Equipment review - Zipp SL-70 Aero Handlebar -

[David Kirk]

I was reading not all that long ago that there are a few parts of the bike where it’s easy to bolt on an aero advantage and one of them was an aero handlebar. I decided to try them on my all-road MRB because it’s the bike I ride most often. And while the speeds are lower than on a pure road bike there’s so often enough wind for aero to help even at the lower speed. I bought a pair of the Zipp DSL-70 Aero bars in the 44 cm width.

Firstly…I could not feel an aero advantage. It might be there and for sure it would be small but I have faith that it should make the bike slightly more slippery. What I didn't expect was the added comfort owing to the shape of the bar and the different hand positions it makes available. I was surprised how much I love the large flat-ish part of the bar tops. The size and curve of the tops matches my hands so well that it feels like they took a mold of my hand to design the shape. The large surface area really helps keep my hands happy. I would occasionally have hand discomfort with a normal round bar and I would have to shake them out on longer rides… this is no longer the case and the aero cross section spreads the load across so much more area that the pressure is that much lower.

I find that I like to climb with my hands right next to the stem with my thumb wrapping around the round part of the bar and my palm happy on the flat part. I always liked this position on my old road bars but I found I didn’t hang out there for all that long. With the Zipp Aero bar I feel like I can stay there until the climb is over and it’s time to go downhill.

The position of the cable ports routes the cables in a nice smooth curve. The bars weigh just a few grams less than the round carbon bar I had been using and the drops fit my hands very well.

Like Saddles, handlebars are so very personal that works for me may, or may not, work well for you. That said I’d be surprised if they didn’t work well for other riders too. In the end I love these things and I wish I’d gotten a pair earlier. I for sure will be putting a pair on my paved road bike too. It’s funny - I bought them for the aero benefit and I’ll be keeping them for the comfort. Go figure.

dave