seatposts and handlebars

silver2789

looking for a new set of handlebars and seatpost and whittled it down to zipps service course sl range or pro vibe 7s
anybody had any experience with either

ugo.santalucia

Here is why I would rather buy a Deda alloy handlebar than a Zipp one:

Deda is a company that has a long history of working with metal alloys to make all sorts of stuff... basically they know what they are doing when it comes to bending a pipe of aluminium

Zipp is a company that makes carbon fibre components and assemble wheels in Indiana. Anything else in their range is out of their comfort zone and most likely manufactured by some generic company in China, where they might or might not be at the cutting edge of bending metal

There might be a flaw in my thought process, so make of it what you want

mfin

I completely disagree with any bias against Zipp there on that logic. Stacks and stacks of manufacturers have made alloy bars for years and years, it's not difficult otherwise they'd be failing all over the place, which they don't. The brands the OP has mentioned are big names too.

In answer to the OP, I do have experience of Service Course SL, and they do exactly what a handlebar should, no issues, just like you'd imagine. It's down to fit though, only you can decipher the geometry the bar that would suit you best.

FransJacques

Seconded - I'm building up a new superbike and took delivery of 4 stems to try them all: 3T Team, Deda Superlggera, Zipp SC and Deda Zero. Deda Zero won out for looks with a competitive weight and its design is 6 years old (i.e. proven) and a 12cm has endured 2 seasons on my cross bike. They can be found for not much over £50.

The Pro Vibe is really nice too, my wife has a 90mm white model and it assembled very well - threads well cut, no burrs on either clamp.

To match the Deda stem, the Dritissimo carbon post is a steal at £50 and weight 195 grams. If you need layback the Zero seatpost matches the stem.

holiver

Zipp provide masses of geometry information (drop and reach etc) on their website which is great. I have been looking at their bars recently, specifically the Service Course SL-70. Although it is a compact bar, the shape of the drop is rather more traditional than that of the Pro Vibe 7s compact. Up to you as to which you prefer!

Also be aware that the Pro Vibe 7s is oversized right across the tops.

I'll throw the Cinelli Dinamo bar and seatpost into your consideration too. Look to be very lightweight.

trailflow

Zipp are owned by Sram who also own Truvativ, Avid, Quarq and Rockshox. Are you applying that logic to all there other products ?

If anything they will be producing stuff to the highest standard in Taiwan.

Here's a factory tour
http://www.bikerumor.com/2015/01/23/fac ... rain-more/

imposter2.0

ugo.santalucia wrote:

There might be a flaw in my thought process, so make of it what you want

I think there is, to be fair. Many companies across the world are able to combine expertise in CF with expertise in alloys. I doubt if the guy who operates the autoclave also runs the tube bending machine...

ugo.santalucia

Imposter wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

There might be a flaw in my thought process, so make of it what you want

I think there is, to be fair. Many companies across the world are able to combine expertise in CF with expertise in alloys. I doubt if the guy who operates the autoclave also runs the tube bending machine...

The point I was making is that I doubt they make their own alloy handlebars in Indiana and most likely you are paying 100 for something that is worth 50 without the Zipp logo. It's the classic outsourcing model that ends up inflating the price of a rather generic item. On the other hand, Deda specialises in this type of product. Besides, it seems to me Deda's bars are more innovative at the upper end (35 mm bars etc..) and offer incredibly good value even at the bottom end of the market (which is where you will find me roaming).

daniel_b

FransJacques wrote:

To match the Deda stem, the Dritissimo carbon post is a steal at £50 and weight 195 grams. If you need layback the Zero seatpost matches the stem.

Can I ask where you have seen this for £50?

trailflow

most likely you are paying 100 for something that is worth 50

Thats the whole bike industry summed up in one sentence.

It's the classic outsourcing model that ends up inflating the price of a rather generic item.

I think Zipp's bar shapes are totally unique to them.

How hard is it to engineer 35mm bars ? Dont you just type some new numbers in on a tube bending machine ? They must feel way harsher to ride than 31.8, i don't think they will catch on.

passout

I like Pro stuff generally stuff (use their bartape for instance) but I have to agree about Deda - this was my choice when I recently rebuilt my summer bike. Their compact bars (RHM is it?) have a really nice shape to them. Deda prices on Ribble are very keen and it looks great. Couldn't see the point of spending more. I have no experience of Zipp. BTW these look good: http://www.syntace.com/index.cfm?pid=3&pk=1848

ugo.santalucia

trailflow wrote:

How hard is it to engineer 35mm bars ? Dont you just type some new numbers in on a tube bending machine ? They must feel way harsher to ride than 31.8, i don't think they will catch on.

They're not just pipes, they are typically triple butted, they undergo heat treatments and surface treatments... it's all a bit more complicated that just bending a pipe. That's why I think a company with a background in metallurgy has more chances to give you a better product than one that has never had that kind of experience and relies on an external manufacturer. Basically you add an extra step to the chain and most likely at the same price point is bound to be an inferior product.

I do still like to differentiate between manufacturers and brands

cattytown

Passout - the Syntace Racelites are my bar of choice. I have large hands and find a lot of bars uncomfortable but these fit nicely - the anatomical drop gives me room, the slight sweep back makes the tops more comfortable, I like 'em, just a pity they are relatively scarce in shops. Mainly Wiggle or ebay.

passout

Yes they look good. Also see: http://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=7;n ... 3,31;mid=3

Sounds like you have a clear idea what you are after in terms of shape & dimensions.

cougie

I've actually no idea what bars or stem I have on my bikes - apart from the bike on my turbo where I've spent days looking at the stem.

Would I pay a lot for a stem/bars ? Probably not - All they have to do is stay in one piece and be of the right shape.

cattytown

cougie wrote:

All they have to do is stay in one piece and be of the right shape.

Finding the right shape can be rather interesting :-)

passout

I think handle bar shape makes a big difference to comfort and how likely you are to use the drops - does for me anyway. I would only use compact drops now.

FransJacques

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-t ... edaspin282

The number in the ones column tends to fluctuate in line with the EUR/GBP rate. E.g. I bought mine 2 years ago for £52.

To the OP: I have a set of little-used alu Zipp 42cm I let you borrow or buy if you want to try them. They look awesome (black on black) but I wanted something narrower. I can post the model name when I have a look tonight.

silver2789

decided to go with the zipp service course sl bars as I managed to get them for £43 which seemed a bargain at half price so will see what they are like when they arrive. Just need a decent seatpost now

styxd

Where did you find the Zipp bars for £43?

Zipp seatposts are decent.

silver2789

ribblecycles had them on offer, and had an additional 10% off code one the website so thought it was too good a deal to pass