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review
Handlebars & extensions
BBB Flat Aero BarAcor aero bar

BBB Flat Aero Bar

7
by Shaun Audane
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Apr 14, 2009

3
£44.95

VERDICT:

7
10
Super stiff bars at a competitive price but a choice of widths would've been nice
Weight: 
240g
Contact: 
www.Greyville.com
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These BBB branded aero bars would be my choice for road fixer builds or road to TT mount conversions. Made from super heat-treated 7075 series aluminium, there’s sufficient scope in the curved section to accommodate traditional drop levers and internal cable guides with recessed grooves keeping things neat and tidy. Flat top sections are something of a mixed blessing-their oversized profile providing an extremely solid platform for Tri/Spinaci type extensions but won’t entertain most hinged clamp brake lever designs currently en vogue in fixed circles. While hardly bargain basement, the satin black finish is best preserved under tape-especially if you wanted to take advantage of riding on the tops around town.

Their main charm is sheer rigidity relative to weight but it’s a double edged sword-the full force of my seventy kilo frame atop both the hooks and Tri bars couldn’t cajole the merest hint of whip, tightening the front end a treat. Much heavier riders will be hard pressed to induce soggy bar syndrome after a season’s hard riding. However, they demand gel type tapes to dampen vibration and relieve fatigue-especially paired to an alloy fork. This aside they’re certainly not limited to evening tens, their profile and moderate width lending themselves to well to urban riding. The one small criticism I have concerns the one size fits all sizing-while it keeps production costs low, the option of a 44cm would’ve earned them an extra point.

Verdict

Super stiff bars at a competitive price but a choice of widths would've been nice.

road.cc test report

Make and model: BBB Aero bar

Price: 44.95

Weight: 240g

Size tested: 42cm

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Aimed primarily at TT and competition use they are a super-stiff, lightweight (240g) oversized bar that is equally suited to urban fixer builds.

Tell us some more about the techincal aspects of the product?

42cm wide flat-top section 7075 series heat treated bars drilled and grooved for smooth cable runs.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10

Pretty much what you'd expect given the price.

Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Shouldn't submit to soggy basr sydrome even with heavier riders.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10

Best paired with gel type tapes to minimise rider fatigue.

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very proficiently in all contexts-particularly good when paired with tri bars.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Just the right length, reassuringly rigid and low weight.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Finish might've been slightly better and I was disappointed to find a wider varient wasn't available.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 35  Height: 1m 81  Weight: 70 kilos

I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset  My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

TT bar
BBB Flat Aero Bar
BBB Aero handlebar
Acor Aero handlebar
Shaun Audane

Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)

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3 comments

Avatar
DaveP | 15 years ago
0 likes

Is:

Necessity / (Faff + Expense) > Willingness x Discomfort
39

I'll keep going as I am. 1

Avatar
dave atkinson | 15 years ago
0 likes

hmm. good question. we've used other bikes with this kind of bar and an sti lever and it works fine most of the time, though you need a slightly different approach to shifting. personally i'd say you won't get a huge benefit from switching unless the more upright position suits you better. they're no lighter than a good set of drops.

Avatar
DaveP | 15 years ago
0 likes

As I'm too old/fat to use the dropped section of my bars, is there any advantage in changing to these type? 26

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