Carbon Handlebars
flycop2000
Posts: 55
I have been thinking of upgrading my handlebars and have narrowed things down to two. The 3T Ergonova ltd or the Fizik Cryno carbon. Is there much difference in the two apart from the price, I was hoping to cut down on vibrations going through my hands from the road. I am already using 25mm tyres at 100psi.
Any advice / opinions please. 8)
Any advice / opinions please. 8)
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Comments
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I am already using 25mm tyres at 100psi.
Any advice / opinions please. 8)
How heavy are you?
Take more pressure out of the front tyre in particular - will make more difference to comfort than handlebars.0 -
This^^
Try 90 at the back, 80 at the front. 5 less if you're under 70 kilos. Some thicker bar tape like the thick Lizard Skins might make a difference too.0 -
Tried lowering tyre pressures to assist in comfort as suggested above....have never had so many pinch punctures as a result. Have now increased pressures back up to about 110psi and would you believe it no pinch punctures !!0
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I am already using 25mm tyres at 100psi.
Any advice / opinions please. 8)
How heavy are you?
Take more pressure out of the front tyre in particular - will make more difference to comfort than handlebars.
Exactly, you'd have to be a pretty chunky monkey to need 100psi in 25s.0 -
Tried lowering tyre pressures to assist in comfort as suggested above....have never had so many pinch punctures as a result. Have now increased pressures back up to about 110psi and would you believe it no pinch punctures !!
Try riding round the potholes, not through them!0 -
"Try riding round the potholes, not through them!" I try my best, but I've had a few surprises when going under trees from bright sunlight!
I weigh 84kg, I will reduce the pressure slightly in the tyres. I am using 4 season Gatorskins and the spec is 90-120psi.0 -
Tried lowering tyre pressures to assist in comfort as suggested above....have never had so many pinch punctures as a result. Have now increased pressures back up to about 110psi and would you believe it no pinch punctures !!
Does the phrase 'optimum pressure' mean much..??0 -
Quality padded gloves will make more of a difference to comfort.0
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Specialized Gel Mitts. I doubt carbon bars are going to make any difference but happy to be proved wrong.0
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Gone to carbon bars recently but only because I bonked my old alloy ones. Im 86Kg on 25's as well, sweet spot for me was 89psi front 95psi rear plus some thick prologo touch tape worked really well on my old bars mitts im using some basic Northwave ones because they are stupidly bright orange an match my helmet.
You should be able to get away with a bit lower than me as your lighter. In terms of vibration difference its more high end buzz itll kill from poor surfaces, but only in your hands your backsides still going to feel it. Gel mitts are a great shout you isolate your hands from some of the bar vibration with a gel layer basically. Just remember not to over grip the bars.0 -
"Try riding round the potholes, not through them!" I try my best, but I've had a few surprises when going under trees from bright sunlight!
I weigh 84kg, I will reduce the pressure slightly in the tyres. I am using 4 season Gatorskins and the spec is 90-120psi.
At 84kg you'll be fine running 90psi in both of your tyres. I do. I don't get much road buzz. I really don't think dropping a couple of hundred £s on carbon bars is worth it until you've experimented with tyre pressures/bar tape and mitts. But they are blingy of course, which is great
2020 Reilly Spectre - raw titanium
2020 Merida Reacto Disc Ltd - black on black
2015 CAAD8 105 - very green - stripped to turbo bike
2018 Planet X Exocet 2 - grey
The departed:
2017 Cervelo R3 DI2 - sold
Boardman CX Team - sold
Cannondale Synapse - broken
Cube Streamer - stolen
Boardman Road Comp - stolen0 -
Tried lowering tyre pressures to assist in comfort as suggested above....have never had so many pinch punctures as a result. Have now increased pressures back up to about 110psi and would you believe it no pinch punctures !!
Something very odd - possibly the gauge on your pump - if you need 110psi in 25mm tyres to avoid pinch flats!
As everyone has said you should be at 80psi or thereabouts for your weight. I barely put more than that into mine and I'm 98kg!Trail fun - Transition Bandit
Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
Allround - Cotic Solaris0 -
This^^
Try 90 at the back, 80 at the front. 5 less if you're under 70 kilos. Some thicker bar tape like the thick Lizard Skins might make a difference too.
I often read about people running tyres at lower pressures but all my tyres state 100psi minimum on them. Going below that seems like it would be a bad move.0 -
This^^
Try 90 at the back, 80 at the front. 5 less if you're under 70 kilos. Some thicker bar tape like the thick Lizard Skins might make a difference too.
I often read about people running tyres at lower pressures but all my tyres state 100psi minimum on them. Going below that seems like it would be a bad move.
73psi to 109psi for 25mm Michelin Pro4 Endurance.Trail fun - Transition Bandit
Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
Allround - Cotic Solaris0 -
I have Vittoria Open Corsa CX III Clincher tyres on my bike in 25mm size and their minimum recommended psi is 115. Does anyone else use similar tyres and at what pressure?This^^
Try 90 at the back, 80 at the front. 5 less if you're under 70 kilos. Some thicker bar tape like the thick Lizard Skins might make a difference too.
I often read about people running tyres at lower pressures but all my tyres state 100psi minimum on them. Going below that seems like it would be a bad move.
73psi to 109psi for 25mm Michelin Pro4 Endurance.0 -
[quote="Flycop2000 I was hoping to cut down on vibrations going through my hands from the road. I am already using 25mm tyres at 100psi.
Any advice / opinions please. 8)[/quote]
Use 25 mm tyres on 80 PSI and keep your current bars.
Ignore any recommendations, its YOUR tyre and ass.0 -
Thanks to everybody for the advice
I will drop the pressure slightly and try thicker bar tape before I go and spend some cash. 8)0 -
I have Vittoria Open Corsa CX III Clincher tyres on my bike in 25mm size and their minimum recommended psi is 115. Does anyone else use similar tyres and at what pressure?This^^
Try 90 at the back, 80 at the front. 5 less if you're under 70 kilos. Some thicker bar tape like the thick Lizard Skins might make a difference too.
I often read about people running tyres at lower pressures but all my tyres state 100psi minimum on them. Going below that seems like it would be a bad move.
73psi to 109psi for 25mm Michelin Pro4 Endurance.
Ignore what's on the sidewall. I use 25mm Corsa SCs and run them 85psi rear and 75psi front. I could probably run them even lower at my weight of 57kg. On my Cayo I'm running 25mm Schwalbe One Tubeless on SL23s and run them at 75psi rear and high 60s front. Feels lovely!0 -
Sorry to hijack the thread - I had no idea you were supposed to adjust tyre pressure according to weight?
Always just put mine to 100psi front and back.
What would you guys suggest instead (73kg, 25mm GP 4 Seasons)?0 -
Sorry to hijack the thread - I had no idea you were supposed to adjust tyre pressure according to weight?
Always just put mine to 100psi front and back.
What would you guys suggest instead (73kg, 25mm GP 4 Seasons)?
Try about 85psi at your weight, see how that feels.0 -
Sorry to hijack the thread - I had no idea you were supposed to adjust tyre pressure according to weight?
Always just put mine to 100psi front and back.
What would you guys suggest instead (73kg, 25mm GP 4 Seasons)?
Try about 85psi at your weight, see how that feels.
Not only according to weight but it's distribution too; generally lower pressure in the front tyre because 60-70% of the weight is on the rear. (It's the same for cars, but higher at the front because of the weight of the engine, and higher all round if the car's to be used fully laden. You do check and adjust your car's tyre pressures don't you??)
I don't think I've ever read the min / max recommendations on the tyre walls, so feel free to ignore them.
I'm 64kg and run my 25mm tyres at 65 front / 80 rear. In winter when I'm doing a lot of night riding and the chances of hitting water-filled potholes is much greater I might run higher pressures to give me a bit more insurance against pinch flats.
In my teenage years when my annual cycling budget was a tenner, my digital pressure gauge was my thumbs. No idea what pressure I had in my 27x1 1/4 tyres. I know my inner tubes had a lot of patches and I don't actually remember ever buying new tyres...0 -
Thanks to everybody for the advice
I will drop the pressure slightly and try thicker bar tape before I go and spend some cash. 8)
And get a decent pressure gauge and keep an eye on when you start getting pinches (you shouldn't, obviously!). The Lizard Skins bar tape really is lovely, I had it put on mine when the shifter came back from it's service and it's really very, very comfortable with excellent grip as well.Trail fun - Transition Bandit
Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
Allround - Cotic Solaris0 -
I’m 85kg and have aero carbon handlebars. The flat section on top make them quite ergonomic and comfortable on long rides, I also have quite a thick absorbent bar tape. I’m old school; 23mm tyres at 120psi and don’t have any issues. I ride a lot of back roads out in the country to avoid traffic but going to give the 25mm tyres a go next and see if there is any difference. Whether the carbon bars absorb more vibrations I’m not really sure to be honest but the bars are comfy and I don’t have any issues. I’ve also had a proper bike fit done which is definitely a good idea.0
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85psi max.
edit: didn't see page 2. Doh. Ignore me2020 Reilly Spectre - raw titanium
2020 Merida Reacto Disc Ltd - black on black
2015 CAAD8 105 - very green - stripped to turbo bike
2018 Planet X Exocet 2 - grey
The departed:
2017 Cervelo R3 DI2 - sold
Boardman CX Team - sold
Cannondale Synapse - broken
Cube Streamer - stolen
Boardman Road Comp - stolen0 -
Sorry to hijack the thread - I had no idea you were supposed to adjust tyre pressure according to weight?
Always just put mine to 100psi front and back.
What would you guys suggest instead (73kg, 25mm GP 4 Seasons)?
I'm a tad under your weight and run 70F/80R in my 25mm, I started off at 85F/95R, then 80F/90R, then 75F/85R you get the picture, just experiement until you find what you feel best with, it's all personal preference.0 -
when you say you are trying to cut down on vibrations through the bars, can I ask why that is?
Is it because you are getting pain in your hands or a numb feeling?
If that's the case I would look more towards your bike set up, particularly at your reach to bars and the height of the bars before you spunk hundreds of ££ on carbon bars etc. My guess is that the bars maybe be too low for you putting slightly more pressure on your hands which in turn make them go numb. I may be wrong but it would be the first thing I would check.
FWIW, I had a bike fit when I bought my current bike and went from riding a 57.5cm top tube with a 110mm stem, to riding a 56cm top tube and a 110 stem and I am a million times more comfortable. Also the bike is aluminium with a carbon fork, has aluminium bars and Bonty bar tape, and my 25mm tyres are always pumped up at 120psi (unless the roads are wet where I drop the pressure down), I never get any issue with vibrations through the bars and never get any numb feelings or pain.Obsessed is a word used by the lazy to describe the dedicated!0 -
I was in the same boat as you in toying with the idea of buying carbon bars to reduce road buzz and numbness in my hands until I found this article .....
http://www.bikequarterly.com/images/TireDrop.pdf
I'm Virtually the same weight to you and after weighing myself on the bike I ended up running 75psi at the front and 115psi on the rear. The difference in comfort is huge compared to what I was running on before. Between this and riding on the hoods without putting pressure on the soft bit between my thumb and forefinger I'm now numbness free.
It's based on something called 15% tyre drop and goes on to explain that pumping your tyres up beyond the 15% drop gives marginal gain for significant discomfort.
Give it a go before you even double up on your bar tape.0
