Easton EC90 Aero Handlebar

As its name suggests, the Easton EC90 Aero handlebar is aimed at improving aerodynamic performance. Whether it does is impossible for me to verify, but it's comfortable to use and I think most people would agree that it is a very good looking bar. The Easton logo in white across the top only accentuates this; I thought it was too nice to cover up, which is why I taped the bar to the edge of the logo, to keep it showing.

It's impossible for me to test whether the bar makes a genuine different to aerodynamic performance, but I suspect that if it does it is fairly small. That aside, the shape is comfortable – more so than a standard round bar. The ability to rest your hands on the flat top section can be really beneficial, especially on easier, straighter sections of road.

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I wouldn't say it's the most comfortable bar I've ever used, but it does seem to offer some damping benefit; even after longer rides my hands felt comfortable, with no aches or pains, as can happen with some.

It also remains stiff enough when sprinting or pulling up hard on climbs. There have been suggestions that stiffness can be a weakness of a bar this shape, but I'm pleased to say that this one isn't affected.

The EC90 Aero has been updated from the original version and now fully supports internal Di2 cabling, which means you can use a Shimano bar end junction box (EW-RS910) and wire the cable fully internally to the hoods. On many aero shaped bars there can be a section of reinforcement where the hoods clamp, which isn't needed here.

Cabling for the rest of the handlebar is also well designed, with large entry ports either side of the stem clamp area. These are large enough for a hydraulic brake cable and mechanical gear cable outer.

The exit ports are also large enough to fit cables through with ease, with options to come out either side of the hoods, so regardless of what groupset you use it should be suitable.

A little help may be needed to guide the cable through should you wish to use the port on the inside of the hoods; I used a Park Tool IR 1.2 cable routing kit which made the job very simple.

The centre rounded section is wider than some bars of a similar size, and when used in conjunction with the EA70 stem (review to come) there was enough space to fit an out-front Wahoo computer mount.

Having tried a few other similar aero handlebar designs, including the Enve SES Aero and FSA A-Wing, I know that this isn't always the case.

The shape of the EC90 Aero bar is fairly typical of most modern road drop handlebars, with 125mm of drop and 80mm of reach. There is also 4 degrees of flare, which is enough to help the wrists clear the bar when sprinting in the drops, without making it too wide in the drops.

The one aspect of the bar that I wasn't overly keen on was the way the flat top section tapers to where the bar bends towards the drops. With other designs, including the Enve and FSA mentioned above, the flat section stays wider for longer, and personally I find that even more comfortable.

Value-wise, this is without doubt a lot to spend on a handlebar, although the PRO Vibe Aero Carbon bar is even more at £299.

There are cheaper options, though, such as the Prime Primavera that Stu loved, and if you are OK with aluminium, the Bontrager Race Lite Aero is just £69.99.

Another one to consider is Easton's EC70 Aero bar, which shares the same shape but is £80 less, with a claimed weight increase of just 25g.

> Buyer’s Guide: 10 of the best drop handlebars

If you want every aero advantage possible, or just love the look of aero road handlebars and want the extra damping performance and stiffness that carbon can offer, the Easton EC90 Aero bar is worth considering, and it is one of only a few similar bars that allows internal Di2 routing for a Shimano EW-RS910 junction box.

Verdict

Sleek aero bar with full internal cable routing capability, including compatibility with Shimano's bar end junction box