I love both the Enve AR and 3T Aeroghaia for gravel/groad applications. As others have noted both of these have flared drops, but the flare starts below the hood clamping zone so the hoods are vertical rather than angled outward. I find the flare makes a huge difference when descending rough gravel, but this compound flare means the hoods are still in an ideal position.
Personally I think the bars are one of the key vibration absorbing components of a gravel bike, so carbon bars with flat tops and thick bar tape (Silca Nastro Cuscino, the thick kind) are my picks. I think the 3Ts are cooler looking and more aero but the Enves absorb more vibration and are more comfy.
Another one here that runs the same road bars for road and gravel: 3T Ergonova ( now called Superergo) in 42cm. Sub-200g, minimal flare, oval tops and comfortable, I can stay in the drops for hours (ymmv).
Never needed anything wider for gravel, and I love knarly courses, including a 108km MTB race recently.
I used the alloy Service Course bars, but not the XPLR version, so I could attach aerobars for Unbound.
In the end, I decided against aero bars so I also changed back to the AR bars for the race.
I find the AR bars to be significantly more comfortable than the Service Course bars. I think it is a combination of material, shape and size of the flat top area.
Is it “worth” 4x the cost? . Kinda ends of being a personal question. Since I already had the bars, it was definitely “worth” it for me. I never experienced any hand fatigue, discomfort or numbness during Unboud.
Awesome! Thanks for the info I think I’ll try them out. Curious what size you use in relation to road bars? They flare out pretty wide so was thinking 40s.
Does anyone know if there are any clip ons that you could fit to Aeroghiaias? They say “too narrow”, but that might just mean squeezed which would be fine.
Aeroghaia user here, it’s hard to envision adding clip-ons to these. The tops are very aero-shaped with no attachment points, and the clamping area is quite narrow.
Curious what people are running on their gravel bike nowadays? Asking because my Enve SES Aero 39/44cm cracked so I have to now cut them in half and send pic to Enve for replacement. I threw on my cheap Specialized shallow bend 40cm bars in the meantime and was surprised how much I enjoyed them. I kind of missed the roundish bar feeling (these have a nice ergo design and more oval than round) and also I did not miss the flare at all. Also can’t say I can tell the difference b/t aluminium and carbon…
Anyway just curious what others are running - tempting to just keep these Specialized on for awhile - might even order the 38 or 36cm.
On my new build I went with the deda super zero gravel bar. I have it rotated a bit forwards. I can hold onto the tops like a round bar without the discomfort of a flat bar. It’s not as flat as a aero road bar like on my Tarmac. I did go a few mm narrower than on my road bike.
I use whisky No. 9 24F on my Dropbar-MTB and 12F on my GRoadbike. They are carbon and were pretty affordable. Whisky Parts has some cool options for bikepacking as well, especially in the ATB space. I have their Milhouse bar on my commuter/kids cargo puller and really like them.
Is Enve sending you a free replacement or how does their warranty program for works?
I have the Enve SES aero in 37/42 and love them. I do actually wish they flared a bit more (largely because my drop bar descent/single track skills aren’t finely tuned). The 37cm tops feel so much better than the 42’s on my old diverge, that felt like riding a school bus after having the 37’s for a while!
I have to send “proof of destruction” aka chop them in half. its just s small crack near the stem but guess they want me to “destroy” them so i don’t resell them or something.
After that - they send they will send free replacement. It helped that I was original owner and registered them upon purchase. Overall, very pleased with warranty / customer service.
I just put 37cm PRO Vibe Aero Carbons, they were announced in 2023(?) but have been impossible to get until recently. Was able to race on them last weekend, hoods are probably the most comfortable I’ve felt. It just has a massive area for the heel of your hand, plus a small ergo bump for the middle of your palm. Transition to GRX levers looks pretty streamlined/natural. They are DEEP though, it’s hard to understand how deep they are without seeing them in person…riding on the tops is like gripping a brick.
Big reason I waited for them to come out over getting the ENVEs is you can run clip-on bars, but I’m glad I waited.
. Kinda ends of being a personal question. Since I already had the bars, it was definitely “worth” it for me. I never experienced any hand fatigue, discomfort or numbness during Unboud.
