The Aerotunda from 3T is an anomaly in a bike world dominated by compact everything. This carbon bar bucks the trend with not only a big drop of 139mm but also a classic round bend. The deepness of the drop is offset by 83mm of reach. That means that even when down on the flat section of the drop you don’t feel over stretched reaching for the bar. The drop flares out by two degrees to offer plenty of wrist clearance when sprinting out of the saddle.
- Highs: Comfortable holds and a stiff yet comfortable ride
- Lows: Undoubtedly a pricey combination
The top section is where things get interesting with the aero-winged shaped top shifting forward of the central clamp horizontally and falling away vertically towards the forward bend. The aero wing makes for a comfortable hold when riding on the tops, so we taped them to the mid-point of each wing, as carbon can be slick. The transition at the elbow shifts from a horizontal wing to an almost fin edge. This hollows before the shifter clamp zone, creating another hold point behind the hoods. The hoods sit a little lower than on a compact bar so this ergonomic shaping offers a different hand position, which is useful when you’re looking to regularly change hold on a long ride.
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The bar feels stiff enough when sprinting but never has the harshness of ultra-rigid bars. The substantial dimensions of the aero section and the deep drops don’t suggest lightness, so 245g for the 440mm bar is impressive.
The bar is matched to 3T’s alloy ARX II stem, which features a single M7 bolt clamp with a weight-saving cutaway at the steerer and four M5 bolts holding the faceplate. All bolts are torx and we’re impressed with the chamfered surfaces on all the clamp zones, so no sharp edges could damage the expensive carbon. The 110mm stem is 125g making it light, but not excessively so. The stem feels solid and twist-free in use and the stealthy finish oozes quality.
Prices:
Bar: £270 / US$350 / €290 / AUS - Price given in US$
Stem: £80 / US$110 / €100 / AUS - Price given in US$
