ADVANTAGES of Ø25.4mm HANDLEBARS

Element doesn’t follow trends for fashion, so we are reluctant to give up on Ø25.4mm handlebars. Recently, many brands have changed to Ø31.8mm bar diameter. This size has the claimed advantage of being “stiffer and stronger”. But let’s examine these “benefits” in more detail:

Strength:
Large diameter tubes with thin walls are great in the main tubes of a frame (such as the down-tube of the Element XC frames). However, in clamped areas, this concept doesn’t work as well...so wall thickness on oversize bars cannot be thinner compared to Ø25.4mm bars. This is why Ø31.8mm bars and stems are often heavier.

Manufacturability:
Oversize bars are challenging to manufacture, as they taper 43% from the stem to the grips before they are bent into a riser shape. In such a complex system, thin walls and roundness are difficult to control. This is why many oversize bars do not have very round stem sections and fit poorly in the stem sections. For Ø25.4mm bars, the taper is only 14%, so tolerances can be tighter and bars can be rounder with consistent strength.

Weight:
Compared to Ø25.4mm, a set of oversize stem + bar tends to be 25~30g heavier.

Stiffness:
Since heavier parts are inherently stiffer, some of the extra stiffness of Ø31.8mm is simply due
to weight increase.

Reliability:
Element Technic bars in Ø25.4mm have been carefully developed and are manufactured with precision. They have a proven service life. Why change for the sake of fashion?




ELEMENTECH™ for HANDLEBARS




We realize you may already own an oversize stem (or handlebar), but still wish to use an Element bar (or stem). So, we are offering 2 series of handlebars and stem in Ø31.8mm for aftermarket sales:

• Carbon-fiber bar in Ø31.8mm (good roundness since it is molded not bent) and superlight stem
• Heavy-duty bar and stem, since weight is not a priority.