Roval is more well known for its wheels than its components, but their new ultralight cockpit parts for road, gravel and mountain bikes could change that.
The highlight is the new Alpinist one-piece bar and stem unit, but there’s a matching ultralight seatpost to go with it. Plus a flex seatpost for gravel, enduro handlebar, and some news on their insanely light Control SL XC wheelset.
Roval Alpinist ultralight bar & stem combo
It’s not strange to see an exclusively wheel brand branch out to bars, stems, and seatposts. We’ve witnessed it from Vision, Zipp, and many more. The difference is how successfully the line can be without going overboard in its new venture.
The new Roval Alpinist drop bar unit boasts a one-piece molded handlebar-and-stem layout and titanium steerer tube clamp bolt for a total weight of just 255g.
The bar’s front has a dedicated attachment point for a sleek computer mount and is slotted to accept internal routing compatible with all major mechanical and electronic drivetrains (Campagnolo EPS included).
The dimensions of the Roval Alpinist bar are on the traditional side, forgoing sculpted tops and large flared out drops.
Bars are measured center-to-center. Stem length options vary by size and include:
- 40cm – 80/90/100mm stem lengths
- 42cm – 90/100/110/120mm lengths
- 44cm – 110/120/130mm lengths
All sizes have the same 125mm of drop and 75mm of reach. The Alpinist bar and stem combo has a rider weight limit of 125kg / 275lb and a $600 retail price.
Gravel & road bike seatposts
For the other end of the bike, Roval has a new ultralight Alpinist seatpost (left) to match its new integrated cockpit. The Alpinist carbon fiber seatpost has a claimed weight of 136g for the 300mm version, and 141g for the 350mm. It’s currently only available in a single 27.2 mm diameter with a 12mm setback on the two-bolt head. Retail price is $275.
For gravel bikes, a new aftermarket version of the Terra seatpost (right) that comes on higher-end Specialized Diverge models is available.
Roval claims the new Terra post has up to 18 mm of movement, and given the comfortable ride of the Diverge, we’d have to agree. The Terra post is available in four sizes with 27.2 being the only diameter – 0mm or 20mm setback in 330mm and 380mm lengths.
The 27.2 x 300mm with zero setback comes in at a respectable 199 grams. The new Terra post has a rider weight limit of 275lbs and is available now for $250.
Roval Traverse SL carbon enduro riser bar
For the enduro crowd, the new Traverse SL carbon fiber riser handlebar features a 35mm clamp and is available in 780mm and 800mm widths.
Like the older Specialized version, the Traverse bar has 30mm of rise, 6º of backsweep, and 8º of upsweep. Claimed weight is 227g.
Roval claims their “…extensive experience with carbon fiber allows us to ensure maximum strength at the clamp and then tailor the carbon fiber layup to providing damping at the bar-ends, resulting in a more comfortable, less fatiguing ride.”
Retail is $170, available now.
Roval Control SL XC wheels finally available
For those lusting after the 1240 gram Roval Control SL wheels, they are finally available for purchase just as the World Cups are coming back. We reviewed the Roval Control SL and found them to be fast, light, and perfect for cross country.
In addition to the rim, Roval achieved this by updating the hubset to DT Swiss 180 EXP Hub internals. They claim the new Control SL’s entire hub weighs less than the hub shell alone on the prior version.
They also enlarged the inner rim width to 29mm making them 22% more pinch-resistant than prior edition Control SL rims with a fantastic ride quality at lower pressures. Available now and just in time to put on your early holiday shopping list for $2,500.
