Deda or 3T

il_principe

Morning folks.

Having a think about Bars and Stems this morning. Cannot decide between Deda (which I've run for the last 4/5 years) or 3T. Thinking DEDA Zero100 combo or 3T Ergnova and Arx.

Always used DEDA but the shape of the Ergonova looks like it might be more comfy - particularly as the tops are oval shaped. Anyone tried both and have a view at all?

Also - I suspect I will go Alu as the cost/weight of carbon is tough to justify and I'm concerned that carbon bars might get destroyed in a crash. But are there really any comfort bonuses to be had by going carbon? I've never tried.

Ben6899

Are Deda and 3T the oonly options you'll consider? How about the top end Ritchey stuff - available in aluminium if that's what you're after.

antlaff

For less than £100 dont think this cockpit can be beat - have purchased a set this week myself.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/3t-ergonova-pro-alloy-road-handlebar/

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/3t-arx-pro-alloy-oversized-road-stem/

il_principe

I'm limited by what the LBS stock, so:

Deda
3T
Bontrager
Enve
Zipp

clarkey cat

have you thought about making your own stem and bars...?

Ben6899

Il Principe wrote:

I'm limited by what the LBS stock, so:

Deda
3T
Bontrager
Enve
Zipp

From that lot, I would go with Deda. I think 3T and Bontrager finishing kit is ugly and I don't know enough about Enve and Zipp kit.

mroli

I have Deda on a bike, 3T on a bike and Ritchey on another bike and the Zero100 stuff is my favourite. Look, feel, price. Horses for courses though isn't it?

il_principe

clarkey cat wrote:

have you thought about making your own stem and bars...?

er, no.

*Confused face*

jonginge

When building up the cervelo I went with Ritchey but that's only coz I wanted both the bars and stem in tarty white.

I looked at carbon but couldn't justify it for the reasons you've stated.

Ben6899

JonGinge wrote:

When building up the cervelo I went with Ritchey but that's only coz I wanted both the bars and stem in tarty white.

I looked at carbon but couldn't justify it for the reasons you've stated.

Did you go for the WCS "wet look" kit, Jon? That stuff is lovely... especially in white!

As for carbon, I agree. A top aluminium cockpit - pro rata by cost - is up there with the carbon.

jonginge

Ben6899 wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

When building up the cervelo I went with Ritchey but that's only coz I wanted both the bars and stem in tarty white.

I looked at carbon but couldn't justify it for the reasons you've stated.

Did you go for the WCS "wet look" kit, Jon? That stuff is lovely... especially in white!

As for carbon, I agree. A top aluminium cockpit - pro rata by cost - is up there with the carbon.

Yeah, I did.
Piccy on this page (has some reynolds dvt46s on it now, though):
viewtopic.php?f=40012&t=12589873&p=16444446

spasypaddy

3T for me. one of those brands ive always wanted and when i built the dream bike there was only going to be one choice to have on there.

Ben6899

JonGinge wrote:

Yeah, I did.
Piccy on this page (has some reynolds dvt46s on it now, though):
viewtopic.php?f=40012&t=12589873&p=16444446

That's lovely. Chapeau!

bigmat

Carbon stuff looks nice - not really that expensive either if you shop around. I've got Easton EC90 carbon bars, I think they do absorb a bit of road buzz which is nice. Oval carbon stem which I suspect is carbon wrapped alu - looks good and mega stiff, but about 50% heavier than my previous alu stem!

Never worried about wrecking the bars in a crash - I tend to save that bike for best anyway, raced it a few times but with a carbon frame and forks, I don't see the argument against carbon bars being that strong - it would all be potentially fooked in a big smash!

Bar shape is probably the main factor, drop, shape of tops, shape of curve etc. A stem is a stem really, unless its made of either lead or cheese.

spasypaddy

erm matt, my stem isnt JUST a stem. its twice the size of a normal stem

il_principe

BigMat wrote:

Never worried about wrecking the bars in a crash - I tend to save that bike for best anyway, raced it a few times but with a carbon frame and forks, I don't see the argument against carbon bars being that strong - it would all be potentially fooked in a big smash!

See I dunno about this. I came down hard on the Etape - Alu bars were unscathed, not convinced carbon ones would have been. PITA to train for an event and then have it ruined due to smashed bars - and let's face it, they are almost always gonna take the impact. The derailleur hanger didn't fare so well - stupidly the 1st generation Prince had a carbon hanger, so destroy that and the frame's a write off. I was lucky, mine bent a little - enough to feck up shifting. The mechanic at Sigma managed to coax it back when I got home, but said I'd been bloody lucky. So carbon bars give me the fear, which is sad as the tart in me would love a pair.

bigmat

Il Principe wrote:

BigMat wrote:

Never worried about wrecking the bars in a crash - I tend to save that bike for best anyway, raced it a few times but with a carbon frame and forks, I don't see the argument against carbon bars being that strong - it would all be potentially fooked in a big smash!

See I dunno about this. I came down hard on the Etape - Alu bars were unscathed, not convinced carbon ones would have been. PITA to train for an event and then have it ruined due to smashed bars - and let's face it, they are almost always gonna take the impact. The derailleur hanger didn't fare so well - stupidly the 1st generation Prince had a carbon hanger, so destroy that and the frame's a write off. I was lucky, mine bent a little - enough to feck up shifting. The mechanic at Sigma managed to coax it back when I got home, but said I'd been bloody lucky. So carbon bars give me the fear, which is sad as the tart in me would love a pair.

I can see the issue. I crashed at speed on the Marmotte. Also crashed at very low speed on the King of the Downs sportive. Bars held up on each occasion. I guess the risk is always there though. Saying that, I wouldn't get too carried away with the comparative strength of lightweight alloy bars - have heard a few stories about them suddenly failing and I think they have a surprisingly short shelf life officially. Of course the pros use alloy so I fully accept it must be better - it ultimately comes down to tart / risk.

bigmat

Il Principe wrote:

BigMat wrote:

Never worried about wrecking the bars in a crash - I tend to save that bike for best anyway, raced it a few times but with a carbon frame and forks, I don't see the argument against carbon bars being that strong - it would all be potentially fooked in a big smash!

See I dunno about this. I came down hard on the Etape - Alu bars were unscathed, not convinced carbon ones would have been. PITA to train for an event and then have it ruined due to smashed bars - and let's face it, they are almost always gonna take the impact. The derailleur hanger didn't fare so well - stupidly the 1st generation Prince had a carbon hanger, so destroy that and the frame's a write off. I was lucky, mine bent a little - enough to feck up shifting. The mechanic at Sigma managed to coax it back when I got home, but said I'd been bloody lucky. So carbon bars give me the fear, which is sad as the tart in me would love a pair.

I can see the issue. I crashed at speed on the Marmotte. Also crashed at very low speed on the King of the Downs sportive. Bars held up on each occasion. I guess the risk is always there though. Saying that, I wouldn't get too carried away with the comparative strength of lightweight alloy bars - have heard a few stories about them suddenly failing and I think they have a surprisingly short shelf life officially. Of course the pros use alloy so I fully accept it must be better - it ultimately comes down to tart / risk.

greg66_tri_v2.0

I have done the carbon cockpit thing and ended up back with alu. My subjective view was that the carbon bars felt flimsy. Objectively, I suspect this was 100% wrong, and I wouldn't be that surprised if head to head in a crash carbon came out better than alu. For every carbon bars scare story there's Hincapie ripping his alu bars in half on the cobbles in Paris-Roubaix. Hey ho.

Of the makes you've got to choose from I've only used 3T, which is pretty nice kit. I'd have a good look at Enve though. They make some sweet stuff.

veronese68

I'd worry if carbon bars took the force of an impact I'd want to check for cracking. To do that you'd have to take the bar tape off. I know this is irrational and if they did crack it would most likely be near the stem as that is where the most stress would be.

cjcp

Greg66 wrote:

Of the makes you've got to choose from I've only used 3T, which is pretty nice kit. I'd have a good look at Enve though. They make some sweet stuff.

I have a similar dilemma to IP at the moment: can't decide between 3T and Ritchey. I've always been a Ritchey man, but 3T would match the forks. But 3T represents a change, which I don't like.

jonny_trousers

Absolutely no help here as I have yet to fit them to my bike, but I went for the 3T Ergonova/ARX combo having read countless reviews, and copping a sneaky feel of a bike with the Ergonovas fitted, and I'm very optimistic. I think they look great too. Anything beyond the most narrow Ergonovas are tricky to get hold of, but Cycle Surgery have a few 44s left in stock dotted around London.

jonny_trousers

Oh, and something to consider f you do go for Ergonovas: the width is taken from the ends of the drops, which flare out a little so perhaps worth considering a size up from what you are used to.

Stevo_666

Based on my rather limited knowledge I reckon you can't go far wrong with either, which is probably why you're having trouble deciding :-)

About the worries about carbon bars cracking, my only experience is that the carbon bars on the beefier of my mountain bikes holds up very well to the stresses of downhilling. Seems to me that the issue is more one of perception.

symo

PRO for variation. They make great Alu stuff, and the Carbon stuff is uber cool.

il_principe

symo wrote:

PRO for variation. They make great Alu stuff, and the Carbon stuff is uber cool.

Nope. PRO are Shimano. No Shimano'll go near this bike.

veronese68

Stevo 666 wrote:

Seems to me that the issue is more one of perception.

Certainly is with me. I'm a bit of a luddite.

itboffin

Il Principe wrote:

symo wrote:

PRO for variation. They make great Alu stuff, and the Carbon stuff is uber cool.

Nope. PRO are Shimano. No Shimano'll go near this bike.

+1 Campangnolo would turn in his grave

BTW i have deda, deda zero and 3T and like them all equally, I also have FSA with the carbon face plate tiz also very nice - im talking aesthetics here as i cant tell the difference functionally.

Stevo_666

Veronese68 wrote:

Stevo 666 wrote:

Seems to me that the issue is more one of perception.

Certainly is with me. I'm a bit of a luddite.

All I can say is try it and see. Carbon tech has come a long way, to the extent that they make carbon frames for downhill mountain bikes, never mind just the bars.

il_principe

Stevo 666 wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

Stevo 666 wrote:

Seems to me that the issue is more one of perception.

Certainly is with me. I'm a bit of a luddite.

All I can say is try it and see. Carbon tech has come a long way, to the extent that they make carbon frames for downhill mountain bikes, never mind just the bars.

Spent a happy 2 hours in Sigma at the weekend. Did look at some carbon all in one stem/bar combo's which were very nice. I was tempted as carbon does allow for a nice wide bar tops which I'd like. However, ended up going for a 3T ARX stem and Ergonova bars, both in Alu and both with the new "stealth" paint job - which will match the new frame nicely.






Ronan confided that all the Sigma staff use Alu as well, so the carbon fear is strong in them too.

*Edited for pics!

spasypaddy

from the moon, i can just about make out those pictures.

Good choice though (still would have gone carbon though...)