Your show provides a super valuable service to the cycling community, nobody else does long term testing of lots of bargain componentry, also you have a dope steed, that anyone aside from possibly some dedicated label checkers, would call a fine bit of machinery, showing everyone that you don’t have to pay top dollar to roll hard.
Benjamin, awesome comment, thanks so much!!!! Yeah with parts like these, initial impressions are often not really enough, you have to get some decent miles on them first.
Damn even took the time to set and run flex tests!! amazing, Luke! Thanks for the content, top notch as always.. The honesty in highlighting the bad stuff and that it outweights the good stuff, this is what makes your channel one of the best around. now about those Elite Drive wheels, that's a nice carbon pattern!! it caught me off guard, first photo looked plain black but in the sun it turns into something else! Really looking forward to the review and also the gravel bike build!
Awesome, thanks Stefano! But yeah the carbon pattern on the wheels intially looks like its a bit scratched up in the pictures, but the patten is REALLY lovely in person. I'll def hightlight it more in the review!
I’m a pretty heavy rider 90kg and have the straight toseek integrated bars and like you have had no issues for 3 years.. they’re more comfortable than the aero bars on my canyon ultimate (which maybe because they’re not quite as stiff) but I’m super happy with them!
I think the darker areas might be a part where they switch to unidirectional carbon, because that will be more flexible for the shifters to be connected to it without cracking. The rest is 3k carbon which is stronger but more brittle
Hi Luke, nice content. This is the reason for me as gravel cyclist/home mechanic. I prefer non integrated bar stem combo, easier adjustment and replacement. And i have externally cable routed modern steel gravel bike. Easy to maintain and inspect. Waiting for your gravel bike build dude.
@@TraceVelo another piece of advice I learned from raul luechter technique. Use stem that has large contact area AKA small hole in the steerer clamp area to reduce point loading in the steerer tube especially carbon one. Cheers. 💪💪
Hi Luke. A great methodical vid. I have had some experience working with carbon composites on yachts. Looking at the drops, the dark patches to me look as though the carbon hasn’t properly conformed to the surface of the mould (although might just be looking at a small screen!) leaving a thick layer of resin. Moulding the drops separately would be a nightmare with hours of rework to surface the joint, not ideal for a £22 set of bars so imagine they don’t do that. A concern here is that the thick resin matrix would be considered a point of failure as alone it doesn’t have much strength. (💭 I wonder what the cross section of that area looks like?). Where you filed the holes, as these bars don’t scream structural longevity, I’d be hesitant to do that, although I understand the desire. You could seal the exposed edges with a resin or similar which might help prevent stress fractures that might occur near the exposed fabric. It would be interesting if you you did a part two where you cut these in half so that we could see the internal quality, looking at the uniformity in cross section throughout the bar, looking for thin, thick bits of layup, voids from dirt or air. Although aesthetically the ripples aren’t to much of a problem they may cause imperfections and voids below them increasing risk of failure. Saying all this I’ve got a ToSeek seat post on my roadie and can’t complain 😁 Keep on keeping on Trace!
Hi Luke, Great content! I actually crashed with the same exact TOSEEK handlebars on a 1k km Bike trip. They snaped at the section where it gets darker and the carbon isn't visible. Since I had 300km left, I cut them to the point, where I could reclamp my shifter on. In any event your assumption is correct: they have not been made in one mold. The drops have a cone shaped section which is pushed and glued together inside the flats, at the darkened sections. I've got pictures to show it, but I can't put them in a comment 🤷♂️ Btw. a UNO aluminium stem (
Ok great, yeah a couple of people in the comments have mentioed that they were probably molded in several parts, but thanks for confirming. If you do have any pictures of the snapped bar, send them over to my email (listed in the video description), I'd be really interested to see them! And good suggestion about the UNO stem, having more adjustability is def a good thing!
Correct. When a CF pattern is not seamless, joins have been used. These joins are then ‘glued’ to the rest of the frame with black tar looking glue. The cheaper way of working with CF. Don’t worry, it’s the same story on higher end products too however they do not use joins. The outer layer is kept naked and extra layers applied to the inside of a tube or frame where the parts meet.
Ive had all sorts of cheap Toseek bike stuff throughout the years since maybe 2017 lol. Value for money. You dont know how great your channel is. I think you're the only cycling RUclipsr that focuses on affordable road bike stuff. Too many purists with deep pockets out there Lool
I had the same issue with my toseek bars (none integrated) so ran them externally. They’ve been on the bike just over two years now without issue. The bars look really good on the bike and were a bargain at £33 posted 😬
Im riding a carbon MTB riser (noname) on my Omnium cargo now for a year now, and it works great, there is of course flex in them especially when im climbing but it doesn't feel sketchy at all in the end it's still a very long bar (74cm). Now that im building a new project ( 29" hardtail mtb) i orderd a new Toseek riser (74cm) and i think they wont dissapoint me again. Just because its "china carbon" doesnt mean they are crap since most of the carbon products even the stuff from big brands is made in china aswell. i really enjoy your videos man thanks.
Great, honest review. 👍 FYI, Ive bought a Toseek aero seatpost and two sets of more modern integrated bars directly from DengFu ($100). No problems whatsoever. Brilliant, in fact.
I've bought many (many) Toseek items, too, over the past few years. No bad experiences, so far,. Generally, I like the look and performance of their products, and find their prices very competitive.
Hey Luke, my concern with widening the holes would be weakening the structural integrity of the whole handlebar, especially considering that those holes are right about where you said there is a joint. What do you think about this?
So this did cross my mind, and is definitely a valid concern, but honestly I didnt have to widen the holes very much. Maybe an extra 1-2mm in height for each hole, just enough to squeeze another cable outer in there. Now with stuff like this, especially stuff that i have had to modify slightly, I ALWAYS take it easy for the first 100 miles or so until im confident it's up to snuff and isn't compromised. But it's precisely why I can't reccomend these bars. You shouldn't have to made mods like these, but as stated, I am a MASSIVE pedantic loser... So bear that in mind
the material on the sides of the bars (in this case the front and rear faces when the bars are installed on the bike) does not do very much when it comes to bearing the load of the rider so it should not matter very much whether the holes are enlarged a little bit (sorry I do not know the English terminology because a follow the courses about material and strength analysis in dutch).
I would think if you carefully sand the edges to avoid sharp edges which could propagate a crack, it would be ok. Pedantic loser? Nah! Pedantic obsessive compulsive more true. Nicely done
I'm running a pair of Toseek branded compact bars in a 38mm width on my road bike, and they're well built and solid, with no flex at all. You can't go wrong with a quality bar like that at that price.
I really appreciate how objective you are about both the pros and cons of the gear you review. @16:00 Curious as to what constitutes a heavier rider. I'm about 82kg/190cm...
Yeah fair comment, so I weigh 74kgs, and would consider myself a relatively light rider. Sounds like you are in good shape too for 190cm! But I think once you stray above the 95kg range and up, some of the super lightweight components may not be the best choices. Cycling is open to literally everyone at any size really, but when it comes to the SUPER lightweight components, riding safe is paramount, so I think it just comes down to being sensible at the end of the day.
I fitted a cheap toseek carbon fork to a cheap mountain bike that had a heavy rough old suntour spring fork and turned it into a fairly lightweight run around town bike and I think it's great. I'm not sure I'd recommend it on safety grounds - not knowing how consistent this cheap carbon is. Mine hasn't failed and feels really solid but others might not be so lucky
I have had the exact same bars for a couple of years. Mine have been absolutely fine, and they really do look great. I actualy managed to get both the brke lines and the gear cables through the original holes, but I did need to smooth out some sharp corners to do so. ie, there was a bit of needle-file action required but the holes remained the same size. The whole bike is a mix of cheap chinese carbon and Ultegra. The only things that have failed were a whole load of spoke nipples (I am quite heavy). That really turns out to be due to my "too cheap to be true "Mavic" wheels" actually being too cheap to be true... (Confirmed as bogus by Mavic, and with spoke tension literally off the scale of my meter)
i recently upgraded from the giant conduct system to a 105 hydraulic set up. you're absolutely correct about the internal cable routing hassle. i used the same bar as your rim brake bike. i first attempted to route the cable inside the bars, but the holes just don't line up with the shifter/lever. you really have to kink the cable so it would go into the holes. i gave up and ended up just routing the cable the old fashion way - outside/under the bar. LOL. i do love the flat surface on the bar. it provides a wider contact surface and decreases the pressure against your hand.
Yeah cabling these bars, definitely a massive pain! But what do you think of the giant conduct system??? Basically i've never used it, but im going to be installing it on the gravel bike build, so anything to watch out for, or anything i should know about?
@@TraceVelo i think the conduct system is a great inexpensive way for folks who want to get into hydraulic brake but don't want to fork out too much money. i picked up a separate set of conduct sl and computer mount for $100US. i was also lucky to pick up a set of 105 hydraulic lever/caliber for $200US, which i installed on my giant defy. i'm planning to put the conduct sl on a velobuild frame that i got few months ago. the drawback of this system is that there aren't many stem options; you pretty much have to go with a giant contact/connect stem. i have yet to find any after market stem that has the same bolt pattern as the conduct master cylinder. the conduct set up is pretty straight forward. giant does suggest that you use compression-less housing from the lever to the master cylinder (i call it alien head, lol) to decrease any slack in the cable. i'm unsure if factory uses shifting cable, but the housing i took off had in-line strains, not spiral like the typical brake housing. one other thing you want to watch out for is the fluid port on the master cylinder. the opening is recessed so many bleeding kit fittings won't go deep enough to get a seal. i had to modify the fitting with dremel tool so it would screw all the way into the port. i also like my free stroke very short. neither 105 nor conduct gives you the option to adjust that, so i followed a video by Bike Sauce ruclips.net/video/thGBWhfIaB8/видео.html and i was able to get my free stoke on 105 very short. the rotors need to be very true or you will get the rubbing. looking forward to your gravel build!!!! cheers.
@@pantherv5 Ok amazing, thanks for the detail above! Yeah I got myself a compatible giant stem a few weeks back, but good shout on the compressionless cables! I think the kit i have came with cable outers, but good idea nonetheless. I also have a conduct specific bleed kit in the post too, so hopefully bleeding wont be too much hastle. Anyway thanks for the comment, super helpful!!!
Carbon, in similar configuration to alloy can be stiffer and stronger. I have to round diameter carbon bars that are stiffer than the alloy bars they replaced and much lighter. However, carbon can be designed to flex which is often used to create compliance for absorption of vibrations transmitted from the road surface. For example Lauf makes a "smoothie" drop bar that does a great job of reducing vibration transmission to the hands. The bars you tested are an example of flex inherent in the design (flattened surfaces) and lack compensation for strength.
Thanks-I just got an upgraded version from aliexpress. I think they took your input to heart, and the holes seem bigger for cabling. We shall see about the longevity, but they seem quite high value for money
Have had that bar on my Sp Roubaix. Real nice. No worries for "flex", at all. Like most drops, they could use a bit more "flat" area at the top curve-to-the-levers. Like where one's hands settle on when hold the horns. Ohhh...I build catamarans, using CF/epoxy. Not that I know what's under that black-finish, but it might be an epoxy-rich area, to reinforce the joined-parts. A black-dyed epoxy surface coat will do that. Again, about that "flex", that's a GOOD thing. If one spills, and the bars don't bend or break, but, rather "flex", it'll make the difference at getting back on the ride! Flex=Good ))) Ohhhh...no worries for your hole-widening...CF/epoxy is an amazing composite!! (wouldn't get a CF-frame, though. AL is king, for me)))
Got the very same on my gravel build, I cheated the system and routed the brake lines through the inner hole and the shifter cable through the outer one (Sensah SRX), and it works well with quality Jagwire housing. Also I’m really heavy, over 100 kg and 190 cm but at least not the sprinter type. Flex is scary at first, and not much mileage in them yet (this is its first season), but they are solid to this day, no cracking sounds or funny behavior yet - poor quality composites tend to have sounds before they snap, if it is not from an extraordinary impact but fatigue-type failure.
I have toseek Carbon seatpost- 1,500 php/30 USD , drops 1,200php/ 24 USD and stem 600 php/ 12 USD. I had no problems with them, been using them for 5 years now, 3 years daily ride, crashed twice, no cracks. I've read reviews that said its a waste of money and dangerous but worked out fine for me. I was skeptical when i recieved and inspected the products because of the rough and uneven distribution of carbon sheets. it really is a gamble when buying knockoffs.
Yeah totally agree. For everyday riding these are awesome, it's just the level of flex at the ends of the drops, not super confidence inspiring. But its a trade-off i guess...
As always, a well thought out, entertaining & thorough review. Bars can be made one piece, monocoque, which is much more costly due to separate molds for each size. Or as you said, doing it in sections which may be more cost effective for the manufacturer but both methods if done properly are equally as good because this is the same method that is used in bike manufacturing regardless of brand. I didn't go integrated but my bars are designed for STI shifters with the hole placements & seem fairly stiff. Not sure if its because they are T800 Toray vs the normal T700 used but I like them alot.
I almost have a phobia about carbon bars and stems, the thought of them snapping mid ride gives me the willies. And I know aluminium can snap too, I even have a cheapo Carbon seat post and saddle rails and the thought of one of those parts sapping and sharp bit going where the sun doesn't shine should fill me with way more dread but it doesn't. 🤷♂
I'm tempted by these............ for my turbo bike..... I'm thinking that for my bike which never leaves the turbo trainer and never on the road, these could be a nice bit of bling and if they snap while in the garage, it's a lot less carnage than out on the road.
@@AlexStavrinides You say that but unless you wear a helmet on the turbo things could actually be worse LOL Knowing my luck Id put my head straight through the TV I use for Zwift🤣
Since I'm kinda heavy (81kg) and use my upper body a lot while riding, especially when sprinting and climbing, I stay away from carbon on my cockpit. I run cheap aluminium handlebars with a kalloy uno stem. The setup is light and stiff enough and I feel safe while riding it. However I find myself kinda often looking at chinese carbon bars like "the one" but I try to resist because the only reason to buy them for me are the looks.. I really enjoyed your review and I'm looking forward for the senicx pr2 review. I will get the senicx pr4 soon since I want to keep my 24mm bb!
Yeah thats a sensible approach. I dont do alot of sprinting, and I try to be relatively gentle in the drops with these bars, but 81kgs is definitely not heavy dude. Tbh I think you will probably be fine as long as you are not grasping the very ends of the drops and bunny hopping with them! Also the Senicx crank has been pretty bulletproof so far, but review coming soon!
I’ve got to say I gave Siroko a look from your recommendation and honestly I can’t fault them one bit! affordable. Really really good quality, nice looking clobber and delivered really quickly! and let’s be honest how good do these new grey bibs look!! Cheers Luke keep on keeping on!
Regarding fishing cables through carbon - it is amazingly fast to tape a small neodymium magnet to the cable and then guide it along with an external magnet. I no longer even hesitate to pull cables out and redo them. IT IS JUST TOO FAST.
There are hundreds of options of integrated handlebars on aliexpress. I chose one that have like a channel on the bottom to run the cables so you don't have to pass them inside de bar. They were more expensive at 100 usd but I like them.
Hey Luke, about the Gravel build... I just finished my Carbonda CFR 696 of which is identical to yours. As a word of advice about the build. Do your cabling before putting in the forks and BB.
In the process of buying a Giant Cadex 980c, I believe this one of the first mass produced carbon lugged frames for a resto mod project, I want it all carbon and 12 speed........ searched 12 speed groupset expecting Sensah then this popped up!!!! LTWOO RX 2x12 Speed for only £122.25, 2 X carbon shifters, front and rear derailleur...... you have to, you know you can't resist?
Square shape is easier to obtain. The dark side I gues is from the bending of the layer which overlap and loose the patern. A guess... judging from the point where they break in the video. Is related to the absobtion of the shock. The breaking occur on the place where the even interwoven carbon meet the bend where I suppose the material is more compacted due to the round shape. May be different thou. But anyway, if your lucky and stumble on a good batch, and you don't accelerate or climb in the drops (Pantani style as I do) they can last. But they look very tidy and clean on you front bike!
Been waiting for a video like this.. I have been looking at those exact same bars from Aliexpress. That square profile is a definate red flag for me. Thanks for you excellent content and great videos!
Lovely content Luke! I would think the extra flex in the carbon handlebars is not a terrible thing, allows the bars to soak up bumps a little more and smooth the ride out. Nevermind, thats exactly what you said after I posted the comment...
No problem! Yeah the flex is definitely a good thing, but the amount here is a little disconcerting tbh... But having said that, my set are still fine!
A gem of a channel I just found via the Sensah group set video. I’ve been following the Superstrata Indienogo ‘printed Carbon fibre bike’ for the past year or so….it has no seatpost, the original was to be ‘custom’ to numerous body measurements, now it’s just standard frame sizes….They also now say they can’t get the promised Shimano or SRAM group sets so are putting Rallex or ltwoo components on. Needless to say despite claims of already shipping bikes, nobody seems to have one…. Scam?
Interesting testing and discussion. I suspect a lot of the flex in the carbon bars is due to the asymmetric shape and the accommodation of cable runs. A round handlebar designed for external cable runs has no such needs and would not suffer from these concessions to aesthetics and supposed aerodynamic efficiency.
Sorry, but you are about two generations behind in the Chinese carbon from Alibaba or Aliexpress. Those bars you have are T700 carbon, and it makes a SERIOUS difference. T 800 is standard for professional tour cyclist on the bars, and you want some flex. Those bars on Ali cost 80 bucks vs 300 to 500 bucks for some Western name brand. They Chinese have many different brands if you actually look. Always saying I don't recommend the lowest prices is absurd when you can build a MADONE level bike for a fraction in 2022.
for about 85 quids you can buy some very stiff, lighter carbon integrated drops for your gravel bike. . I've bought some 36~43 (exotropism, what a fancy word), 280 grams, quite stiff (for gravel, right?). I weigh 100kg, no incident in an year. P.S. I'd say that the relevant flex is not the one you're measuring, but the one measured in the video you reference... it's not about the flex which atenuates vibrations comming from the wheel. The dangerous flex is the one of the drops, right?
You can't beat the non-integrated RXL SL bars and Kalloy Uno 7 stem. Total weight: 275g. Stiff, cheap and adjustable, which you don't get with the integrated ones.
i have the ' TOOK ' bars on my pinarello 65.1 for the past 4 years...no issues with them,, little hard to set up, but so far good bars..i think i paided 55 american for them 130 stem 44 weight
I bought a carbon handlebar from Toseek few months ago. After just few rides I swap back my alu bars. The carbon bars flexes too much when sprinting. Very scary, feel like it will snap anytime 😆
For anyone who wants to recable a handlebar, i highly recommend picking yourself up a cabling tool. You can then guide the cables from the outside with magnets. There are a couple of different ones out there but really anyone will do. I got myself a one from jagwire for 30€, it worked like a charm.
@@adambrickley1119 you can guide the inner cable through and then you have a guide for the outer, you can just push it. There is also an adapter for di2 and hydraulic.
I wouldn't necessarily consider the additional flex to be a bad thing. A little bit of bad compliance can go a long way to reducing shock and harshness when hitting bumps.
Yeah totally agree. For everyday riding these are awesome, it's just the level of flex at the very ends of the drops, not super confidence inspiring in the sprints. But it's a trade off i guess...
Just to add my two Penneth. My Tooseek ones (not the integrated ones) failed after using them on just 3 rides. It was pretty bumpy and even though torqued correctly and using carbon paste the bars swivelled jn the stem on the bumps. After tightening them twice on one ride I removed them when home to find the that they had started to crack and delaminate under the stem fixing area. BTW I am only 60kgs. So take your choice but I am going back to aluminium even if they are a 100 grams or so heavier
Thanks for amazing content - you've sent me down an amazingly fun rabbit hole (bike build)... and was that a rabbit hole or black hole? As a former triathlete, I love "aero bars". I also love the concept of the "aero shaped" handlebars. Who makes a workable combo of the two together? I've heard/read that clamping on carbon can be "no bueno". Are any aero handlebars made to be fitted with aero bars (so that I can finish the build of my dream bike)? Side note: "experts" on youtube claim that aero handlebars compared to round make more difference than aero wheels. True or not, I'm sure there's some number of watts available with the aero handlebars (and I want those watts!).
There was a sticker on the broken handlebar right next to the failure point that said quality control. Those QC stickers don't mean s***. That's just marketing. A lot of Chinese manufacturers make garbage, a lot of them make very good stuff. The trick is to do a lot of research to find the good ones. The ones that have been around a while.
Suspension stems ?? Redshift the expensive option ..ideal for your Gravel Bike...Also E Bay air forks magnesium alloy fork sliders..by Bucklos....about £100...Regards MotR
Get those higher end UNO handlebar and stem made from 7050 alloy. Heaps better than any generic carbon and only 30g heavier than those integrated carbon ones.
I have the triaero gravel bike same color with the Ican wheel set, panaracer gravel king 38 mm tires and Shimano GRX 800 group set. I love the bike, handling is great and very comfortable.
I had the (real) Cinelli Ram 2 on a bike. Most comfortable bar EVER in terms of shape. I ran Red mechanical and it worked great. I would be using them today if they would work well with Campy but the Campy clamp almost insists on a traditional bar shape. That said, I would NEVER trust a $50 pair of carbon bars. Buddy of mine snapped an (ultralight/expensive) set and that resulted in 7 stiches. Could have been much worse.
Its been a while Luke, good to see you to a new vlog for another carbon handle bar. On the video shown, expiremental drop with weights on drops. It feel like what happened on your friends Tossek carbon handle. Snap on the middle of handle. I got news for you hehe, Now i also Got MicroNew 2x9 setup pair with Sora r3000 FD & RD. its so good and crisp, So easy to shift. Nothing to worry. Its almost been a month when i used it. Thanks for the review, now i got good Groupset.
This sqarerish shape of the handlebar in conjunction with a round steel clamp band is a recipe for desaster. You did well in altering the shape, but i would go aluminium bars instead.
Yeah the shape of the drops is such a dreadful design... I was wincing when i was clamping the shifters onto them, just waiting for the squared off corners to crack under the pressure!
I got some "Ryet" badged integrated bars from the mighty Aliexpress (the Lexon store) for £63 total and they are great - definitely recommend them. However they now appear to be >£100. At that price not sure I wouldn't just get separate (carbon) bar and stem or look for another brand - not because the Ryet aren't good, just too rich at that price for my blood. To me that have great balance between enough flex to help smooth out the road buzz but enough stiffness to feel totally confident in any situation. Like the Toseek thay are a pain to cable up for the same reasons and because the holes all have a lip on the inside so you have to get the cable over the lip but through the hole. And that is a pain with KEB-SL cable outers (if you are using cable actuated disc brakes). In the end I had to first get a scrap of regular brake cable through, then gaffer tape that end to end with the KEB and pull through, but even then the tape kept catching on the lip so it a few goes and a *lot* of swearing to get the cable pulled through. If I were doing it again I would get a set of those files and not just widen the hole but also try to remove the lip. They also support fully integrated cabling if your frame & headset have it (mine doesn't) but I doubt that would work with KEB-SL and cable disc brakes - the corners are just too sharp and that's really only for hydraulic and di2/etap.
super great video Luke!! I was aware about the flexibility of that specific AliExpress handlebars that's why I chose a different model ( TR5500) because it's scary when you're a heavy rider and put some watts in a Sprint ... All in all I really like those handlebars but don't like to be the guy who back home riding without handlebars...or in an ambulance 🚑😆 ! Muchas gracias por tu vídeo 👌
I actually have the exact same Toseek Handlebars with about 7000km and they worked fine, even survived a head on crash with a car at around 30km/h. In the crash just the left gearleaver broke, the handelbar were scretched but worked fine. Really not noticed too much flex, even when sprinting and I am 90 kg and put on 1300watts+ on the bike in the sprint (but i used 38cm width!). I really liked the straight part on the drops and not this new complete curved design a lot of handlebars have nowadays. I also had to widen the holes, otherwise two cables were not able to fit in and it is a bit difficult to set them up for the first time to be honest. Tired to use the outer holes for the braking cables first, but this caused such narrow angles that you could not proberly release the brakes anymore, so remommend to widen and just use the inner holes. I have eventually just changed them because they were too narrow with 38 cm and during bike fitting recommended me to change to Zipp aero Sl carbon 70....now using this with a zipp aluminium stem...to be honest I am not noticing a very big difference, despite the price^^. No really yeah they were mush easier to set up, no widening needed and better finish, but it was not sooooo mush of a difference like i would have expected regarding the price diffenrence. But so for beginners really do a proper bike fitting before buying this integrated Stem-bar-combination since you can t change anything there after purchase. But after seeing some other videos it seems like I had really a good Item of Toseek bar and that quality really differs...so hard to recommend or not, just could give you my personal experience and at least for myself I have first tested them for a fair bit on the turbo trainer indoors before I had enough trust in them to ride outside and faster descendes on them...P.S. trace Velo as always great Video and some real Model Action at the beginning with the new clothing collection :P :D
Hey Luke, as always that was a mildly entertaining and informative video, well done! But now I'm sitting here wondering what light you have there on your bike and I'm especially interested about the mount. Cheers mate!
Love the videos and really like the reviews of the Aliexpress stuff, just not much info out there so good to get these reviews. I have ordered some Sensah kit on your advice. Re bars I would never trust a super cheap carbon bar from Aliexpress. Carbon bars are notorious for dramatic failure especially in a crash and that is for well know brands with well documented QC processes so my view is carbon bars from unknown brands with sketchy QC processes (or completely unknown QC) is a big risk, I get that branded stuff is still made in China but they have proper QC , after sales etc. For the tiny weight saving I just don't think its worth it - A set of ControlTech alu bars in 40cm is around 230g and about £45 so within a few grams of a carbon bar / similar price and are (imo) far safer. Aliexpress stuff for shifters, bar tape, chainsets etc are great and if something goes wrong it would be annoying but not life threatening, a failed carbon bar or wheelset on the road ain't worth thinking about! Great vids keep. Looking forward to receiving my Sensah shifters.
Hi Luke. I know I'm a little late to the party, but thought that it would make more sense to comment on a related video. I'm a bit of a heavier rider and therefore don't really trust Chinese carbon handlebars. (More weight on the bars) However I'd love to see more videos of handlebars from AliExpress in a future video. You know, to get some confidence from your experience. Anything planned?
I wonder in the video are they comparing competitors bars to theirs? I got some 3T replica sprint bars for my track bike from AliExpress, I was thinking of expanding foam injection, you know, the tins from B&Q but when they arrived, they were so rigid that I didn't bother. I know you can't do that with road bars because of the cables.
More flex on handlebars could lead to a more comfortable ride. Aluminium is known for its stiffness and carbon can be made to flex in certain directions. *Which is stated later in the video
Yeah this is definitely true! They are super comfortable bars, but when you are holding onto the ends of the drops, it almost feels like you could snap them off... This isn't the case with the aluminium bars, but i take your point!
Hi Luke another great vid, it's been a long time since the last one! Lol. Great as usual, I have the same bars and think they're pretty good. I had to slightly file the cable holes as I felt they were slightly undersized, and got rid of the sharp edges to avoid cable cuts. Cheers Buddy
Thanks! Yeah its been a while since the last upload. Life stuff has piled up this past month, so its been difficult to carve out enough time to bash videos out. Glad you liked it though, and good to know i wasn't the only one breaking out the files for these bars 🤣
Your show provides a super valuable service to the cycling community, nobody else does long term testing of lots of bargain componentry, also you have a dope steed, that anyone aside from possibly some dedicated label checkers, would call a fine bit of machinery, showing everyone that you don’t have to pay top dollar to roll hard.
Benjamin, awesome comment, thanks so much!!!! Yeah with parts like these, initial impressions are often not really enough, you have to get some decent miles on them first.
Couldn't agree more.
Damn even took the time to set and run flex tests!! amazing, Luke! Thanks for the content, top notch as always.. The honesty in highlighting the bad stuff and that it outweights the good stuff, this is what makes your channel one of the best around.
now about those Elite Drive wheels, that's a nice carbon pattern!! it caught me off guard, first photo looked plain black but in the sun it turns into something else! Really looking forward to the review and also the gravel bike build!
Awesome, thanks Stefano! But yeah the carbon pattern on the wheels intially looks like its a bit scratched up in the pictures, but the patten is REALLY lovely in person. I'll def hightlight it more in the review!
Have used Toseek handlebars, the same as the ones you use on your rim brake bike, for more than 4 years with no issues. Well worth the price.
I’m a pretty heavy rider 90kg and have the straight toseek integrated bars and like you have had no issues for 3 years.. they’re more comfortable than the aero bars on my canyon ultimate (which maybe because they’re not quite as stiff) but I’m super happy with them!
Nice, good to hear some more success stories in the comments!
I think the darker areas might be a part where they switch to unidirectional carbon, because that will be more flexible for the shifters to be connected to it without cracking. The rest is 3k carbon which is stronger but more brittle
Waiting for the gravel bike build video to drop soon 🥰
Hi Luke, nice content.
This is the reason for me as gravel cyclist/home mechanic. I prefer non integrated bar stem combo, easier adjustment and replacement.
And i have externally cable routed modern steel gravel bike. Easy to maintain and inspect.
Waiting for your gravel bike build dude.
Yeah totally fair. In fact for the gravel build, i'm going separate bar and stem... Just makes life SO much easier!
@@TraceVelo another piece of advice I learned from raul luechter technique. Use stem that has large contact area AKA small hole in the steerer clamp area to reduce point loading in the steerer tube especially carbon one.
Cheers. 💪💪
Agree, but the (small) weight and (significant) aero advantages are relatively compelling for a road bike. Looks great too🤗
Hi Luke. A great methodical vid. I have had some experience working with carbon composites on yachts. Looking at the drops, the dark patches to me look as though the carbon hasn’t properly conformed to the surface of the mould (although might just be looking at a small screen!) leaving a thick layer of resin. Moulding the drops separately would be a nightmare with hours of rework to surface the joint, not ideal for a £22 set of bars so imagine they don’t do that. A concern here is that the thick resin matrix would be considered a point of failure as alone it doesn’t have much strength. (💭 I wonder what the cross section of that area looks like?).
Where you filed the holes, as these bars don’t scream structural longevity, I’d be hesitant to do that, although I understand the desire. You could seal the exposed edges with a resin or similar which might help prevent stress fractures that might occur near the exposed fabric.
It would be interesting if you you did a part two where you cut these in half so that we could see the internal quality, looking at the uniformity in cross section throughout the bar, looking for thin, thick bits of layup, voids from dirt or air. Although aesthetically the ripples aren’t to much of a problem they may cause imperfections and voids below them increasing risk of failure.
Saying all this I’ve got a ToSeek seat post on my roadie and can’t complain 😁
Keep on keeping on Trace!
I agree Luke, black areas are likely two pieces epoxied together, sanded and then spayed black to cover up.
Ok nice, thanks for confirming KM!
Hi Luke,
Great content! I actually crashed with the same exact TOSEEK handlebars on a 1k km Bike trip. They snaped at the section where it gets darker and the carbon isn't visible. Since I had 300km left, I cut them to the point, where I could reclamp my shifter on. In any event your assumption is correct: they have not been made in one mold. The drops have a cone shaped section which is pushed and glued together inside the flats, at the darkened sections.
I've got pictures to show it, but I can't put them in a comment 🤷♂️
Btw. a UNO aluminium stem (
Ok great, yeah a couple of people in the comments have mentioed that they were probably molded in several parts, but thanks for confirming. If you do have any pictures of the snapped bar, send them over to my email (listed in the video description), I'd be really interested to see them! And good suggestion about the UNO stem, having more adjustability is def a good thing!
UNO stem is good and light. I use one too
@@TraceVelo I likely reason for them being squared, making it easier to line up the separate parts.
Correct. When a CF pattern is not seamless, joins have been used. These joins are then ‘glued’ to the rest of the frame with black tar looking glue. The cheaper way of working with CF.
Don’t worry, it’s the same story on higher end products too however they do not use joins. The outer layer is kept naked and extra layers applied to the inside of a tube or frame where the parts meet.
Ive had all sorts of cheap Toseek bike stuff throughout the years since maybe 2017 lol. Value for money. You dont know how great your channel is. I think you're the only cycling RUclipsr that focuses on affordable road bike stuff. Too many purists with deep pockets out there Lool
Have to say man what a grat channel you go into such detail and are totally honest in reviews!!!! love it
Thanks Tom, I put loads of effort into these videos, so glad you like them!!!
I had the same issue with my toseek bars (none integrated) so ran them externally. They’ve been on the bike just over two years now without issue. The bars look really good on the bike and were a bargain at £33 posted 😬
Im riding a carbon MTB riser (noname) on my Omnium cargo now for a year now, and it works great, there is of course flex in them especially when im climbing but it doesn't feel sketchy at all in the end it's still a very long bar (74cm). Now that im building a new project ( 29" hardtail mtb) i orderd a new Toseek riser (74cm) and i think they wont dissapoint me again.
Just because its "china carbon" doesnt mean they are crap since most of the carbon products even the stuff from big brands is made in china aswell.
i really enjoy your videos man thanks.
Great, honest review. 👍 FYI, Ive bought a Toseek aero seatpost and two sets of more modern integrated bars directly from DengFu ($100). No problems whatsoever. Brilliant, in fact.
Nice, good to hear!!!
I've bought many (many) Toseek items, too, over the past few years. No bad experiences, so far,. Generally, I like the look and performance of their products, and find their prices very competitive.
Hey Luke, my concern with widening the holes would be weakening the structural integrity of the whole handlebar, especially considering that those holes are right about where you said there is a joint. What do you think about this?
So this did cross my mind, and is definitely a valid concern, but honestly I didnt have to widen the holes very much. Maybe an extra 1-2mm in height for each hole, just enough to squeeze another cable outer in there. Now with stuff like this, especially stuff that i have had to modify slightly, I ALWAYS take it easy for the first 100 miles or so until im confident it's up to snuff and isn't compromised. But it's precisely why I can't reccomend these bars. You shouldn't have to made mods like these, but as stated, I am a MASSIVE pedantic loser... So bear that in mind
the material on the sides of the bars (in this case the front and rear faces when the bars are installed on the bike) does not do very much when it comes to bearing the load of the rider so it should not matter very much whether the holes are enlarged a little bit (sorry I do not know the English terminology because a follow the courses about material and strength analysis in dutch).
I reckon Luke was thinking "Like a scientist, when I'm applyin' this", as he was filing.
This is a concern whenever you're widening holes... still a worthwhile effort
I would think if you carefully sand the edges to avoid sharp edges which could propagate a crack, it would be ok.
Pedantic loser? Nah! Pedantic obsessive compulsive more true. Nicely done
I'm running a pair of Toseek branded compact bars in a 38mm width on my road bike, and they're well built and solid, with no flex at all. You can't go wrong with a quality bar like that at that price.
My toseek bars were super flexy
I really appreciate how objective you are about both the pros and cons of the gear you review.
@16:00 Curious as to what constitutes a heavier rider. I'm about 82kg/190cm...
Yeah fair comment, so I weigh 74kgs, and would consider myself a relatively light rider. Sounds like you are in good shape too for 190cm! But I think once you stray above the 95kg range and up, some of the super lightweight components may not be the best choices. Cycling is open to literally everyone at any size really, but when it comes to the SUPER lightweight components, riding safe is paramount, so I think it just comes down to being sensible at the end of the day.
I fitted a cheap toseek carbon fork to a cheap mountain bike that had a heavy rough old suntour spring fork and turned it into a fairly lightweight run around town bike and I think it's great. I'm not sure I'd recommend it on safety grounds - not knowing how consistent this cheap carbon is. Mine hasn't failed and feels really solid but others might not be so lucky
I have had the exact same bars for a couple of years. Mine have been absolutely fine, and they really do look great.
I actualy managed to get both the brke lines and the gear cables through the original holes, but I did need to smooth out some sharp corners to do so. ie, there was a bit of needle-file action required but the holes remained the same size.
The whole bike is a mix of cheap chinese carbon and Ultegra. The only things that have failed were a whole load of spoke nipples (I am quite heavy). That really turns out to be due to my "too cheap to be true "Mavic" wheels" actually being too cheap to be true... (Confirmed as bogus by Mavic, and with spoke tension literally off the scale of my meter)
i recently upgraded from the giant conduct system to a 105 hydraulic set up. you're absolutely correct about the internal cable routing hassle. i used the same bar as your rim brake bike. i first attempted to route the cable inside the bars, but the holes just don't line up with the shifter/lever. you really have to kink the cable so it would go into the holes. i gave up and ended up just routing the cable the old fashion way - outside/under the bar. LOL. i do love the flat surface on the bar. it provides a wider contact surface and decreases the pressure against your hand.
Yeah cabling these bars, definitely a massive pain! But what do you think of the giant conduct system??? Basically i've never used it, but im going to be installing it on the gravel bike build, so anything to watch out for, or anything i should know about?
@@TraceVelo i think the conduct system is a great inexpensive way for folks who want to get into hydraulic brake but don't want to fork out too much money. i picked up a separate set of conduct sl and computer mount for $100US. i was also lucky to pick up a set of 105 hydraulic lever/caliber for $200US, which i installed on my giant defy. i'm planning to put the conduct sl on a velobuild frame that i got few months ago.
the drawback of this system is that there aren't many stem options; you pretty much have to go with a giant contact/connect stem. i have yet to find any after market stem that has the same bolt pattern as the conduct master cylinder.
the conduct set up is pretty straight forward. giant does suggest that you use compression-less housing from the lever to the master cylinder (i call it alien head, lol) to decrease any slack in the cable. i'm unsure if factory uses shifting cable, but the housing i took off had in-line strains, not spiral like the typical brake housing. one other thing you want to watch out for is the fluid port on the master cylinder. the opening is recessed so many bleeding kit fittings won't go deep enough to get a seal. i had to modify the fitting with dremel tool so it would screw all the way into the port.
i also like my free stroke very short. neither 105 nor conduct gives you the option to adjust that, so i followed a video by Bike Sauce ruclips.net/video/thGBWhfIaB8/видео.html and i was able to get my free stoke on 105 very short. the rotors need to be very true or you will get the rubbing.
looking forward to your gravel build!!!! cheers.
@@pantherv5 Ok amazing, thanks for the detail above! Yeah I got myself a compatible giant stem a few weeks back, but good shout on the compressionless cables! I think the kit i have came with cable outers, but good idea nonetheless. I also have a conduct specific bleed kit in the post too, so hopefully bleeding wont be too much hastle. Anyway thanks for the comment, super helpful!!!
@@TraceVelo just curious which conduct brake do you have? the older one or the SL??
Carbon, in similar configuration to alloy can be stiffer and stronger. I have to round diameter carbon bars that are stiffer than the alloy bars they replaced and much lighter. However, carbon can be designed to flex which is often used to create compliance for absorption of vibrations transmitted from the road surface. For example Lauf makes a "smoothie" drop bar that does a great job of reducing vibration transmission to the hands. The bars you tested are an example of flex inherent in the design (flattened surfaces) and lack compensation for strength.
Thanks-I just got an upgraded version from aliexpress. I think they took your input to heart, and the holes seem bigger for cabling. We shall see about the longevity, but they seem quite high value for money
I'm diggin those bib-shorts. Ima have to order a pair of those. Thanks for teaming up and introducing me to Siroko.
No worries Jared! Yeah the bib shorts are great, and they look really slick too!
Have had that bar on my Sp Roubaix. Real nice. No worries for "flex", at all. Like most drops, they could use a bit more "flat" area at the top curve-to-the-levers. Like where one's hands settle on when hold the horns. Ohhh...I build catamarans, using CF/epoxy. Not that I know what's under that black-finish, but it might be an epoxy-rich area, to reinforce the joined-parts. A black-dyed epoxy surface coat will do that. Again, about that "flex", that's a GOOD thing. If one spills, and the bars don't bend or break, but, rather "flex", it'll make the difference at getting back on the ride! Flex=Good ))) Ohhhh...no worries for your hole-widening...CF/epoxy is an amazing composite!! (wouldn't get a CF-frame, though. AL is king, for me)))
Got the very same on my gravel build, I cheated the system and routed the brake lines through the inner hole and the shifter cable through the outer one (Sensah SRX), and it works well with quality Jagwire housing. Also I’m really heavy, over 100 kg and 190 cm but at least not the sprinter type. Flex is scary at first, and not much mileage in them yet (this is its first season), but they are solid to this day, no cracking sounds or funny behavior yet - poor quality composites tend to have sounds before they snap, if it is not from an extraordinary impact but fatigue-type failure.
Cabling through the outer hole... fair play! I had a go at that, but the angles where just far too tight. But if it works it works i guess!!
@@TraceVelo I was going to ask why you didn't use both available holes to feed the cables through.
Great channel by the way.
I have toseek Carbon seatpost- 1,500 php/30 USD , drops 1,200php/ 24 USD and stem 600 php/ 12 USD. I had no problems with them, been using them for 5 years now, 3 years daily ride, crashed twice, no cracks. I've read reviews that said its a waste of money and dangerous but worked out fine for me. I was skeptical when i recieved and inspected the products because of the rough and uneven distribution of carbon sheets. it really is a gamble when buying knockoffs.
Unless you are racing or sprinting all the time, some compliance in the bars can improve ride comfort for regular everyday cycling.
Yeah totally agree. For everyday riding these are awesome, it's just the level of flex at the ends of the drops, not super confidence inspiring. But its a trade-off i guess...
As always, a well thought out, entertaining & thorough review. Bars can be made one piece, monocoque, which is much more costly due to separate molds for each size. Or as you said, doing it in sections which may be more cost effective for the manufacturer but both methods if done properly are equally as good because this is the same method that is used in bike manufacturing regardless of brand. I didn't go integrated but my bars are designed for STI shifters with the hole placements & seem fairly stiff. Not sure if its because they are T800 Toray vs the normal T700 used but I like them alot.
Ok great, thanks Montana! Yeah I think the theory about it being made in sections probably holds up. Anyway thanks for the comment!
I almost have a phobia about carbon bars and stems, the thought of them snapping mid ride gives me the willies. And I know aluminium can snap too, I even have a cheapo Carbon seat post and saddle rails and the thought of one of those parts sapping and sharp bit going where the sun doesn't shine should fill me with way more dread but it doesn't. 🤷♂
same here
I'm tempted by these............ for my turbo bike..... I'm thinking that for my bike which never leaves the turbo trainer and never on the road, these could be a nice bit of bling and if they snap while in the garage, it's a lot less carnage than out on the road.
@@AlexStavrinides You say that but unless you wear a helmet on the turbo things could actually be worse LOL Knowing my luck Id put my head straight through the TV I use for Zwift🤣
@@AlexStavrinides carbon has the advantage of corrosion resistance in the trainer environment!
Since I'm kinda heavy (81kg) and use my upper body a lot while riding, especially when sprinting and climbing, I stay away from carbon on my cockpit. I run cheap aluminium handlebars with a kalloy uno stem. The setup is light and stiff enough and I feel safe while riding it. However I find myself kinda often looking at chinese carbon bars like "the one" but I try to resist because the only reason to buy them for me are the looks..
I really enjoyed your review and I'm looking forward for the senicx pr2 review. I will get the senicx pr4 soon since I want to keep my 24mm bb!
Yeah thats a sensible approach. I dont do alot of sprinting, and I try to be relatively gentle in the drops with these bars, but 81kgs is definitely not heavy dude. Tbh I think you will probably be fine as long as you are not grasping the very ends of the drops and bunny hopping with them! Also the Senicx crank has been pretty bulletproof so far, but review coming soon!
I’ve got to say I gave Siroko a look from your recommendation and honestly I can’t fault them one bit! affordable. Really really good quality, nice looking clobber and delivered really quickly! and let’s be honest how good do these new grey bibs look!! Cheers Luke keep on keeping on!
Cheers Richie, great to hear!!!
Bought the exact same Toseek integrated bar in mid 2020, Price was 80 USD 😂😂. Still rockin solid today.
Regarding fishing cables through carbon - it is amazingly fast to tape a small neodymium magnet to the cable and then guide it along with an external magnet. I no longer even hesitate to pull cables out and redo them. IT IS JUST TOO FAST.
Always top-notch info on your channel.
You will love the gravel frame, it's exceptional.
Ok great! Yeah im super excited to get it built. Might have to give it a go this weekend!
There are hundreds of options of integrated handlebars on aliexpress. I chose one that have like a channel on the bottom to run the cables so you don't have to pass them inside de bar. They were more expensive at 100 usd but I like them.
Luke's sweater is the perfect texture to really fuck with video compression
Hey Luke, about the Gravel build... I just finished my Carbonda CFR 696 of which is identical to yours. As a word of advice about the build. Do your cabling before putting in the forks and BB.
OK nice, thanks for the tip Marco
In the process of buying a Giant Cadex 980c, I believe this one of the first mass produced carbon lugged frames for a resto mod project, I want it all carbon and 12 speed........ searched 12 speed groupset expecting Sensah then this popped up!!!!
LTWOO RX 2x12 Speed for only £122.25, 2 X carbon shifters, front and rear derailleur...... you have to, you know you can't resist?
Square shape is easier to obtain. The dark side I gues is from the bending of the layer which overlap and loose the patern. A guess... judging from the point where they break in the video. Is related to the absobtion of the shock. The breaking occur on the place where the even interwoven carbon meet the bend where I suppose the material is more compacted due to the round shape. May be different thou. But anyway, if your lucky and stumble on a good batch, and you don't accelerate or climb in the drops (Pantani style as I do) they can last. But they look very tidy and clean on you front bike!
Been waiting for a video like this.. I have been looking at those exact same bars from Aliexpress. That square profile is a definate red flag for me. Thanks for you excellent content and great videos!
Glad I could help! But yeah the square profile of the drops is such an odd design choice, makes clamping on the shifters a massive pain.
Lovely content Luke! I would think the extra flex in the carbon handlebars is not a terrible thing, allows the bars to soak up bumps a little more and smooth the ride out.
Nevermind, thats exactly what you said after I posted the comment...
No problem! Yeah the flex is definitely a good thing, but the amount here is a little disconcerting tbh... But having said that, my set are still fine!
A gem of a channel I just found via the Sensah group set video. I’ve been following the Superstrata Indienogo ‘printed Carbon fibre bike’ for the past year or so….it has no seatpost, the original was to be ‘custom’ to numerous body measurements, now it’s just standard frame sizes….They also now say they can’t get the promised Shimano or SRAM group sets so are putting Rallex or ltwoo components on. Needless to say despite claims of already shipping bikes, nobody seems to have one…. Scam?
Interesting testing and discussion. I suspect a lot of the flex in the carbon bars is due to the asymmetric shape and the accommodation of cable runs. A round handlebar designed for external cable runs has no such needs and would not suffer from these concessions to aesthetics and supposed aerodynamic efficiency.
Sorry, but you are about two generations behind in the Chinese carbon from Alibaba or Aliexpress. Those bars you have are T700 carbon, and it makes a SERIOUS difference. T 800 is standard for professional tour cyclist on the bars, and you want some flex. Those bars on Ali cost 80 bucks vs 300 to 500 bucks for some Western name brand. They Chinese have many different brands if you actually look. Always saying I don't recommend the lowest prices is absurd when you can build a MADONE level bike for a fraction in 2022.
for about 85 quids you can buy some very stiff, lighter carbon integrated drops for your gravel bike. .
I've bought some 36~43 (exotropism, what a fancy word), 280 grams, quite stiff (for gravel, right?). I weigh 100kg, no incident in an year.
P.S. I'd say that the relevant flex is not the one you're measuring, but the one measured in the video you reference... it's not about the flex which atenuates vibrations comming from the wheel. The dangerous flex is the one of the drops, right?
You can't beat the non-integrated RXL SL bars and Kalloy Uno 7 stem. Total weight: 275g. Stiff, cheap and adjustable, which you don't get with the integrated ones.
most likely molded in separate parts. Should be able to see with your endoscope inside the joins.
Yeah, my lunch is saved with a great Trace Velo production just in time.
i have the ' TOOK ' bars on my pinarello 65.1 for the past 4 years...no issues with them,, little hard to set up, but so far good bars..i think i paided 55 american for them 130 stem 44 weight
i really watch these for the jammer intro. All the funny shit and bike stuff is like a bonus!
I bought a carbon handlebar from Toseek few months ago. After just few rides I swap back my alu bars. The carbon bars flexes too much when sprinting. Very scary, feel like it will snap anytime 😆
Yeah i can totally understand where you are coming from. The flex on these in the sprints is just a bit too much...
For anyone who wants to recable a handlebar, i highly recommend picking yourself up a cabling tool.
You can then guide the cables from the outside with magnets.
There are a couple of different ones out there but really anyone will do.
I got myself a one from jagwire for 30€, it worked like a charm.
Hows that work on bars? Isn't the magnet only for inner cable in the frame?
@@adambrickley1119 you can guide the inner cable through and then you have a guide for the outer, you can just push it.
There is also an adapter for di2 and hydraulic.
I wouldn't necessarily consider the additional flex to be a bad thing. A little bit of bad compliance can go a long way to reducing shock and harshness when hitting bumps.
Yeah totally agree. For everyday riding these are awesome, it's just the level of flex at the very ends of the drops, not super confidence inspiring in the sprints. But it's a trade off i guess...
Spinderella and Beastie Boys in the same video? Luke is rapidly approaching mad genius status and I'm beyond here for it.
A fellow man of culture in the comments 🙏🙏🙏
Just to add my two Penneth. My Tooseek ones (not the integrated ones) failed after using them on just 3 rides. It was pretty bumpy and even though torqued correctly and using carbon paste the bars swivelled jn the stem on the bumps. After tightening them twice on one ride I removed them when home to find the that they had started to crack and delaminate under the stem fixing area. BTW I am only 60kgs. So take your choice but I am going back to aluminium even if they are a 100 grams or so heavier
Definitely hit or miss with these bars, I bought mine off Amazon for 40$ and 5000 miles later they are still strong. Just don’t race with them.
may we send one of those to hambini?
Thanks for amazing content - you've sent me down an amazingly fun rabbit hole (bike build)... and was that a rabbit hole or black hole?
As a former triathlete, I love "aero bars". I also love the concept of the "aero shaped" handlebars. Who makes a workable combo of the two together? I've heard/read that clamping on carbon can be "no bueno". Are any aero handlebars made to be fitted with aero bars (so that I can finish the build of my dream bike)?
Side note: "experts" on youtube claim that aero handlebars compared to round make more difference than aero wheels. True or not, I'm sure there's some number of watts available with the aero handlebars (and I want those watts!).
I have 2 Toseek carbon handlebars both very good, I'm happy with them. My local bike shop in Thailand fitted for me so no issue for me 😁
Ok nice, thanks for sharing! Yeah Toseek definitely have some decent stuff out there!
There was a sticker on the broken handlebar right next to the failure point that said quality control. Those QC stickers don't mean s***. That's just marketing. A lot of Chinese manufacturers make garbage, a lot of them make very good stuff. The trick is to do a lot of research to find the good ones. The ones that have been around a while.
Suspension stems ?? Redshift the expensive option ..ideal for your Gravel Bike...Also E Bay air forks magnesium alloy fork sliders..by Bucklos....about £100...Regards MotR
Get those higher end UNO handlebar and stem made from 7050 alloy. Heaps better than any generic carbon and only 30g heavier than those integrated carbon ones.
I have the triaero gravel bike same color with the Ican wheel set, panaracer gravel king 38 mm tires and Shimano GRX 800 group set. I love the bike, handling is great and very comfortable.
Great Video as always. Real enjoy listening to your thoughts!
Cheers Peter!!!!
I had the (real) Cinelli Ram 2 on a bike. Most comfortable bar EVER in terms of shape. I ran Red mechanical and it worked great. I would be using them today if they would work well with Campy but the Campy clamp almost insists on a traditional bar shape. That said, I would NEVER trust a $50 pair of carbon bars. Buddy of mine snapped an (ultralight/expensive) set and that resulted in 7 stiches. Could have been much worse.
Another top quality trace velo production 😎
Cheers Stuart!!!! 🙏🙏🙏
7:34 so when is the review coming out for that fabulous spoke key 3?
Yay a new Trace Velo video :D
Another great video Luke, loved the little clip of MCA - keep it up!
Its been a while Luke, good to see you to a new vlog for another carbon handle bar.
On the video shown, expiremental drop with weights on drops. It feel like what happened on your friends Tossek carbon handle. Snap on the middle of handle.
I got news for you hehe, Now i also Got MicroNew 2x9 setup pair with Sora r3000 FD & RD. its so good and crisp, So easy to shift. Nothing to worry. Its almost been a month when i used it.
Thanks for the review, now i got good Groupset.
Im sure the 'saftey feel' was greater after the filing!!
3:42 Loving the QC sticker.
😂🤣😂🤣😂
Quality is hit and miss ??
I think I’ll give them a miss as I would like to keep my face in one piece 😳😂😂
Thanks mate, quality video as always
There’s two parts of my bike I don’t cheap out: handlebars and seat post.
Good looking bars. I want some for my Fuji.
The massive wide section is a huge reason you're not getting num hands.
This sqarerish shape of the handlebar in conjunction with a round steel clamp band is a recipe for desaster. You did well in altering the shape, but i would go aluminium bars instead.
Yeah the shape of the drops is such a dreadful design... I was wincing when i was clamping the shifters onto them, just waiting for the squared off corners to crack under the pressure!
Cheap bars and stems (alu) will often be stiffer because there's more material in them, thicker wall thickness. Win, win.
My toseek carbon fiber seat post had a aluminum type material underneath the black stuff inside the tube
I got some "Ryet" badged integrated bars from the mighty Aliexpress (the Lexon store) for £63 total and they are great - definitely recommend them. However they now appear to be >£100. At that price not sure I wouldn't just get separate (carbon) bar and stem or look for another brand - not because the Ryet aren't good, just too rich at that price for my blood. To me that have great balance between enough flex to help smooth out the road buzz but enough stiffness to feel totally confident in any situation.
Like the Toseek thay are a pain to cable up for the same reasons and because the holes all have a lip on the inside so you have to get the cable over the lip but through the hole. And that is a pain with KEB-SL cable outers (if you are using cable actuated disc brakes). In the end I had to first get a scrap of regular brake cable through, then gaffer tape that end to end with the KEB and pull through, but even then the tape kept catching on the lip so it a few goes and a *lot* of swearing to get the cable pulled through. If I were doing it again I would get a set of those files and not just widen the hole but also try to remove the lip. They also support fully integrated cabling if your frame & headset have it (mine doesn't) but I doubt that would work with KEB-SL and cable disc brakes - the corners are just too sharp and that's really only for hydraulic and di2/etap.
Got some Toseek full carbon forks on my 29 er ATB gravel bike conversion. Can't fault them, very nice :)
Toseek here too on some bars and seats/post and still good.
Nice, good to hear Tom!!!!
super great video Luke!! I was aware about the flexibility of that specific AliExpress handlebars that's why I chose a different model ( TR5500) because it's scary when you're a heavy rider and put some watts in a Sprint ... All in all I really like those handlebars but don't like to be the guy who back home riding without handlebars...or in an ambulance 🚑😆 !
Muchas gracias por tu vídeo 👌
yes yes yes - a new video from you - thank you - amazing content :)
I actually have the exact same Toseek Handlebars with about 7000km and they worked fine, even survived a head on crash with a car at around 30km/h. In the crash just the left gearleaver broke, the handelbar were scretched but worked fine. Really not noticed too much flex, even when sprinting and I am 90 kg and put on 1300watts+ on the bike in the sprint (but i used 38cm width!). I really liked the straight part on the drops and not this new complete curved design a lot of handlebars have nowadays. I also had to widen the holes, otherwise two cables were not able to fit in and it is a bit difficult to set them up for the first time to be honest. Tired to use the outer holes for the braking cables first, but this caused such narrow angles that you could not proberly release the brakes anymore, so remommend to widen and just use the inner holes. I have eventually just changed them because they were too narrow with 38 cm and during bike fitting recommended me to change to Zipp aero Sl carbon 70....now using this with a zipp aluminium stem...to be honest I am not noticing a very big difference, despite the price^^. No really yeah they were mush easier to set up, no widening needed and better finish, but it was not sooooo mush of a difference like i would have expected regarding the price diffenrence. But so for beginners really do a proper bike fitting before buying this integrated Stem-bar-combination since you can t change anything there after purchase. But after seeing some other videos it seems like I had really a good Item of Toseek bar and that quality really differs...so hard to recommend or not, just could give you my personal experience and at least for myself I have first tested them for a fair bit on the turbo trainer indoors before I had enough trust in them to ride outside and faster descendes on them...P.S. trace Velo as always great Video and some real Model Action at the beginning with the new clothing collection :P :D
Excellent Beasties drop! Cool video too
I am very interested in the wheel review! I'll keep an eye out for that release
Yep, going to be an intersting one for sure!
@@TraceVelo yeah me too! Also, any initial thoughts on that PR2 crankset? I see its on the bike.
Hey Luke, as always that was a mildly entertaining and informative video, well done! But now I'm sitting here wondering what light you have there on your bike and I'm especially interested about the mount. Cheers mate!
I'm very familiar with many AliExpress products but would *NOT* risk my teeth with cheap carbon handlebars...
Yeah fair enough, these cheaper parts arn't for everyone!
Love the videos and really like the reviews of the Aliexpress stuff, just not much info out there so good to get these reviews. I have ordered some Sensah kit on your advice. Re bars I would never trust a super cheap carbon bar from Aliexpress. Carbon bars are notorious for dramatic failure especially in a crash and that is for well know brands with well documented QC processes so my view is carbon bars from unknown brands with sketchy QC processes (or completely unknown QC) is a big risk, I get that branded stuff is still made in China but they have proper QC , after sales etc. For the tiny weight saving I just don't think its worth it - A set of ControlTech alu bars in 40cm is around 230g and about £45 so within a few grams of a carbon bar / similar price and are (imo) far safer. Aliexpress stuff for shifters, bar tape, chainsets etc are great and if something goes wrong it would be annoying but not life threatening, a failed carbon bar or wheelset on the road ain't worth thinking about! Great vids keep. Looking forward to receiving my Sensah shifters.
Toseek and EC90 seems to have a good buy. I have a EC90 hander bar on my MTB and EC90 stem on my RB
As always good reviews
Hi Luke. I know I'm a little late to the party, but thought that it would make more sense to comment on a related video. I'm a bit of a heavier rider and therefore don't really trust Chinese carbon handlebars. (More weight on the bars) However I'd love to see more videos of handlebars from AliExpress in a future video. You know, to get some confidence from your experience.
Anything planned?
I wonder in the video are they comparing competitors bars to theirs?
I got some 3T replica sprint bars for my track bike from AliExpress, I was thinking of expanding foam injection, you know, the tins from B&Q but when they arrived, they were so rigid that I didn't bother. I know you can't do that with road bars because of the cables.
I suspect that the darker areas on the handle bar are a different kind of carbon layup because you will clamp your shifters there.
Possible they use a Uni directional carbon matrix on the suggested join area as opposed to the multi axial carbon used on the rest of the handlebar
Thank you for an another great episode!
Glad you liked it!
More flex on handlebars could lead to a more comfortable ride. Aluminium is known for its stiffness and carbon can be made to flex in certain directions.
*Which is stated later in the video
Yeah this is definitely true! They are super comfortable bars, but when you are holding onto the ends of the drops, it almost feels like you could snap them off... This isn't the case with the aluminium bars, but i take your point!
@@TraceVelo it probably depends on your manufacturing quality too then. Thanks for your videos, they are really valuable in the cycling community.
Hi Luke another great vid, it's been a long time since the last one! Lol. Great as usual, I have the same bars and think they're pretty good. I had to slightly file the cable holes as I felt they were slightly undersized, and got rid of the sharp edges to avoid cable cuts. Cheers Buddy
Thanks! Yeah its been a while since the last upload. Life stuff has piled up this past month, so its been difficult to carve out enough time to bash videos out. Glad you liked it though, and good to know i wasn't the only one breaking out the files for these bars 🤣