road position.

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mattyNor
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by mattyNor

I just changed from a 40 Thomson KFC bar to a 42 Easton EC70-ax and it's a word of difference, highly recommend some kind of flaired bar!!

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menkar
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2010 5:23 am

by menkar

I recently put 44cm Easton EC70 AX on my new gravel bike. In-the-drops riding on smooth roads feels wide and non-areo while on the hoods they feel like normal road bars.
My reason for keeping them is for fast sketchy off-road descents. The feeling of control is confidence inspiring, I'm significantly faster while feeling very secure.
The brake lever angle is not really noticeable and certainly not bothersome.

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Miller
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by Miller

Found some more options, does anyone have views on 3T Ergoterra, Ritchey WCS Evomax?
Or is simpler and just as effective to pick a favourite road bar and add a few cm of width?

Marin
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Location: Vienna Austria

by Marin

What are the narrowest flared bars? Ideally I'd want 36 or 38 but with gravel-style (12°+) flared drops...

Subira
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Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2009 10:42 pm

by Subira

I've just put a set of the Easton AX bars on a Niner RLT 9 RDO build. Been out about on the roads the last couple weeks and really like them. Very comfortable on the drops and tops!!

I'm on the 42s.

I can verify that they are ok in the Chilterns :)

AJS914
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by AJS914

Miller wrote:
Sat Feb 17, 2018 9:57 pm
Found some more options, does anyone have views on 3T Ergoterra, Ritchey WCS Evomax?
Or is simpler and just as effective to pick a favourite road bar and add a few cm of width?
My gravel bike with with bars that are 2 cm wider than my road bike and I don't like it very much. I wouldn't go wider unless you like wider.

by Weenie


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