Deda Superleggera Black Bar

Superleggera translates as 'super light' and at just 180g (for a 42cm wide bar) you can see why Italian company Deda Elementi have used it to name their flagship bar. It's not the lightest and definitely not the cheapest carbon handlebar we've tested but it has got a couple of aces up its sleeve.

Let's get that price out of the way right at the start, £271.99 for a carbon tube is a hell of a lot of money but if you've just spent three or four grand on a frame, another grand or so on a groupset and a couple more on wheels you're probably going to want to spec your finishing kit to match.

Deda use HR40, a high modulus carbon fibre that has a tensile strength around 400GPa making it ideal for something like a handlebar that's going to see plenty of stresses. Basically it's stiffer than standard modulus so you can use less material (for less weight) to get the same effect or use the same amount of material to create a stiffer product.

It seems Deda have gone somewhere in the middle as although it's light the Superleggers doesn't move a millimetre even under heavy sprinting. The bar is absolutely solid but thanks to carbon's shock absorbing properties never uncomfortable unless you are really on a rough stretch. Even then, it's still much less harsh than an alloy bar.

Deda have used the acronym RHM for a while now and it stands for Rapid Hand Movement. They're basically saying you can move your hands quickly to any other part of the bar while riding and while, yes you certainly can, it's no easier than any other bar on the market. I like the bar shape, though; it's compact at 75mm reach and 130mm drop and has a mix of modern and traditional styling to it. By that I mean the drops are curved throughout yet the radius of the curve changes to replicate the newer anatomic style, offering plenty of hand positions.

The ace up the Superleggera's sleeve is the cable routing. The channels passing under the bars are deep and completely swallow the cables so once taped there are no lumps or bumps at all. All the clamping areas are roughened so there is little chance of the stem or shifters slipping once tightened up to the recommended torques.

Overall the Deda Superleggera is a lovely handlebar that performs brilliantly though its stiffness will be better suited to the racers than the big mileage riders. The cost is pretty eye-watering but it's not that far away from the likes of the 3T and Bontrager bars we've recently tested and the Superleggera sits in the middle of those two on weight as well.

Deda also offer this 31.7mm diameter bar in their 35mm diameter version and a range of sizes, 42cm, 44cm and 46cm all measured outside to outside.

Verdict

Top end bar with a top end price tag and performance to match