I have some questions

[PRinaldo]

I have been riding with a traditional aluminum bar and have been thinking about changing them. Does anyone have any experience with the FSA K-Wings??? Does the flat top make them that much more comfortable??? Also, K-Wings aside, would switching to a carbon fiber bar make much of a difference over aluminum???

Next question. I have been riding with the Specialized Armadillo tires due to the horrible roads in my area. They offer great flat protection but do not provide any confidence in the corners. Any suggestions on a tire that offres good flat protection with good cornering performance???

Your help is appreciated. Thanks.

[wasfast]

I have Giant TCR with '04 record, Rolf Prima Elan's and the FSA K-WIngs. I do like the flats on the bar. Some have complained about the drops being such that your forearms hit the top of the bars when in the drops. I made some changes to the tilt after first setup and have gotten around this.

This tilt correction also put the flats in a good position for me. Some have also complained that the flats are tipped up too much in the front, bending their wrists. I suspect that these 2 complaints are related.

These are the only bars I've had on this bike so can't compare to aluminum.

The other downside is mounting your computer. There is very little flat on the sides next to the stem so you'll have to come up with something unique depending on your computer maker.

[PanTerra]

I have a set of Armadillos, they are pretty puncture proof but man are they heavy at 400+gm. I switched to the Michelin Carbons. They are pretty flat resistant and wear very well, roll much easier and corner with much more confidence. They don't have quite the puncture protection as the Armadillos (close though), but it may be a good compromise in the cornering department.

[Richard]

I would think that a cabon bar would be stiffer for a given weight. Of course that comes at a very high price premium.

As for tires, I am happy with Specialized All Condition Pro or All Condition S works. They do well as far as puncture resistance in the Northeast where, in the spring, the roads are covered in fractured stone that was mixed with salt for de-icing. That stuff seems to puncture all sorts of other tires. I think they handle pretty well, and they wear like iron.

[Too Tall]

Two days ago I took a spin on a fellers bike with the K-wings. Yuck. I asked if the included a surround sound system!!! They are too busy and can see it will be hard to get an angle you like. If you must, look at something like the Zipp carbon bars which are much more subtle...a very nice flatish area that resides in the same plane as the rest of the bar.

Or you could spends tons of Euros and get a really light bar.

www.schmolke-carbon.de
The "Carbon Superlight": 329 Euro
The "The Lightest One": 450 Euro
Schmolke Carbon

[bcm119]

Check out Conti 4-Seasons or Michelin Carbons for a high performance, durable tire. Contrary to alot of marketing hype, high performance tires are often as flat-resistant as cheaper, "flat-proof" marketed tires due to their high thread count. The Contis use 230 tpi, I think. I've been riding them all winter in the rain and I've only had one flat.