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Carbon bar upgrade?

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  • April 1, 2015 at 2:22 pm #23642
    Rich_O

    I’m a relative road biking novice and I have just bought my first full carbon road bike, a Scott Solace 20, having spent a couple of years on an alloy framed Trek Domane as I got to grips with the sport.

    I fell for the Solace as I got a great deal on it, less than £1500 vs £2800 RRP, full Ultegra, less than 7.5kg and although I have no other carbon experience to compare it to, it is noticeably more responsive than the Domane, which was what I wanted out of it.

    So here’s where I am looking for help and advice: there is a bit more road buzz through the handlebars than I expected on crappy Derbyshire roads, a characteristic that a few reviews of the Solace have also picked up on. They recommend that a ‘decent’ carbon bar would turn it from a good bike to a great bike, so my question is what kind of bar would achieve this?

    Bearing in mind the price I paid for the bike, I’m not looking to spend a huge amount on changing the bars, certainly less than £200, but I’m interested as to what difference I could achieve at different price points. I’m not a weight weenie, as my 85kg+ attests, it is about the comfort.

    Many thanks for your help in advance.

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  • April 2, 2015 at 12:26 am #839867
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    Nixster

    Alibaba, carbon bars for £40.
    Alibaba, carbon bars for £40. A pair are currently adorning my bike and have been for about a year. Paint isn’t the most robust though at £160 cheaper than some alternatives that’s not the end of the world. No CE marks etc though, so caveat emptor.

    They do make a difference but they’re not magical and thicker bar tape and wider tyres (at lower pressures) will help too. But at the price they’re cheaper than a decent pair of tyres.

    Carbon bars have got to be one of the biggest margin items for the big brands so at retail prices I wouldn’t bother.

    April 1, 2015 at 3:27 pm #839865
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    FullGas

    I picked up a Fizik Cyrano R1
    I picked up a Fizik Cyrano R1 for chameleon. But you should be fine with a bull. The seatpost is a great buy as well. After installing these I don’t feel any road buzz. I also roll on 25mm tyres (7 bar back, 6 bar front).

    April 1, 2015 at 3:18 pm #839863
    0
    Lbowron

    As above, before spending
    As above, before spending carbon handlebar money, have a look at fitting some wider tyres at a lower pressure than you currently have. The solace’s have clearance for 28mm (on the solace 15 anyway) I believe, so you could spend £40/50 and achieve a much better damping effect as it would cover the whole frame not just your hands. Check what you’re currently running and how much space there is between the tyre and chainstays

    Also have a look at getting some decent gloves with padding suited to your hands. What works varies from person to person so if you can get to a shop to try them then great.

    New handlebars can be an expensive job, especially once you’ve paid for new bar tape and the obligatory matching stem and seat post 😉

    April 1, 2015 at 3:15 pm #839861
    0
    mike the bike

    If it were me, which it
    If it were me, which it isn’t, I’d try a roll of Lizard Skins 3mm-thick bar tape instead. I know £22 is a lot of cash for a short length of plastic tape but it really works.
    If, by some fluke, you are dissatisfied with it, you could roll it up carefully and post it to me please.

    April 1, 2015 at 2:58 pm #839859
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    Chasseur Patate

    I’d be playing around with
    I’d be playing around with tyre pressures long before I decided to buy a set of carbon bars for comfort, one of the most pointless upgrades going IMO.

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