Material science has progressed making aluminum handlebars lighter and stiffer. Carbon handlebars meanwhile can be fine-tuned, through the precise lay-up of carbon fiber, to strike the optimal balance between stiffness and compliance. This is what you need to know before you buy your next PRO Handlebar.
A number of factors always come into play when picking the right component for your bike, regardless if it’s a road bike, a gravel bike, or a mountain bike. Comfort/bike fit, weight, aerodynamics, the balance between stiffness and compliance, and of course price could all factor into your decision making. As material technology has progressed aluminum handlebars have become lighter, stiffer, and even more aerodynamic – so the choice is perhaps not as clear cut as it once was.
The major benefit which carbon still holds over alloy however is its ability to be fine-tuned during the manufacturing process to perfectly optimize the balance between stiffness and compliance. By changing the fiber lay-ups, the PRO product development team can make a carbon handlebar stiffer or allow it to provide more compliance. In mountain bike and increasingly in gravel bike handlebars this balance is vital. PRO comprehensively stress test each handlebar design and measures both vertical and horizontal displacement to determine MTB handlebar compliance.
Carbon vs Alloy Comparison
| Carbon | Alloy | |
| Bike Fit | Personal Choice | Personal Choice |
| Weight | Lightest Weight | Increasingly Light Weight |
| Aerodynamics | Can be Exceptionally Aero | Increasingly Aero Too |
| Stiffness vs Compliance | Fine-Tuned for Balance | Determined by the Particular Alloy |
| Price | Premium Product | High-Performance Product |
| Crash Resistance | Robust | Very Robust |
On road, gravel, and cross-country race bikes weight and aerodynamics are often more important than the balance between stiffness and compliance. For Enduro and aggressive trail riders that balance is vitally important and you could therefore choose to purchase a carbon handlebar, despite the alloy handlebar being more crash resident.
For road and gravel racers the improvements of alloy manufacturing technology means that you can now obtain many of the aerodynamic benefits, which previously were only possible with carbon handlebars, from an alloy bar. This allows more riders to equip their bikes with a high-performance cockpit. Carbon remains easier to work into aerodynamic shapes and currently provides greater aero benefits. Most of these are achieved by supporting your forearms in the pursuit position, which allows you to hold an aero body position.
Remember that your bike fit and comfort on the bike will likely have the biggest effect on your performance. Setting your bike up so that you can deliver power efficiently for the longest period of time will almost certainly improve your performance the most. That is why PRO offers a range of carbon and alloy handlebars in various widths and designs for road, gravel, and mountain biking.
Regardless of the material choice of your next PRO handlebar we trust it will enable you to experience the liberating joy of cycling.