Borrowing shapes from their ultralight MCD E100 carbon bar, the new AX drop bars bring a much wider flare to their new “Adventure Cross” series.
Two models will be offered, the aluminum EA70 AX and the carbon fiber EC70 AX. They use the same top shape and 80mm reach of the MCD, but push the drops’ flare from 4º to a whopping 16º. That puts them wide enough to all but eliminate any wrist contact with the upper part of the bar when you’re trying to go aero on the rough stuff. That figure, says Easton, is the widest they could go and still give you full control of brake and shift levers.
Both bars have a 120mm drop and 80mm reach and come in 40, 42 and 44 cm widths measured center to center at the hoods. The drops’ flare adds 68mm to the overall width. The $283 EC70 AX comes in at a claimed 220g (42cm), and the $120 EA70 adds 70g to come in at 290g.
Borrowing shapes from Salsa…
FTFY
Yes but Salsa don’t seem to have ever do e a carbon one?
And Salsa borrowed it from Nitto, WTB, and Ritchey, imitation is the highest form of flattery.
Dead on Dan. Never liked the woodchipper though myself.
Sweet!
These aren’t just ‘borrowed’ shapes, it seems like they are flared LESS than other options. A welcome option, the extreme flare bars are a bit much and make reaching the levers hard. Plus they’re ugly.
Salsa bar are 12 degrees. or 24 degrees. These have 16 which rides very well on the hoods, (same as the GT bar). If you go back to the early 1900 there were bars like this, I don’t think you can pin this idea to Salsa.
Oh good another cool handle bar that doesn’t come in a 46.
As this bar (and the other new Easton bars) are measured C-to-C at the hoods I bet the 44cm is wider than other brands in 46cm measured C-to-C at the drops. Plus these new AX bars would measure 50.8cm C-to-C at the drops.
The Salsa Cowbell comes in a 46
I bet the widths are deceiving, a 46cm would probably be 50 feet wide, these are going on my CX bike.
46?!?! i want a 56. Limiting the width of drops to traditional road widths is just a bit outdated.
the measurement is from the hoods, the drops are much wider.
Add 68MM to the bar size and you have the width at the drops. Per Easton web site:
EA70 AX FLARE BAR TECH SPECS
WIDTH (C to C) 40- 42 -44cm at hoods (at drops +68mm)
FLARE 16 degrees
WEIGHT 42cm 290g
REACH 80mm
DROP 120mm
MATERIAL EA70 ALLOY
So the 44 is 112 at the drops. Wide enough for you?
bad math. more like 50.8
Does anyone know what the pricing is on these, both carbon and aluminum? I can’t find that info anywhere online.