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review
Handlebars & extensions
Salsa Moto Ace Short'n'Shallow barsSalsa Moto-Ace Short'n'Shallow bars

Salsa Moto Ace Short'n'Shallow bars

7
by dave atkinson
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Mar 12, 2012

0
£39.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Good quality standard-clamp handlebars that give a good range of comfy hand positions
Weight: 
306g
Contact: 
www.ison-distribution.com
How we test

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Salsa's Moto Ace range of drop bars are designed to be an economical option for bikes running a non-oversized stem, and the Short & Shallow is a good all-purpose bar for road riding. It's not that shallow, in spite of its name, but it is comfy and fairly inexpensive.

I fitted the S&S bars to my Raleigh singlespeed conversion, and that meant feeding them through a single-bolt quill stem. The ergonomic shape made that quite a squeeze, although I finally managed to persuade them into place with a bit of puffing and panting and a cold chisel wedging the clamp open. If you have a classic quill stem, best to check you'll be able to get them in.

Once fitted they were comfortable and easy to get used to. The drop is 144mm so it's not the most shallow you can get, but there's a generous amount of the drop behind the tops, which means they're nice and easy to find with plenty of scope for adjusting your grip. The ergonomic section isn't as pronounced a bump as some other bars, which I got on with pretty well. Up top the transition from tops to drops is well designed, with enough room along the tops for hands and accoutrements, and decent support when you're on the hoods.

Stiffness-wise they're not the most rigid of bars, but there's no more flex on the drops than on a lightweight set of Carbon bars. If you do a lot of sprinting or you like a really stiff cockpit, best to look elsewhere. I like a bit of give, so they suited me well. At 306g for the 44cm bars tested they're not especially light, but then at £40 they're not especially pricy either.

Verdict

Good quality standard-clamp handlebars that give a good range of comfy hand positions

road.cc test report

Make and model: Salsa Moto Ace Short'n'Shallow bars

Size tested: 44cm

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?

The Moto Ace Short & Shallow Bar is the more economical version of the Short & Shallow bar. It shares the same short drop and reach. Constructed of 6061-T6 aluminum. 26.0 clamp diameter.

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

6061-T6 aluminum

Smaller drop and reach

Anatomic bend

Front indentation for cable routing

26.0mm clamp for 36-46cm sizes

144mm drop, 82mm reach

Black bead-blast finish

44cm = 301 grams

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
6/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

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: 38  Height: 190cm  Weight: 98kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Genesis Equilibrium with SRAM Apex

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

 

Salsa Moto Ace Short'n'Shallow bars
shallow reach bars
Aluminium handlebars
Dave Atkinson

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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