Zipp's answer to the growing popularity of gravel — true to it's fit-first philosophy for handlebar design — is an innovative new all-road bar the Service Course SL 70 XPLR.
The bar's moniker, XPLR, exemplifies the desire to explore the world with an expanded definition of cycling on a drop bar bicycle ... from paved roads onto gravel, mud, dirt, and even singletrack.
The Service Course SL 70 XPLR helps you go faster by placing your body, starting with your hands, in an optimal "comfort zone" position for hours of rough riding over mixed terrain.
Today's riders demand a few things out of their cockpit, whether they are doing a two-hour training ride from home or a 200-mile gravel adventure: comfort, control, and the ability to carry what they need.
Zipp met these needs by creating a bar with shallow and wide drops, specifically focusing on two crucial metrics: outsweep and flare.
B-Stock - This product has one or more B-Stock units available. These units can be purchased at a discount (see option select). B-Stock units were returned from other customers and may have missing or damaged packaging materials. These units are otherwise as new. The full manufacturer warranty applies. Click Here for more information.
Handlebar Clamp: 31.8 mm | |
Handlebar Style: Drop Bars | |
Matte Black - 40 | Mfg PartNum: 00.6618.197.000 |
Matte Black - 42 | Mfg PartNum: 00.6618.197.001 |
Matte Black - 44 | Mfg PartNum: 00.6618.197.002 |
Matte Black - 46 | Mfg PartNum: 00.6618.197.003 |
Mfg Warranty: 72 Mo. Parts & Labor | |
Warranty URL: https://www.sram.com/en/zipp/campaigns/warranty | |
I went from a 38cm on my old bike to a 42cm on a new bike. It was a little too wide so I needed something in between. This is a nice alternative. I'm using it with Di2 on a Specialized Aethos and it works really well. Fits great and is comfortable on the hoods or the drops. The flare is nice as well.
I'm a short rider (5'-3') and ride a 49'. I need every inch of reach I can get so this handle bar helped me achieved that desired sweet spot. The shallow drop is also a plus. Very stiff and the flare out makes it feel a bit more stable when sprinting out of the saddle.
I put this on my Trek Checkpoint gravel bike, as a replacement for the OEM bar. I was looking for something with less reach and a little flare in the drops. This bar met my expectations, and was priced right.
Great bend, great backsweep, great flair but these bars felt quite stiff when compared to the D-Fuse SLR Road bars that came on my Giant Revolt Force. Leaving my hands tired and sore after riding my local 25-mile gravel loop. I really wanted these bars and if they had a carbon version with some built-in flex, these would be gold.
