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Easton EA70 AX Handlebar

8
£79.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Good looking handlebar with a wide enough flare for plenty of stability off the beaten track
Weight: 
289g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The 'Gravel King', that's what Easton calls its new EA70 AX handlebar. Part of its new range of gravel and adventure components, the AX has a wide flare at the drops for stability and a shallow drop that makes it great for blasting over the rubble.

  • Pros: Wide 16-degree flare; plenty of room for fitting light or computer brackets
  • Cons: Could do with wider cable grooves for 2x systems

I ride a lot of gravel/adventure bikes as a tester, and I'd say the biggest benefit I've seen over the last year or so is the adoption of flared drop bars. If you haven't come across them, they are basically a handlebar that is the same width at the hoods as a road bar but kicks outwards as it reaches the drops. This gives you a wider stance when descending on rough, moving terrain, making for more composed steering and a better feeling of control.

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It's not just for gravel either. I've taken to using this on my T2, my all-weather machine, and the benefits on wet, greasy roads are noticeable.

The EA70 AX flares out by 16 degrees, which increases the overall width from the tops to the drops by 68mm across the 40/42/44 and 46cm options.

On the gravel I found it a nice place to be, offering plenty of stiffness but not being so rigid that it's battering your wrists when out for a long ride. Stiffness is compromised a little when really hauling on the bar for a short, sharp climb, but it is negligible.

The wide flare also helps when you are riding into the wind on the road. You can still keep your shoulders pretty narrow as you hunker down into the drops without feeling constrained when doing it for miles on a long straight section.

Easton EA70AX Handlebar - detail.jpg

The only criticism I have is that the grooved channels for fitting the cables underneath the tape are quite shallow. Probably not much of an issue if you are running 1x or electronic shifting, but fitting two outers either side can leave them quite pronounced under the bar tape.

At £79.99 rrp it's on the pricier side of some bars we've tested lately (though a lot cheaper than others!), but it does look and feel very good quality, especially thanks to that gloss central section.

> 9 ways to make your bike more comfortable

I really liked the Ritchey Comp Ergomax bar which is a touch heavier but only £52.99. Its wing-shaped tops did restrict the fitting of lights and computer mounts, though, things you are going to need for an epic tour off the beaten track. I do like the Easton for having a long 31.8mm diameter clamping section to help with this.

Others I've tried include the Genetic Drove, which is less than half the price, if a little heavier. The Easton does look a bit more special when on the bike, though.

Overall, the Easton EA70 AX is a great shape for use on the gravel or road, looks the business, and comes in at a decent weight for the money.

Verdict

Good looking handlebar with a wide enough flare for plenty of stability off the beaten track

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Easton EA70 AX Handlebar

Size tested: 42mm

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?

Easton says, "Easton's new AX series meets the needs of the growing drop bar adventure and gravel segment. Building off the highly successful and critically acclaimed lineup of MCD road bars, the EA70 + EC70 AX bar utilize the same top shape and reach as well as ergonomic drop shape. But AX turns up the flare: from 4 degrees to 16 degrees. Why 16-degrees? Based on extensive testing and rider feedback we determined that 16 degrees was the perfect balance of maximum bar flare which still allowed for efficient access to the shifters and brakes in both the hoods and drops. The wider stance in the drops provides more control on gnarly terrain and long gravel assaults. Time to take the road less travelled."

I really rate it as a bar for riding off-road.

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

Easton lists:

WIDTH (C to C) 40 - 42 - 44 - 46 cm at hoods (at drops +68mm)

FLARE 16 degrees

WEIGHT 42cm 290g

REACH 80mm

DROP 120mm

MATERIAL EA70 ALLOY

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

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

A really good gravel bar thanks to that wide flare.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

A good balance of stiffness for performance and flex for comfort.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Wider cable grooves would make a nicer job when it comes to taping the bar.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Considering the overall quality and finish, I'd say the EA70 is a fair price against the opposition.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

A quality bar that offers plenty of hand positions for use on the road or gravel. You can go cheaper for the same weight but the Easton looks the part too.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 40  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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1 comments

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shufflingb | 4 years ago
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Nice bar, great shape and really quite practical to use for extended trips. 

Worth noting though If thinking of buying and using UK lever arrangement don't make the same mistake I did and buy the carbon version (or at least check very carefully).  The carbon version extends the cable routing grooves all the way along the back of the bar, around the start of the curve down towards where the lever's mount. Unfortunately at least some levers are like SRAM and only have cable exits on the wrong side to utilise the groove when setup UK style. Net result for UK style; either bodge filling the empty cable grooves and negate any weight saving or end up with nasty pressure ridges right in a key hand position. Other than that, nice bar, aluminium version likely spot on.

More on my experience with the carbon version over here https://medium.com/@jonhume/equipment-bc78fbacd6a8#169b

 

 

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