Culprit has announced a new Indiegogo campaign around their new-and-improved aerobar and aero stem products. The aerobar features arm pads with greatly increased length for better arm support, and can be cut down to your desired length. It also features a near-universal mounting system, making them compatible with many other aerobar brands. Top it off with an integrated stem that hides your Di2 wiring inside, claiming to save 3 watts over standard stems.
Culprit Bicycles Covert Op aerobar and stem
Culprit has gone down the aerobar and stem path before, and they’re back with a new crowdfunding campaign. One of the key changes with the new system is an aerobar pad with greatly increased length towards the front, reminiscent of the Aergo system from Look.
Adding length to the arm pads is a great thing, because it increases surface area for support. Adding it to the rear of the arm pads would cause a significant hazard to your knees, so it must be added to the front to support your forearms.
The nylon/fiber composite pad holders may be cut down in 10mm increments, for a total of 60mm. As an added bonus, the pads can be bought separately, and the bolt pattern is compatible with most aerobars on the market, including Specialized, Cervelo, Felt, Trek, Profile-Design, Enve, Zipp, and 3T.
If you buy the complete aerobar system from Culprit, it has high adjustability, with a wide range of potential fit. As is typical with most modern bars, the arm pads and extensions can travel up or down together using a stackable spacer system.
The Culprit aero stem is designed to hide all of your cables and a Di2 junction box inside, to keep things clean up front. They claim a three watt savings when using their Covert Op stem compared to a traditional stem with external routing.
Culprit is also making a new run of their Covert Op Aero Drop carbon bar, which combines with their integrated stem for a clean look.
Pricing for the new products on the Indiegogo campaign are as follows (USD, including shipping):
- Complete cockpit, drop bar, stem, aerobar: $520
- Stem with aerobar attachment with carbon extensions: $333
- Stem with aerobar attachment without carbon extensions: $266
- Arm pads: $48
- Covert Op Carbon aero drop bar: $187
- Covert Op stem 90-120mm: $119
- Perk tool bag: $96
- Backroads tool bag and cage: $104
