Thomson Carbon Road Bar

Thomson has a well earned reputation for its top end CNC machined mountain bike and road components, but these Carbon Road bars are their first foray into making carbon fibre drop handlebar and they certainly impress with fantastic stiffness, vibration damping and a very low weight.

The US company, is best known for its seatposts and stems in the mountain bike market, with a little cross over into road with compatible versions of their CNC machined aluminium products. The company has now decided to get more involved in road cycling with the release of two carbon fibre handlebars, which is a departure in two ways: their first drop handlebar and their first carbon product.

Thomson work with Toray, a huge manufacturer of carbon fibre, to produce the carbon handlebars as one-piece (many road bars are made from three component pieces) using an expanded polystyrene mandrel - much the same stuff as helmets are made from - which is made to the exact shape of the bar. This process, compared to using an inflatable bladder, produces a smoother internal surface with less wrinkles and a uniform thickness, so they can be lighter. The weight for these bars is 200g.

The road bar is available is available in four widths from 40 to 46cm, and the drop is specific to each size. I tested the 42cm bar - I like a narrow bar - and the drop is 140mm, which I found to be comfortably aggressive. The reach has been kept short at 78.5mm, with the ends of the bars extending a long way back. This means the stretch is limited and there's also no interference between forearms and the outer edge of the tops. There's a slight wing shape across the top section which makes for a comfortable place to place your hands when cruising. The reach and drop

Installing the bars was a straightforward job, with the underside of the bar shaped to route the cable outer housing from the brake levers. The centre of the bars have several white markers for lining up the bars and centering them. A grippy material is applied to the bends to ensure the hoods don't slip.

There's a vast choice of handlebars on the market, all manner of shapes, sizes, reach and drops, so getting a bar to suit your personal preference isn't impossible. It can take time to find a favourite bar though, but the Thomson has instantly become a hit. I find the shape just right with a drop that isn't overly aggressive but still places you low enough for an aero tuck.

A little vibration damping is noticeable compared to the Ritchey aluminium bar they replaced, making them comfortable on longer rides on rough roads. They feel much more solid too, something I wasn't expecting. During hard attacks, accelerations and sprints for the finish line in recent road races, they turned out to be exceptionally stiff with no unwanted flex or twist. Attacking riders will like them for that.

At £240 the Carbon Road bars are one of the most expensive handlebars we've tested, but not outrageously so - they're in the ballpark for a high end carbon handlebar. They're £30 more than than the FSA SL-K Compact Carbon handlebars, we tested last year but they're also lighter and stiffer too. Perhaps a closer comparison is the 3T ErgoSum Team Bar, £40 cheaper and about the same weight and available in a choice of shapes.

I really like these handlebars, would I buy them if I was paying my own money? They'd certainly be in the mix, but I'd also be sorely tempted by the 3Ts on both performance and, crucially for me at least, price (many a mickle makes a muckle when you're being paid by road.cc). That said an extra £40 for the right, light, stiff bar is not going going to be a disincentive to many people in the market for a 200 quid handlebar.

Verdict

Really good light, stiff and comfortable carbon handlebar, you wouldn't expect it to be cheap... and it isn't