How to choose a road handlebar: width, reach, drop, and integrated or not

Carbon integrated road handlebar seen from the front

Start with width, and start narrower than you think. The usual baseline is the distance between the bony points on top of your shoulders. Pick the bar closest to that number, and if you are between two sizes, take the narrower one. A bar that is too wide opens your arms into the wind and does nothing for control on the road.

Width: measure your shoulders, not your old bar

Many bikes are sold with a 42 cm bar regardless of who is riding them. EXS designed its bars around bike-fitter data showing that many riders are on bars too wide for them, and that more riders need a 36 cm bar than the industry assumed — which is why its drop bars start at 34 cm, a size most shops do not stock.

Have someone measure across your shoulders between the two bony points at the outer edge. That figure in centimetres is your starting width. Riders who race or ride fast in groups often go one size narrower again; riders who want the most relaxed position stay at the measured number.

Reach and drop: how far and how low

Reach is how far the bar extends forward from the clamp to the furthest point of the bend. Drop is the vertical distance from the top of the bar to the bottom of the drops. Every bar we carry is 70 mm reach and 125 mm drop — a compact shape, where the drops are close enough to use for more than sprinting.

A short reach has a second effect: it puts the hoods closer to you, so you can run a longer stem for the same position. A longer stem generally makes the steering calmer. If your current bar has 80 mm of reach or more, expect to add about 10 mm of stem when you move to one of these.

Integrated or separate: what you give up for the clean front end

A one-piece bar and stem, like the Aerover, has no faceplate and no clamp bolts, routes the cables inside, and is the stiffest front end EXS makes. EXS puts the aerodynamic saving at 4 watts at 40 km/h against a separate aero bar and stem.

What you give up is adjustment. Width and stem length are chosen together and cannot be changed afterwards, the stem angle is fixed at −10°, and the bar cannot be rotated in the stem to move the hoods up or down. Buy an integrated bar when you already know your position. If you are still working it out, a separate drop bar lets you change the stem for the price of a stem.

The bars we carry, side by side

Bar Type Widths Weight
EXS Aerover One-piece bar and stem 36, 38, 40, 42 cm 290 g (36 cm × 90 mm)
EXS R175 Drop bar, aero top 36, 38, 40, 42 cm 180 g (40 cm)
EXS R180 Drop bar, oval top 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 cm 180 g (40 cm)
EXS R150 Drop bar, oval top 34, 36, 38, 40 cm 150 g (40 cm)

All four share the same 70 mm reach and 125 mm drop, so the choice between them is not about fit. It is about the stem (one-piece or your own), the top shape (aero or oval), and weight.

Two limits to check before you order

The R150, R175 and R180 carry a 110 kg rider weight limit, tested to ISO 4210. EXS also states that these three bars are not compatible with Zipp or Bontrager stems — if that is what is on your bike, plan on a different stem or look at the Aerover, which brings its own.

See every bar in Handlebars, or send us your current width, stem length and frame and we will tell you which size we would pick.

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Still asked

Can I fit clip-on aero bars to a carbon road handlebar?

Not to these. EXS states that time-trial extensions and other clamp-on add-ons must not be installed on the Aerover, R150, R175 or R180. If you need clip-ons, you need a bar whose maker rates the tops for them.

Will an integrated handlebar fit my frame?

The Aerover fits 28.6 mm (1⅛ in) and 31.8 mm (OD2) steerers, so the clamp fits most road frames. The part that varies is the headset cover: for fully internal routing it has to match your frame. Send us the frame model and year before ordering and we will confirm what is needed.

Do I need new cables or hoses when I change handlebar?

Often, yes. Moving to a narrower or wider bar changes the length the hoses have to cover, and internal routing means they have to be disconnected to be threaded through. On a hydraulic bike that means a brake bleed afterwards, so budget for a shop visit unless you do that work yourself.

Is a lighter handlebar less safe?

Weight alone does not tell you. What matters is whether the bar passed a recognised test and what limit the maker puts on it. The EXS bars we carry are tested to ISO 4210, and the R150, R175 and R180 carry a 110 kg rider weight limit. Stay inside the limit, use a torque wrench, and replace any carbon bar after a crash.