![]() Against $300+ carbon bars, the FSAs’ roughly $95 price tag makes them look like a bargain. While they can’t offer the vibration damping potential of a carbon bar, the invention popularization of wider rims, 25c tires, and more comfort-oriented frames makes this much less of an issue than it was even five years ago. While fit is inherently personal, I feel like FSA have really nailed the shape of these bars. The bars mate nicely with SRAM’s (previous generation) hoods and the drops’ ever-increasing radii provide plenty of hand positions on longer rides. The relatively shallow drops makes the transition from the tops or hoods less dramatic- and means that I spend more time tucked out of the wind than I would with a deeper bar. Ultimately, it’s the 125mm drop and slight (4 degree) flare that have made love the Energy Compact bars. Given their width, the bar’s graphics disappear under the tape, but that’s a minor complaint. The 31.8mm clamping section is a nice, accessory-friendly 120mm wide, and transitions comfortably to a semi-flat top. Despite coming in the bar’s widest width (44cm), our sample weighed in at 274g: 5g more than claimed for the 42 and within 40g of the brand’s $350 SL-K carbon bar. The real attraction here, however, is the Energy bar. ![]() While it may not be an obvious upgrade, the $100 Energy a no-brainer and should be considered before splashing out on bigger-name alternatives. Despite a weight that would put most carbon stems to shame, the Energy is most impressive for its stiffness- it is noticeably stiffer than the OEM Ibis stem it replaced. The matte/polished graphics are handsome- though a more neutral color option might be nice for some of the brighter bikes now available. 3D forged out of 2014 aluminum, the stem should be stronger than a similar-weight machined model (and kinder on the knees). Complete with titanium hardware, our 100mm Energy stem hit the scales at an impressive 113g.
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