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.
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Handlebar Clamp: 31.8 mm | |
Handlebar Style: Drop Bars | |
Handlebar Shape: Gravel (Flared) | |
Material: Alloy | |
Matte Black - 40 | Width: 40 cm |
Mfg PartNum: 00.6618.197.000 | |
Matte Black - 42 | Mfg PartNum: 00.6618.197.001 |
Width: 42 cm | |
Matte Black - 44 | Width: 44 cm |
Mfg PartNum: 00.6618.197.002 | |
Matte Black - 46 | Mfg PartNum: 00.6618.197.003 |
Width: 46 cm | |
Mfg Warranty: 72 Mo. Parts & Labor | |
Warranty URL: https://www.sram.com/en/zipp/campaigns/warranty | |
This bar solved the 2 issues I have had with my Trek Checkpoint. I felt too stretched out, and had slight numbness in my hands. This bar has a shorter reach than the stock bar, which has solved both these problems. The brifters are also closer to the drops now, which gives me more confidence while riding in the drops as it is easier to reach the breaks. I also enjoy the slight backward sweep to the tops, which puts my hands/arms in a more comfortable position.
I couldn�t tell you if they transmit more or less road buzz than the stock alloy bars, but this was not really a concern for me. I went with the same size 42cm bar, however the Zipp bar is slightly narrower than the stock 42cm bar.
I have a pair of these same bars from Zipp in the non "XPLR" version, in the same width as well. While I do like the flair in the drops quite a bit for gravel, the width in the hoods seems a hair narrower that Zipp's equivalently sized bar in the non "XPLR" version. Minor quibble...if I bought again I'd probably size up. That being said, the flat spot on the bar tops is suuuuuper comfy. Nice, wide, flat profile is comfy on the hands.
My second Zipp XPLR bar, this time replacing the oem bar on my road bike. I like the beefy cross section at the tops and especially the subtle flares - my wrists are much more comfortably positioned, and I get much less numbness in my hands.
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.
