Not that expensive – less than half the price of carbon ones at a similar weight, though it appears they’ve now been discontinued and 3T only doing carbon bars. Should be 26.0 rather than 25.4 (though IIRC my current set are actually 25.8), so as everything’s changed to 31.8 while I wasn’t looking you’d also be going NOS for a decent stem (must remember to stock up myself as I feel no need at all for 31.8)

Nothing else as light, but a few other <220g options I think. OK so carbon are lighter if they’re coming in at ~180g, but it’s an expensive weight saving.

Think I’ll stick with branded. Merlin aint 100 anymore 🙁

Jesus I thought this was a joke,

Cheap carbon road bars? Copies? Do you know what happens if your bars snap?! CERTAIN DEATH!

Stop being ridiculous and buy some deda/3t Alu ones. Go to a shop and try the different shapes (shallow, classic, anatomical) and widths and find the one you like.

JUST STOP IT! NOW!!!!

Edit: imagine if a kid reads this and you put these dirty horrible disastrous deathly ideas in his head!!!!!

Yes- see my post(s) above? 😉

I’ve got Easton carbon Havocs and I wouldn’t chinese bars to my mountain bike.

Have you had a fitting session on your bike?? Might be worth giving it a go before you start changing bars and saddle etc………

I’ve raised the bars/rotated the hoods. The only thing I wasn’t happy with was the saddle. Now sorted..

I just like the look of carbon bars 😉

I find carbon bars are a revelation. The reason is not weight but comfort. Mine have 0.25cm of flex on the drops and that means I can ride all day with thin 2mm tape and no padding in my gloves. Since I have small hands that makes the bars more comfortable. The pros like the increased rigidity of alloy. I can see the attraction of cheap chinese bars to try, but I ride Giant and Ritchey WCS and don’t give it a moments thought. Forget carbon stems, no benefit.

I don’t recommend rotating the bars to bring the hoods closer, a shorter stem is a better way forward.

TiRed which bars did you go with?

Ritchey WCS Streem for the race bike and OEM Giant Contact bars on the nice bike. Both in 42cm.

The Streems are a lovely shape (I have alloy ones on the commuter too), but discontinued. I suspect that the cheap chinese bars are overbuilt (based on weight) and won’t flex as much as a nice pair of 200g bars that cost £200.

Personally, I think it is money well spent, but others can disagree. You may hate the slight flex, but I don’t. If yu want to dabble, look for a used pair.

Hora, if it’s comfort you want get some nice tyres such as vittoria open corsa, challenge strada or schwalbe ultremo ZX in 25mm width rather than carbon bars. It will make a difference to the rolling resistance too.

Alternatively, MTFU! Those Planet-Xs are made of a cheese/carbon composite, I can’t believe anyone would be after more flex….