The top section is very stiff, but the girth doesn’t let it feel harsh. I particularly like the short 78ish mm reach, which keeps the meat of my palms mostly on the broader section of the bar while still able to reach the brakes. That effect is amplified when running fatter, cushier tape like the two reviewed here. Thanks to the shape, which pushes the tops out as far as they can before turning forward, the tight bend makes for plenty of bar tape overlap on the inside of the corner, which gives it a crescent shape and a lot of room for your palms: In race situations, like in the lead photo, I’m almost always on the hoods. It also allows for installation of inline brake levers on the flats. For general riding, that gives you plenty of real estate to rest your hands. Compared to most any other bar out there, they maintain a larger diameter all the way out to the corners. They allow for a very round shaped bar once the cable housing is wrapped into place, and they’re just a bit wider than tall. Here are the measurements, click to enlarge: The actual drop varies with the width of the bar. There are no harsh bends, but it is graduated and ends with a few about 2.5cm of flat. The drops’ shape is a blend between the classic rounded curve and a highly shaped ergo one. Check our original Unboxed & Weighed post for raw handlebar photos and weights, then dip in for the long term review on it and the wrappings… They’ve also been wrapped with two amazing sets of bar tape, Zipp’s Service Course CX and Lizard Skins’ DSP. Over the course of the past 12 months of testing, the bars have been raced some, ridden a lot and hit the ground a couple times. They use a proprietary “Nano Epoxy Resin” that supposedly improves impact resistance. They’re made from a blend of three different modulus Toray carbons over EPS mandrels for perfectly smooth interiors and a stronger one-piece construction. These aren’t made domestically, but do meet Thomson’s stringent standards and oversight.
It, along with the low-rise mountain bike handlebars, were their first foray into carbon fiber components, but you can tell they did their homework.Īnd we would expect nothing less from Thomson, given their reputation for making bombproof alloy cockpit parts in their Georgia factory. It’s big, fat and comfortable, with a stiff, straight upper section and compliant drops with a long perch. Last fall, I put the new Thomson Katie Compton cyclocross handlebar on my bike and immediately loved the shape and feel.
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