Carbon Or Aluminum Handlebars: What Is BEST?

Рет қаралды 43,745

Күн бұрын

Are carbon fibre handlebars as good as they first seem, or are they overpriced versions of their aluminium equivalents with an increased risk of snapping in half? In this video, Alex dives into the debate, explores the differences between each material and evaluates the pros and cons of each!
Carbon fibre or aluminium handlebars? 0:00
What you should consider first 0:34
What are the differences? 1:22
Cost: Aluminium VS Carbon Fibre 2:35
Weight 3:19
Strength 4:15
Material flexibility 6:21
Speed 7:41
Comfort 8:15
Conclusions - Tell us which material do you prefer in the comments 8:57
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Which material do you prefer for your handlebars? 👀
Let us know in the comments! 💬
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Пікірлер: 274

@gcntech Ай бұрын

Which material do you prefer for your handlebars? 👀 Let us know in the comments! 💬

@Paganiproductions84 Ай бұрын

As a xc mountainbiker Carbon bars all the way

@TiberiusMoon Ай бұрын

I wonder how much of carbon fiber parts were made just to compensate for skinny tyres/poor suspension with carbon fiber's ability to flex, but ultimately lead to wider tyres in the end.

@vivivi.. Ай бұрын

Aluminum for me, im not a 100% confident on carbon material, yes they good and better in performance but stil want the alloy matterials.

@thomasb.4219 Ай бұрын

Carbon

@lazzaboyman8003 Ай бұрын

Carbon fibre on my mountain bike, aluminium on the road bike

@philipcooper8297 Ай бұрын

All I know is, carbon fibre handlebars sell more torque wrenches than the aluminium handlebars.

@jamespurchase4035 Ай бұрын

A good point. But, we could probably do with torque wrenches on Alu bars too. Not for the bar but to not overtorque the stem clamp. Last week I dug out a mothballed bar/stem combo. In the 5years I'd ignored it the stem clamp had developped a serious crack nearly 60% across the front. And it is a good quality stem (Thomson X4). Not their fault - I almost certainly over tightened the clamp "just to be sure". We must never forget that aluminium will both age with time (change in mechanical properties: strength, hardness, dyctility, etc..) as well as fatigue even if only under a static load (i.e. tight bolts "stretching" the component). I'm awaiting the arrival of my new clamp. Thankfully not expensive.

@Real28 Ай бұрын

If you work on your own bike, why don't you have 1 cheap torque wrench anyways?

@br5380 Ай бұрын

@@Real28irrelevant of price, you want a QUALITY torque wrench

@adadinthelifeofacyclist Ай бұрын

Stripping threads is a bad idea too!

@knightwish1623 Ай бұрын

Fun fact ..... Alex said the words Handelbar/Handelbars 48 times in 10 min. in the video 😄

@imilic8 Ай бұрын

"however" - 7 times :D

@peterwillson1355 Ай бұрын

I heard " handlebar/ handlebars but never mind.

@knightwish1623 Ай бұрын

@@peterwillson1355 Ups ... Thats the German spelling for handle 😁 although In German they are normally called "Lenker"

@GCNalex Ай бұрын

ONLY 48 times, i must try harder!😅

@carlosdeno Ай бұрын

Deda Superleggera bars and stem, used them for over 15 years. Light, competitively priced, Di2 compatible and if you’re a weight weenie, check your love handles.

@sventice Ай бұрын

Alex pretty much said everything that needs to be said in the first seconds of the video: the material of the handlebar doesn't matter nearly as much as getting the fit right: width, reach, drop, etc. Those things make WAY more difference than the material from which the handlebar is made. In my own riding, reducing the width and reach of my handlebars resulted in an amazing improvement in comfort over long distances. I went from significant neck and shoulder pain on rides longer than 3 hours to being able to literally ride all day long with no upper body discomfort at all.

@gcntech Ай бұрын

it's amazing what the correct "shape" of bars can do for riding comfort!

@lexington476 Ай бұрын

I use the OEM aluminum handlebars that came on all my bikes 😎.

@ebikescrapper3925 Ай бұрын

Aluminium, better for the environment, easier to recycle.

@shane4176 Ай бұрын

I used to work for the largest waste company in America. Maybe you should research recycling. And what actually happens the materials that are supposed to be recycled. Recycling is a giant scam for people who think they are saving the world. So carbon aluminum it doesn't matter.

@MrMeowNow Ай бұрын

If only all our environmental issues were only due to bicycle handlebars material recyclability … 😝

@YippeeSkippie426 Ай бұрын

lmao! Derp.

@einundsiebenziger5488 8 күн бұрын

But the production of aluminium requires much more energy and involves more harmful chemicals than the production of carbon fiber.

@ebikescrapper3925 8 күн бұрын

Known as the green metal, aluminium is one of the most environmentally friendly metals because of its sustainability. As the most recyclable industrial material, aluminium can be recycled infinitely to produce the same product. Recycling aluminium also saves 95% of the energy used in its production from raw materials.

@bugeyesprite119 Ай бұрын

Love your videos, Alex. Clear, informative, and entertaining. Keep up the great work!

@johnhutto71 Ай бұрын

I've snapped several aluminum bars over the years. I've never broken a carbon bar in over 20 years. Now the third thing I do for a new bike (after pedals and saddle) is swap on Ritchey carbon bars. They are bulletproof and have the best shape for me.

@ralphc1405 11 күн бұрын

A good bet not old-school Cinelli bars. Yeah I'm old...

@Real28 Ай бұрын

Had aluminum, wanted a better profile and something to absorb vibrations and bumps better. Found a carbon set that did the trick. Actually added 10g, but a far better ride. Comfort is king for long rides.

@krehme Ай бұрын

Yay Alex! Very informative exploration of the topic. Thanks for sharing your experience!

@truthseeker8483 Ай бұрын

Just fitted a cheap aero carbon handlebar and it has been good.....feels very strong and comfortable to hold especially with some gel pads near the brifters.....much lighter than an Alloy one. I took care to chamfer the stem clamp edges to void damage when clamping.

@aluminati9918 Ай бұрын

Both do the job nicely😅. I find carbon bars to absorb road vibrations a bit better. Also I like the flat top versions to be nicer to ride on the tops. The weight difference is too small to be critical IMO. Aluminum wins on price obviously.

@johnhospod5202 Ай бұрын

Swtiched to a Farsport F1s carbon handlebar recently from the original TCR stock bar. Handling down twisty descents and overall handling confidence improved dramatically.

@adadinthelifeofacyclist Ай бұрын

Some unbranded ones might be ones manufactured for big name brands but in QA don't meet the brand's stringent quality specifications but which meet minimum standards to be saleable. Are they safe? Most probably are, but if you buy a brand name they're putting their reputation on the line so you are lowering the risk and the bigger the name, the bigger the reputation, the more they'll want to protect that name. Also if a batch has a defect, a brand would recall that batch whereas riders using unbranded ones would never know.

@cbauch Ай бұрын

You left out corrosion. Aluminum handlebars corrode from sweat dripping on them. I had a pair of aluminum handlebars that had holes corroded through them from my sweat. The bike shop wouldn’t put new tape on them because they were so corroded.

@gcntech Ай бұрын

Wow! That's pretty impressive in a way, that you sweated through some handlebars!

@cbauch Ай бұрын

It’s Texas and I sweat a lot. I had a friend whose bars broke on him from sweat corrosion.

@PepeDalinShow Ай бұрын

@@gcntech Mine is corroded as well. That's my problem too with alluminum bars. Well I live in the Philippines and normal temp is 30-34c so wet bar tapes is just normal every ride even riding indoors.

@TechSucht Ай бұрын

@@PepeDalinShow and the humidity is typically very high there, right?

@PepeDalinShow Ай бұрын

@@TechSucht Yeah, so it actually feels hotter especially now with the heat wave.

@PoulHansenDK Ай бұрын

I have just ordered an alu bar to replace my aero carbon bar because: 1. I can't adjust the drop angle as I want, if I also want the aero portion to be most effective. i.e. horizontal. 2. The flat part of the bar is uncomfortable to grip and only allows one position, whereas you can grip a round bar wherever you want.

@songofyesterday Ай бұрын

Perfect timing this video, been looking at that Avian bird brand super light integrated carbon handlebars

@almin9751 Ай бұрын

Carbon sworks bar is even on top of carbon wheelset has been the most noticeable thing I have switched which has given me more comfort.

@challacustica9049 Ай бұрын

Thank you for mentioning body position. A lot of one-piece integrated cockpits are very cool and aero, but if it doesn't fit you, you're loosing a lot of aero or torturing your spine throughout the ride.

@kippen64 Ай бұрын

Aluminium. Separate bar and stem. Not aero.

@FredrikGranlundkayaker Ай бұрын

Agreed. I want flexibility and I want to be as self-reliant as possible when travelling to, sometimes odd and remote, places with my bike. I'm not a big fan of internal cable routing either.

@SurvivalistMedia Ай бұрын

Same. All external routing preference to top routed.

@Przemo-c Ай бұрын

I've got to say for a heavier rider like myself the high frequency vibration dampening of cf handlebars is quite noticeable not huge but has an impact on not so smooth roads over a distance. But you're absolutely right about impact of tired choice and pressure. Still it's an addition after you got thr biggest benefits taken care of. Also more modern aluminium handlebars are often quite lightweight.

@br5380 Ай бұрын

Nothing to do with your weight, they’re comfortable for all of us.

@Przemo-c Ай бұрын

@@br5380More mass more deflection but sure there's benefit even when you're not as heavy

@br5380 Ай бұрын

@@Przemo-c us lighter folk can use even lighter bars

@nochancecw Ай бұрын

I went from a standard round bar to an aero carbon bar. I gained about 1km/hr on my ave 30km solo route. But the biggest difference was sprinting and cornering, the carbon was much stiffer and felt much safer. When you press while cornering it doesnt flex/move and there isnt that delay in response. Under 50km/hr, cornering wasnt noticable, but above 50 km/hr, it makes those high speed micro movements much more predictable.

@garrycullum3861 Ай бұрын

I got a mega deal from chain reaction cycles on a Vision metron 5d intergrated carbon handlebar. Only problem was it cost Me £200 to get them fitted and cables internally routed. Bars were £280 + £210 for fitting 😱 I'm still really happy with them as I can't really afford a new top end bike yet so I've invested in the secondhand one I got by adding the best bits I can...

@rah4981 Ай бұрын

Did not like the feel of flexy carbon drop bars going downhill, felt sketchy, so I removed it and installed the alu bar back on my road bike. The carbon bar on my offroad bike is a different story, I don't feel unsafe on that.

@harrie974 Ай бұрын

I use aluminium on all my bikes and they all have external cables (under the bartape of course). I like to try out a few adjustments in my equipment and position every now and then, and swapping handlebars is an easy job (with rimbrakes). One of my favourite handlebars was only €15, has a kinda aero ergonomic top, compact drops, 40 cm wide with the right amount of flare and weighs 295 grams. The bartape is more expensive than the handlebar. By the way, depending on what bartape you use, you can easily save 50 grams by choosing a lighter option.

@gcntech Ай бұрын

sometimes the best bars can be the cheapest! It's a very personal thing

@Litespeedultimate Ай бұрын

Well Maurizio Fondriest, the 1988 World Champion, a few years ago recommended Aluminium Handlebars when I asked for advice. "It is so much cheaper and therefore if you crash it is less painful to replace. And the weight really does not matter".

@br5380 Ай бұрын

Never ride any quality carbon bars, because you’ll realise that racers don’t care about comfort.

@gregmuon Ай бұрын

Aluminum because I am way past the point where 50g matters. I do spend a bit extra for good heat treated bars.

@chrisridesbicycles Ай бұрын

One key element in terms of durability was missing and that is corrosion. A carbon bar will not corrode under the influence of sweat and that is what makes me think about switching to carbon. For now, I have mitigated it with a full electrical tape wrap under the bar tape but a little bit of doubt remains.

@svenweihusen57 Ай бұрын

How much do you drip onto you handlebar? There is the tape and your gloves. Don’t get me wrong: carbon handlebars are better than aluminum one but a Formula 1 car is also better than your Dodge. The question is what is a sensible choice for an amateur. The answer for a Professional is clear cut: weight and aero are prime, everything else is irrelevant.

@andrewmcalister3462 Ай бұрын

⁠@@svenweihusen57if you are using your bike on the indoor trainer - a LOT of sweat can end up on the bars. Tape actually makes the problem worse, as the salt can accumulate and moisture persist IN the tape, while hiding the damage that is being done.

@chrisridesbicycles Ай бұрын

@@svenweihusen57 There are enough examples of broken alloy bars because of corrosion. It‘s a thing. Aero is insignificant for non pros but having a flat top can be more ergonomic. There are some flattened alloy bars (like the Zipp Ergo I have on my bike) but it can only be shaped to a lesser degree.

@davidbee8178 Ай бұрын

An INTEGRATED handle bar is by quite a margin much better looking without the (usually four) bolts on the stem that hold an alu or CF bar in place. Love your GCN videos, guys. Cheers from Montreal !

@gcntech Ай бұрын

yeah, they certainly give a great appearance, thanks for the love ❤️

@Flint_Westwood Ай бұрын

I have a couple of carbon road bikes, the older of which I upgraded with a Canyon carbon integrated bar/stem. The newer bike still has the OEM ally bars and stem. When I first used the carbon setup I felt like the handling improved and the vibration through the bars was far reduced. I put this down to the material. When I ride the newer bike though, that feels good too, so much so, I've not bothered to switch the CF bars from the old bike to the new one. I do think though that the CF bars/stem look way cooler!

@WhaJMc Ай бұрын

I have two bikes both with FSA carbon handlebars. I just find the more comfortable to hold on to than a round, alloy bar. Plus they look better too, which lets face is important. My current bike had a raised bar (Specialized Hoverbar) which looked hideous. New bar is a FSA K-wing AGX gravel bar. 40cm with a slight flair. It looks great, didn't break the bank and is extremely comfortable.

@mano8033 22 күн бұрын

I bought my second hand enduro bike with a carbon handlebar. The forces applied on it are far more important than on road bikes, and it never broke after a few light crashes (including ending up in a tree trunk). It's simply very stiff and can be painful after a long day of bike park... I don't believe carbon aero bars will snap so easily, as many people believe. It's an incredible material. However price is high, and aluminium is a very good option to start with

@wspmjw Ай бұрын

Thank you for stating the human body is the least aero part of a bicycle setup. Agreed on the shapes of the frame, fork, and bars.

@jestag2 Ай бұрын

Had a recent crash that broke my left DA brifters into pieces yet my Deda aluminum bars is still in excellent shape and managed to ride back home. Would have waited for hours for a ride then and now searching for new brifters and bars if I was using carbon. Glad I'm still not persuaded to use carbon bars.

@br5380 Ай бұрын

I use carbon bars on all my mountain bikes, crashed multiple times, no issues whatsoever.

@markc3050 Ай бұрын

Here in Singapore my preference would be for carbon, the humid climate and sweating leads to a constant battle against corrosion , in two years here two aluminum handlebars have needed to be replaced.

@a1white Ай бұрын

That can also a factor with indoor trainers too, if you’re not careful

@36sportsawall Ай бұрын

I would say that the comfort on my bontrager one piece handlebar is my favorite part about the carbon handlebar the compliance and how comfortable the bike feels I'm surprised you didn't feel a difference That's why I recommend carbon in general

@markusseppala6547 Ай бұрын

The wide flat top on integrated carbon handlebars is great for comfort.

@buster.keaton Ай бұрын

Agreed. My bike came with carbon aero bars and the only advantage I've realized is that I find the flat tops to be a comfortable place to put my hands when climbing. However, some aluminum bars have flat "aero" tops and would likely be my choice had my bike not come with carbon bars.

@challacustica9049 Ай бұрын

Redshift sells fairly inexpensive rubber products that go under your wrapping to get this same effect. I have them on my bike.

@gregmorrison7320 Ай бұрын

Yep, which is why I fitted carbon bars on two of my bikes, then aluminum bars came in the same shape so went on another two.

@justsomedude7556 Ай бұрын

I like the flat tops of the Ritchey Streem II bar and the reach and drop of those bars are far more comfortable for my position on the bike. If I could find an alloy version with the same specs, I would not mind the minor weight penalty to save the money, but until then, it is what it is.

@johnhutto71 Ай бұрын

Those are super nice bars but I had to sell mine. The flat tops were great for reducing hot spots on my palms but were too big for my small hands. I had to switch to a round cross section Ritchey Ecocurve. I think that's one of the benefits of carbon bars. There are so many shapes available so you can fine tune what's most comfortable for you.

@justsomedude7556 Ай бұрын

@@johnhutto71 yea I get it, I originally put some Zipp Service Course XPLR bars on my gravel bike, but the flare was just way too much for me and I could never get comfortable.

@danielakerman8241 Ай бұрын

The only carbon bar I’d willingly buy over an aluminum one is the Coefficient RR or AR bar

@FGIRAFFE Ай бұрын

What about steel or bambou?

@BozoseCompany 27 күн бұрын

different levels to aluminum too. I have an alumimun bar from Soma Fab that has a really nice flex to it

@GregLanz Ай бұрын

I've been using cf bars for over 20 years now, in particular on my now ancient MTB. Never had an issue and my ancient MTB is old enough to legally drink now and still had the original Easton bars on it despite numerous warnings back then that CF bars need to be replaced every 2 years and sooner if dropped etc

@coachjohn Ай бұрын

I have both on 2 different bikes. Notice no difference except vibration dampening on the CF bars. I would opt for CF on a TT bike and run what came on a road bike.

@Nicky458itl Ай бұрын

is that bianchi fork and wheel break, no only handlebar. that test need to add clamp force at the hood position.

@savagepro9060 Ай бұрын

USA: Carbon, Aluminum UK: Carbon, Aluminium Across the Pond, Carbon remains constant!

@trwilliams22 Ай бұрын

The extra “i” adds weight

@peibol24 Ай бұрын

Which one's better fighting against rust and corrosion from sweat and rain?

@gcntech Ай бұрын

the carbon ones

@malakiblunt Ай бұрын

you need a HB Trumpet master class from Ali Clarkson Trials

@gcntech Ай бұрын

🎺

@tomasangelomena6866 Ай бұрын

I prefer alloy dropbar with palm rest that is paired with stand alone stem for superb adjustability.

@baskruitnl Ай бұрын

Aluminium. Carbon handlebars just look silly on a steel frame. :-) No carbon for me for like ever.

@Mr_Zzzeee 8 күн бұрын

yup

@alfredochofre3169 29 күн бұрын

I did crack a carbon handlebar jumping a little speed bump on the road. It was tightened at the correct torque. I will never use carbon on handlebars nor seatposts

@nuggunu 23 күн бұрын

fancy shape -> carbon classic shape -> aluminum for me it's the pro ple ergo carbon, I just love the shape of it, unfortunately that shape is only available in carbon but for me it's worth it

@joren7653 Ай бұрын

Carbon (nice to have a bit of flex) classic bar/stem

@ltrtg13 Ай бұрын

On my road bike I use an alloy handle bar. As it is too old for me to bother with carbon bar on that bike. On my hybrid I use an allo mountain bikev handle bar with a really small rise. On my mountain bikes I use carbon handle bars running 780mm width. I have changed the bar on my hardtail to the OneUp carbon bar which I cut down from 800mm to 780mm. As I wanted to change the way I wanted to mount my front light for riding at night. I changed it to the Nukeproof Horizon bar. On my full suspension bike. They are the same carbon bar as when Blake Samson had Pinkeye.

@morlamweb Ай бұрын

When I replaced the OEM bars on my bike a few years back, I looked at both carbon and alu bars, both direct replacements forthe original (steel!) bars: same length, sha[e, clamp diameter, etc. The alu bars won by a mile due to cost. I don't think that carbon bars would break easier than alu, but there's no advantage to them when factoring in the price difference.

@daviddjerassi Ай бұрын

After two pairs broken carbon bars one 108 miles from home never again will i purchase carbon bars i am not alone many of my club members have reported similar situations as i have my club now bans carbon bars for club races as extra dangerous .

@paulschulman8131 Ай бұрын

I love my aero alloy bars on my road bike. But also love my carbon sprint bars on my track bike😂

@shinobusensui9395 Ай бұрын

I'm using steel. How much is the difference between that and the others? weight and feedback

@gcntech Ай бұрын

Hi! thanks for the comment. Steel would probably be a bit more comfortable than alloy, but the weight would be quite a bit more. It is hard to give a more solid answer without a direct comparison

@iamadairjr Ай бұрын

It's been a while since I'm considering to replace my handlebar and I'd gladly pick an aluminum one, but unfortunately the market doesn't care about aluminum anymore. I'd like an integrated, internal cabled model but I only find that in carbon.

@gcntech Ай бұрын

hi! thanks for the comment. It's actually pretty difficult to produce an aluminium one piece bar, it would be very stiff though! Cheers

@Limoensap-hondje Ай бұрын

I prefer no handlebar at all.

@truthseeker8483 Ай бұрын

😁

@nebulous962 Ай бұрын

Yeah it's all just extra weight. 😛

@merrottechgeek2778 Ай бұрын

No frameset is better.

@hurriedlemon8146 Ай бұрын

Jesus take the wheel!

@JamesSmith-qs4hx Ай бұрын

no saddle more like😲

@gabrielgordillo6920 Ай бұрын

is it possible to get aero optimized aluminum handlebars?

@gregmorrison7320 Ай бұрын

Yes.

@peterwillson1355 Ай бұрын

Better to accept that you don't need them.

@gregmorrison7320 Ай бұрын

@@peterwillson1355 Flat tops are great for hours in puppy paws which is why I prefer them.

@gcntech Ай бұрын

it sure is!

@1mesonyx 29 күн бұрын

I'm perfectly fine with ALU fsa omega compact on my all road bikes.

@jonpoon3896 Ай бұрын

Ritchey WCS aluminium bars are lighter than their carbon fibre counterparts

@rangersmith4652 Ай бұрын

Handlebars are a very minor factor in aerodynamic efficiency and comfort. How much difference does an "aero" support make on the wind resistance of a billboard? Do you ride without bar tape? Padded tape and properly padded gloves make a lot more difference in comfort than bar material.

@andrewl.3460 Ай бұрын

I look less at the material and more at the shape… I still like ergo bars. They aren’t for everyone and some say they look goofy. However, after a several injuries I have found that ergo bars really reduce pain.

@gcntech Ай бұрын

shape is certainly the most important thing to consider - comfort is key!

@korsveien Ай бұрын

I suffer from Gearmentia. Keep upgrading my bike to make it faster and never remember between each upgrades that’s it not the bike that’s slow, it’s me.

@gcntech Ай бұрын

😂

@super8hell Ай бұрын

Alu for me: PRO Vibe Aero Pursuit. 36 cm, look mint, cheap, internal routing, absolute pain to recable :D

@gcntech Ай бұрын

internal cables can be a "tricky" thing sometimes!

@monkmchorning Ай бұрын

I base my choice on the bend, and I don't like flat or aero tops. My fave is an alloy shape that Pro hasn't made in a few years.

@gcntech Ай бұрын

When you find the handlebar shape that suits you, it is a great feeling! (literally)

@ginger1908 Ай бұрын

If your budget allows and you can get them to fit, go for carbon. Pair small marginal gain of weight and comfort alongside tyres and pressures, but only if you can afford it. If not alu is more than suitable for 99.9% of what people need.

@elliottslab Ай бұрын

The shapes you can make the carbon in gives it the advantage imo

@jonw1431 Ай бұрын

Bianchi have left the chat.

@lexington476 Ай бұрын

Do they make aero aluminum handlebars?

@gregmorrison7320 Ай бұрын

Yes.

@philipholenstein5685 Ай бұрын

I can not go back to any round shaped bar after experiencing flat shaped (“aero”) bars. The comfort in various hand positions is huge.

@gregmorrison7320 Ай бұрын

Yep now you can now aluminum bars with the flat shape as well.

@jemsmay2167 Ай бұрын

Carbon for road, alu for MTB. Carbon a bit lighter and absorbs road vibes better, alu for strength (I crash my MTB with alarming frequency…)

@ThomasNing Ай бұрын

I've rode a decent number of bikes, including some decent carbon bikes, but I've never touched a carbon handlebar. So, I have nothing to contribute, except that carbon handlebars seem to be prohibitively expensive :)

@silaslai5913 Ай бұрын

Know u right While lost weight is better U 4130&ti. Weight how lost body we

@richardhayward4537 Ай бұрын

My Easton bars are worth the weight in gold. No competition

@ltu42 Ай бұрын

I tried a non-aero, round carbon handlebar from Aliexpress to see if there is any difference in comfort. I can feel none. But the bike got about 200 g lighter.

@PepeDalinShow Ай бұрын

The problem with aluminum bars for me is it corrodes with sweat and you can't see that happening until you change your bar tapes. Tho I've been using my stock aluminium handle bars for 5 years now and so far it feels solid. It does have a lot of corrosion already.

@gcntech Ай бұрын

We've seen some really bad corrosion over the years. It's always worth keeping on top of bar tape replacement!

@yham47 Ай бұрын

I'll be trying carbon for the first time on a month from now, not that I like carbon but just want to experience using it myself. Let's see if it's worth it.

@gcntech Ай бұрын

let us know how you get on!

@jamespurchase4035 Ай бұрын

Alu for me personally. Expense and damage tolerance. Now how about : the best SHAPE bars? Me, I like, no, I love, the "pista" or "criterium" shape (e.g. see Cinelli) with a gentler and earlier forward sweep of the top bar towards the hoods. It gets the top bar out of the way of your wrists when sprinting in the drops. And it looks "cooler" 😂. At my level aero won't have huge impact on my enjoyment or performance

@gcntech Ай бұрын

There were some really cool shaped bars weren't there?! Pista's were lovely! Cheers

@MM-ih4rj Ай бұрын

HOWEVER…. Cant unhear it now…😢

@owensnicholas Ай бұрын

I’m a big fan of carbon, and I have a carbon handlebar on my mtb. But for my road bikes I use aluminum handlebars. The price difference for road is much higher than for mtb. On the mtb, my choice of carbon has a lot more to do with comfort than weight.

@geraldmaybebaby1585 Ай бұрын

I have some old aluminium bars, that literally won't die. Some kind of Alu/immortal alloy.

@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe Ай бұрын

What about road feel?

@gcntech Ай бұрын

it's a pretty subjective thing, it can depend on shape, size and how grip strength. A testing scale from brands would be great!

@Ninja_Revenge Ай бұрын

Stiff and stepng carbon like Metron 5D barstem for the win. If not barstem combo but separate, doesn’t matter much.

@richardlocke3375 Ай бұрын

I don’t unwrap my aluminum bars and inspect every time my bike falls over. Seen to many catastrophic carbon failures from repetitive small hits.

@jayhoughton4174 Ай бұрын

I do not constantly ride at 30-40kph, except for downhills, I do not race, my back is not flexible enough to have my handlebars two foot below my seat, aero is wasted on me, I enjoy my riding and prefer a comfy round bar. Aluminium for me all day.

@baldomantova8466 Ай бұрын

Why didn‘t you Show MVP riding with a snapped handlebar? 😂

@marklapointe48 Ай бұрын

Round handlebars are also compatible with more accessories with their round cross-sections

@gcntech Ай бұрын

it is certainly easier to buy a generic mount!

@matthewbaynham6286 Ай бұрын

I bought one of my bikes second hand for about 200 euros, the handle bars are not carbon fiber. I just use that bike on the turbo and it's no longer safe for outside. My other bike I bought new for 460 euros, the handle bars are not carbon fiber, I would normally use this bike for outside but I need to do some maintenence on it.

@timtaylor9590 Ай бұрын

carbon bars are not always lighter than alloy. alloy bar and stems can get lighter than most carbon ones. especially lighter than aero bars. theres also reputable stem and bar companies that make super light alloy parts for cheap.

@Jari1973 Ай бұрын

If the carbon fiber handlebar does not last.. then think about the fact that the carbon fiber frame is subjected to much greater forces 🤔

@keinpietz7697 Ай бұрын

nonsensical analogy, apples vs oranges

@Jari1973 Ай бұрын

@@keinpietz7697 😁 but tell me how the Carbon fiber spokes can last🤔

@keinpietz7697 Ай бұрын

@@Jari1973 tell me how I don't drown in a bathtub yet I can barely swim in the middle of an Atlantic Ocean?

@robbchastain3036 Ай бұрын

Fortunately, the rim-brake snatchers didn't take away all the aluminum bars, too. 😀

@larryt.atcycleitalia5786 Ай бұрын

Recently removed a $300+ MSRP carbon masterpiece and replaced it with a $30 aluminum handlebar and couldn't be happier! Anyone want a slightly-used FSA K-WING AGX 44 CM?

@Imelldarisky 23 күн бұрын

I noticed my 32c tires is good choice for comfort.. but my roadbike can't fitted. Buying carbon handlebar is increase comfort my roadbike ??? For real guys.. help me. Changing carbon handlebar feeling so different like carbon seatpost vs aluminum? I realized carbon seatpost very different and worth to upgrade. Did carbon handlebar worth for real ?

@vivivi.. Ай бұрын

For me, they both good but i would still pick aluminum or steel. Not because they're stronger than carbon (which is... yes, i think?)but more durable, like they dont snap but bent more before failure. But thats my own opinion...

@yonglingng5640 Ай бұрын

Yes, aluminium handlebars are more impact-resistant than carbon handlebars. This is why some don't make the switch.

@vivivi.. Ай бұрын

@@yonglingng5640 yeah, but some case they're fun to ride with i guess they should buy titanium

@yonglingng5640 Ай бұрын

@@vivivi.. Controltech manufactures the TIMANIA FLo, a carbon-titanium hybrid road handlebar. ComePLAY offers only one titanium road handlebar though.

@vivivi.. Ай бұрын

@@yonglingng5640 that sounds cool

@einundsiebenziger5488 8 күн бұрын

In every case an aluminium bar failed on me it did not bend* but in fact snapped without warning. Never had a carbon bar fail, even after crashes.

@hendriksiering9077 Ай бұрын

i dont like technical development nonsense... i still ride a steel frame from the 70´s with 18mm tires. No need for all this hocus pocus!!! Still watching GCN in black and white, with my 56k modem

@petersouthernboy6327 Ай бұрын

Still have a landline and a fax ? 😅

@dwampss Ай бұрын

A bi-cycle? Modern hokum. Just walk places or use your horse

@gcntech Ай бұрын

😂😂😂

@davidadamus177 Ай бұрын

@@petersouthernboy6327perhaps a pager? LOL

@petersouthernboy6327 Ай бұрын

@@davidadamus177 oh well played