Finally, I am in love. PRO VIBE 7S OS Bar. Small write up.

[109er]

that stem is uber stiff.....i can only imagine with the bars....

[spinwax]

that stem is uber stiff.....i can only imagine with the bars....

Advertised weight is the same as a Ritchey 4Axis too!!!

[corky]

My only grip with them is that the whole top is 31.8 to the bend and they only have one very shallow groove for cables......this makes for a very thick top, not good for small hands.

Maybe they'll modify it now that Shi*mano has gone to conceled cables?

Other than that they rock.

[spinwax]

My only grip with them is that the whole top is 31.8 to the bend and they only have one very shallow groove for cables......this makes for a very thick top, not good for small hands.

Maybe they'll modify it now that Shi*mano has gone to conceled cables?

Other than that they rock.

That was the one thing I forgot to mention. I was a little displeased with very shallow cable grooves.

[ostetorben]

They do look nice

- but I am wondering: I am a noodle weighing in at 65 kg @ 182 cm (so skinny and no muscle in the upper body). Is bar/stem rigidity something that should be considerer a priority for guys like me? Or should I just go light-weight (yes I know..... - but still)?

Thanks for the write-up, it was interesting.

[spinwax]

They do look nice

- but I am wondering: I am a noodle weighing in at 65 kg @ 182 cm (so skinny and no muscle in the upper body). Is bar/stem rigidity something that should be considerer a priority for guys like me? Or should I just go light-weight (yes I know..... - but still)?

Thanks for the write-up, it was interesting.

I am about 6kg more than you at race weight and the same height. I was actually fine with the little bit of flex in the Ritchey bars, so I don't think it will bother you.

[ecl2k]

it drives me insane that you didn't weigh these parts!

[jnusbaum]

OK ... so I ordered these from Excel and received them today.

42cm (c-c) Pro Vibe Round "Thor" Handlebar

Advertised weight = 275 grams
Actual weight = 278 grams

Typical of Shimano to be very close on weight ... it is definitely not a weight weenie bar. I wonder if the 215 gram Carbon Round bar is the same shape as the Thor bar ... they "look" the same in the pictures.

The reach and drop on the bar are a little hard to measure. I'm going to say that Excel's numbers are not right. The numbers that BdaGhisallo got from the UK Importer look good to me ... the shifters are intended to mount pretty far up on the curve as you can see from the photos. Measuring the reach to the mounting point is about 75 - 80 mm ... if you go all the way out to the center of the farthest part of the bar, it gets closer to Excel's numbers. But the shifters don't mount way out there.

In any case, the reach from my saddle to the tops of the shifters measures almost exactly the same with this Pro Vibe 7S bar as it does with the 75mm reach Easton Equipe Pro bars that these bars are replacing. The reach on both bars is ultimately very similar.

BdaGhisallo's UK Importers numbers:

VIBE 7S Round
Reach = 79mm
Drop = 130 mm

So I've only been up and down the road in front of my house to test them out and they feel great. A few trial sprints and no wrist smashing ... nice!

Interesting ... I just looked at the Excel site and the price for the bars has gone up to $99.99! I ordered them a couple days ago at $74.95! Holy crap! What's up with that?

-John

[LVGH]

What about the drop? Did you measure that at 130mm..?

[jnusbaum]

Yes ... 130mm drop looks correct too.

[boots2000]

Thanks for the review. I was interested in trying the Vibe but was afraid the SRAM lever would not set up well.
I have used the Ritchey Classic combo that you describe- sucks with SRAM- either you have to run the levers super low. If you raise the levers they start twisting inwards. Or you have to tilt the bars at a crazy angle where the bottom of the drops i pointed down at the bb.
I am currently using Eason SLX bars- they are ok, but not great Tops and hoods are great, drops are kinda vague- no real flat spot or point to push down on
Got some non-Thor Vibes on order.

[109er]

same weight as Ritchey...? nice.....

love the bartape as well....

[jnusbaum]

I did the Sunday morning training ride on the Vibe bars ... gotta say I really like them a lot! Shout out to Spinwax for his original post which pushed me over the edge to buy these bars!

If you like a flat ramp and a round shape ... these could be the bars for you!

Now someone please buy the carbon version and let me know if they are the same shape as the aluminum version.

-John

[spinwax]

I did the Sunday morning training ride on the Vibe bars ... gotta say I really like them a lot! Shout out to Spinwax for his original post which pushed me over the edge to buy these bars!

If you like a flat ramp and a round shape ... these could be the bars for you!

Now someone please buy the carbon version and let me know if they are the same shape as the aluminum version.

-John

Awesome. Cool to see how they work with DA... Thumbup on the SRM too. Man, I need to start training with power.

BTW, I am John as well.

[boots2000]

Just installed a set of Pro Vibe (non-Thor) round bars. I love the way they look- as close to a traditional bend as I have run in a while.
I thought it would be worth mentioning that the guide lines on the bars to set the height of the hoods are more far off than any bar I have ever installed. Use your level!