My search for the perfect carbon aero base bar and extensions is over. For well over a month, I have researched the currently available aero bars for my 2014 Time trial and Triathlon season. My considerations included the Zipp Vuka Stealth, the Pro Missle Evo, the Profile SVSET Zero, and Easton’s Attack aero bars.
The carbon aero bar system will be mounted on my 2014 Cannondale Slice. Obviously not the RS version which comes with an integrated stem and headset. That bike is another story. Aero position is certainly an important concern, but for endurance triathlon events, I really wanted a system that was adjustable and comfortable. My budget was somewhat open on the aero bar system because I saved quite a bit of money on the bike itself. So the search began
I never thought much of looking at a Profile model, but just happened to run into a rig at a local bike shop. They had it marked way down on price, so I started looking. The rig consisted of the svset base bar, carbon strike ski tip extensions, arm rest, and brake levers to boot. All in all not bad for a discounted retail deal of $395. Employee purchase is not much better than that.
The Profile Svset with strike extensions actually was 2nd on my list of aero bar choices. The weight was good, adjustability was good, looks were good, and the price was very good.
The only reason I didn’t go with Profile was the resale factor. One could argue foe the price, why would I worry about resale. Quite honestly, I like using my gear for 1 season and then trying to get my money out of it.
The Easton Attack aero bar with integrated extensions really caught my attention. I can’t stand to hit my knees on the back side of the extension bars on most aero bars. I also noticed that the overall weight seemed to be less, most likely due to decreased hardware.
Two big reasons why I didn’t spend much time looking at this option were:
1. no adjustability, 2. It appears Easton stopped making them.
The only available attack bars I found were either on Ebay, or big online bike stores. In fact, they are not listed on Easton’s site any longer. I can only wonder why not.
Next came the Pro Missle Evo aero bar system. This is a very attractice sweet looking aero bar. The bar is light, adjustable, and matches my paint scheme really well. So, it was hard to not consider.
Our Schimano rep. dropped off a rig we could look at and try. Thanks for doing this by the way. I liked the bars a lot with the exception of the pointed edges on the backend of the brake handles. I know this feature is an aero add, but I really didn’t like the pressure on the palm of my hands.
The downside of this system that helped me rule it out was the extra cost of the stem. Ideally you want to use the Pro stem that is also aero and fit specifically to the base bar. You could use a regular stem if desired, but exactly why mess up a good looking rig. The total price cam out to around $1100 full retail.
And the winner is the Zipp Vuka Stealth. For many reasons other than just the name.
This was by far the lighter option coming in at 820 grams with extensions. The Zipp stealth has virtually unlimited adjustability. The stem is integrated and can be ordered in 3 varying lengths. The base bar platform is super comfortable when climbing. The ski tip extensions can easily be mounted so they don’t protrude off the back of the bars. No knee banging there…
The Zipp product line is very popular, proven, and well sought after on the used market. With any big name brand, the price is always higher. My aero bar rig retails for about $1200+. That’s quite alright, I know I can get good money out of it at years end, as long as I take good care of my “Stuff”.
I look forward to getting this thing mounted on my Cannondale Slice, topping it off with a Retul fit, and then hitting the A2 Windtunnel to fine tune the aerodynamics before Time trials begin.