Has anyone got some real world feedback on AliExpress carbon bars (with a decent flare like these) or anything similar? They have good reviews on the site but don’t know how much can be trusted 😅
**edit please feel free to share your fav bars regardless of cost!
by Big_Satisfaction7328
11 Comments
Hell nah, the extra $150 is worth the piece of mind that I’m not going to eat shit when those suckers snap.
I’m really liking these. Are there any legit bars like this?
I’ve been using $40 carbon aero bars from AliExpress for the past 9 months without any issues though I’ve been quite careful as I’m recovering from a previous nasty crash last year (one of the reasons i replaced the old stock broken bars).
Not sure why everyone is all scared about quality.
What’s the advantage of carbon bars and stems over plain Aluminum or the variations of it that have slightly better noise damping?
Carbon steering components have always creeped me out.
I bought some ZNIINO branded carbon bars with a wide flare from AliExpress a couple years ago. Did a couple races with them and many rides. No issues and I’ve put all my weight in them and pushed down on them hard. They seem incredibly strong and light. But there in lies the problem — they are also brutally stiff. There is no give or flex at all. I still use them and they’re fine, but I’ll be moving on from them for a pair of non-Ali bars that are more comfortable. Note that I’ve used expensive carbon bars that were much less stiff for both gravel racing and bike trials. I’d save for a well engineered bar. Ali stuff is good if you’re working on figuring out fit and sizing beyond a standard return window.
It’s important to remember Aliexpress is a marketplace, not a merchant. (Similar to Amazon.) The range of quality from there is wide.
The RXL SL bars I got I’ve heard great things about.
Currently using the third one, had no issues. Can’t compare stiffness with more premium one.
Off topic: What front light is this? Looks interesting
I used a set of carbon Ritchey Venture Max 2 WCS until I crashed them. Noticeably more comfy than any alloy cockpit I have ever had. The bump in the drop is a taste thing, I didn’t mind it.
I’ve put about 1000km on a set of no name ali Express carbon bars riding some truly terrible British roads and country lanes without issue.
A good rule of thumb would be only go with products that openly state what brand they are and put logos on their products. Even if you have never heard of them, if they are confident enough in the product to put their name to it, its probably more solid than some random bar which is all blank.
If you do decide to buy some carbon bars, make sure you use carbon gripper paste and do not over torque your stem and shifter bolts and you should be fine.