Cinelli Vai Alloy Handlebar

Cinelli's Vai handlebar has been around for a while now but it's still well worth a look. As the ancient engineering cliche goes, pick any two from light, stiff or cheap. The Vai certainly ticks the cheap and stiff boxes, but light it ain't.

The 44cm comes in at around 400g, hefty in handlebar terms but for a lightweight carbon bar you'll be paying at least at least five times as much to save less than 200g. If you're putting together a money-no-object work of art then a set of featherweight carbon bars like the Oval R900s tested recently are just the thing, but for a more humble build these Vai bars are as good as anyone needs.

Being distinctly stiff and hefty you'd expect this bar to make your biceps vibrate like jelly on a jackhammer. Not so, in fact they're surprisingly comfortable, helped by a nicely shaped semi-anatomic drop. This is a bar that will appeal to rouleurs, sprinters and hefty honkers alike as it won't beat you up on the ride or turn to wet spaghetti in the final sprint to the cake-shop.

They come grooved front and back and there's a simple but effective set of graded lines in the centre to help you line things up.

Verdict

Stiff, strong and comfy. A classic bar and great value for money.