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FSA takes AGX bar fit wider, Gossamer cranks shorter & Energy bars super compact

FSA K-Wing AGX aero gravel handlebar goes wide, photo by Patrik Zuest
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FSA dials in personalized road and gravel bike fit for 2021 with broader sizing options across existing alloy & carbon bars and alloy cranksets. In a bid to give riders a more customized bike setup with truly individual fit, FSA has substantially expanded size offerings – going big the K-Wing AGX & small for Energy handlebars, and super-short, sub-compact Gossamer Pro 1x & 2x cranksets…

FSA K-Wing AGX aero gravel handlebars go wide

FSA K-Wing AGX aero gravel handlebar goes wideThe 2021 update to the carbon K-Wing AGX aero gravel handlebar is the most straightforward out of the bunch here, adding two wider options to the premium flared dropbar for riders looking for more control off-road. Measured center-center at the hoods, the K-Wing AGX now adds wider 46cm & 48cm options, on top of the original 40, 42 & 44cm bars (apparently truly 3.5mm wider at the shifter mount).

FSA K-Wing AGX aero gravel handlebar goes wide, tops
c. FSA, photos by Patrik Zuest

The UD carbon, 12° flared carbon bar sells for $314 / 314€. It features 5mm rise at the aero wing tops, a sculpted ergonomic section in the bends for comfort behind the brake hoods, and Di2-ready internal cable routing ports that are compatible with all of FSA’s ICR or ACR stems/headsets for semi-integrated or fully-hidden completely internal cable routing.

With 115mm drop & 75mm reach, the 31.8mm clamp dropbar now comes in 40, 42, 44, 46 & 48cm widths (~5cm wider c-c at the drops) with a claimed weight of 205g (42cm).

FSA Energy alloy road handlebar fit goes Super Compact

FSA Energy alloy road handlebar goes Super Compact

Less fancy looking but still high-end for an alloy dropbar, the FSA Energy goes Super Compact, adding new 36cm & 38cm options for smaller riders (in addition to standard Compact 40, 42 & 44cm bars, all measured center-center at the bar ends), with a weight claim of 255g (38cm). The double-butted 7050 alloy bar gets a 110mm wide x 31.8mm round clamping area that transitions to slightly flattened 34mm ergonomic flat tops. It includes internal routing compatible with both semi-integrated ICR & fully-internal ACR stems.

The $96 / 104€ Energy Super Compact features the same subtle 4° outward bend (not angled flare) to make room for your arms in the drops, but now gets a slightly more compact 120mm drop & 70mm reach, again to better fit smaller riders & juniors.

FSA Gossamer Pro alloy road crankset fit gets super short & sub-compact

FSA Gossamer Pro alloy road cranks get super short & sub-compact, 2x road compact

The update of the long-running Gossamer Pro alloy crankset may be the biggest move towards offering more customized fit options. Conveyed to us as offering shorter cranks arm lengths ideal “for triathlon usage”, there’s plenty of potential benefit here beyond Ironman racing.

 

 

FSA Gossamer Pro alloy road cranks get super short & sub-compact, 2x road compact

 

They were in fact developed in response to Vision-sponsored tri pros who want shorter cranks to allow “shorter movement of your leg… creating less turbulence and therefore more aerodynamics performance” and pedaling more “similar to the movement of the leg during the running phase, therefore it creates less physical decompensation allowing the rider to face the last phase of the race in optimal way”. But smaller riders will obviously benefit too!

The new Gossamer Pro BB386EVO cranks now offer a wide range of lengths across both 1x & 2x setups – 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 167.5, 170, 172.5 & 175mm arms available!

 

FSA Gossamer Pro alloy road cranks get super short & sub-compact, 1x

 

The oversized cold forged 6061-T6 alloy arms both appear to share the same 145mm Q-factor, somewhat unique 120mm BCD chainring sizing in 1x or 2x configurations. That suggests a wide range of chainring options. FSA already offers 36, 38, 40, 42 & 44T Thick-Thin (narrow-wide) single ring setups in this BCD. This also means these can go subcompact for gravel & off-road too, with current 50/34T, 48/32T & 46/30T ring combos available in FSA’s 120/90mm 4-bolt BCD. The cranks feature 30mm 7050 forged alloy spindles to for 386EVO bottom brackets.

Retail price for either 1x or 2x setups appears to be the same at $178 / 178€ including rings – with claimed weights of  751g (50/34T x 170mm) & 730g for 1x (40T x 170mm).

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KGR
KGR
3 years ago

FYI, the 46cm carbon K-Wing AGX is not new. I bought mine back in June.

Lyford
Lyford
3 years ago

A subcompact crankset with arms shorter than 165? Small riders rejoice!

Dr_LHA
Dr_LHA
3 years ago

They managed to make that Gossamer Pro crankset even uglier again. I suppose that’s expected for something that’s destined to be the most dissapointing thing on your sub-$2000 bike.

Dockboy
Dockboy
3 years ago
Reply to  Dr_LHA

It really looks like somebody took a butter knife to the clay model.

Yeah, ok.
Yeah, ok.
3 years ago
Reply to  Dr_LHA

Bundle of Joy!

Ted P
Ted P
3 years ago

I have moderate flexibility issues, 6’2″ tall. My bikes come with 175s, 8 years ago on a whim I installed 170s on my road bike. Hill climbing, based on gps history, improved a lot both in speed and comfort. Flats saw a small improvement. Last month I put a set of 153’s on my mtb. Nothing but improvement in speed and reduced hip pain. I think they are still too long. My 5’2″ wife has had 140’s on her mtb for years, made by a machinist who shortens and sells them online. From what I understand, the tiny 8% size range of cranks for adults comes from high-wheel racers from 130 years ago. Wouldn’t surprise me.

The thing I think is most important to understand is that if a crank size exceeds your fluid range of motion, you may as well be riding with the brakes on. People say that shorter cranks give you a lower power output, but that is not true. It’s just gearing, like a chainwheel size change.

Some people can stand (on the ground), bent over at the hips until their chest is horizontal, and still pick their one foot off the floor until their knee hits their chest.
I can’t.
All these years, I thought I was a lousy climber. I’m still not great, but I’m way faster than I used to be.

In my case, I recently went from 165 to 153, a 7.8% harder “gear”. The chainwheel I used was 4 teeth larger, 12.5% increase. I didn’t feel like putting on a longer chain, so I locked out the low gear so as not to turn my der into Alpo. That added 13.3%. I think there is and additional multiplier in there but I’ll let the math guys say on that one. My new low gear is 33% harder. I used my old low a lot. I don’t need it now, I just pedal up the same hills faster.

I don’t know you, but your cranks are too long. 🙂
Probably.

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