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Submitted by
tWnWill
a Road Racer
from Date Reviewed: December 17, 2009
Strengths: -Light: just a wee bit heavier than my Zipp carbons
-Short reach to hoods/drops
-Flat surface from tops to hoods (woohoo!)
-Wing area is juuuuuust right
-Round sections left/right of clamp area to accomodate computers and lights.Weaknesses: -Higher weight compared to carbon (only a tiny bit)
-Price a little high for aluminum barsBottom Line: This is a review for the Wing Pro Compact version, which uses FSA's own compact drop geometry to shorten reach.
In fact, it was one of these design elements that drew me to it in the first place. Personally, I like a flat transition from top to hoods. Many of the compact or ergo bars out there like to put an annoying slope on their bars if you set the bottom of the drops parallel to the ground. With both my factory compact and ZIPP SL bars, I had to resort to having the drops pointing at an ugly angle in order to flatten out that area. The Wing Pro Compact gives you a nice flat surface behind the hoods, while allowing the bottoms of the drops to remain horizontal. Perfect!
I got to try it out the day after clamping it on when I went out for a 45km race at ShiMen Dam in Taichung. It gives a nice short reach (~75mm I believe) to the hoods. The flat (wing) tops allowed for very comfortable hand positioning during climbs. Despite feeling really cramped while off the bike, the front of the drops were perfect once you're actually tucked in - giving a nice easy reach to the brakes. I also found it effortless to slide my hands into slightly varying positions along the drops to tweak my comfort.
On a sidenote, I also appreciated the fact that FSA designed these with a round section bracketing the clamp area. This makes it much easier to attach computers and lights.
In a nutshell, these bars are perfect for me due to their ergonomics. They've made my bike a bit more comfortable and natural to use. As is the case with items such as saddles, YMMV when it comes to such subjective criteria as comfort. However, if you like a flat surface from tops to hoods and you prefer a short reach to hoods and drops, definitely check these out.
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At: On-do Bikes
Similar Products Used: PRO Lt compact bars
Bike Setup: Felt Z25; FSA Wing Pro Compact bars; Shimano 105; Aspide FX Carbon Arrowhead saddle; PRO Lt stems
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Submitted by
B15serv
a Recreational Rider
from Date Reviewed: February 7, 2009
Strengths: The compact drop is very comfortable for me and the bars look great. I am still undecided on the wing portion or if I'll go back to round bars but that isnt the fault of FSA thats just my pref.Weaknesses: First off the small weakness... there is no marking system on the bars to line up your levers. You would think that with these bars being "higher end" for alum. they would have something to make lever placement easier. The main weakness though is something that I noticed when sprinting.... these bars flex big time. Im not a big guy (27yrs old, 5'6, 140lbs) and Im not all that strong in the upper body but when im sprinting out of the saddle these bars flex like crazy. Im talking at least 1.25" from center and thats not when Im going all out. You would think that since these bars arent super light (FSA is known for fibbing weight) and come in at about 60+gr. heavier than carbon bars you would at least be getting a stiff piece of equipment.Bottom Line: I bought these bars because I am a fairly small guy and figured the compact drop would be nice.
Favorite Ride: any that take the whole day
Purchased At: online
Similar Products Used: Scott anatomic drop bars (nice but didnt fit me), bontrager mid level (nice but didnt fit me)
Bike Setup: 06' Scott Speedster S10... FSA wingbar, FSA stem, Neuvation wheels, vredestein tricomp tires, koolstop pads.
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Submitted by
bpotstra
a Road Racer
from Date Reviewed: November 26, 2008
Strengths: COMFORT!! Fairly light. Sexy as hell.Weaknesses: Glossy white finish makes it difficult to tighten STI shifters. They really ought to make a rough section for where shifters would be clamped.Bottom Line: Incredible how awesome the compact shape with wing top-section really is... I absolutely LOVE this bar!
Favorite Ride: Anything smooth and twisty
Price Paid:
$75.00
Purchased At: eBay
Similar Products Used: Cannondale C3 "ergo" - garbage
Bike Setup: 2006 Kona Zing Supreme w. full Ultegra and FSA finishing kit and Mavic Ksyrium SLs
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Submitted by
twinkles
a Recreational Rider
from Date Reviewed: July 12, 2008
Strengths: cheap, light enough, love the reach and drop of the compact. They're almost perfect bars for me.Weaknesses: kinda narrow for a 44Bottom Line: Mine is the compact model. I bought the 44 width, which is a narrow 44 compared to oval concepts 44s. It'd be nice if they made a 46. It's not as stiff as my mid-high grade oval concepts, but that makes it more comfy on rough stuff. I love the oval tubing on top and the flat transition to the hoods. I have spent more time on these drops than I ever have on any bar. I love everything about these bars. I didn't go with the carbon fsa's cause I'm a little paranoid of carbon bars.
Favorite Ride: climbing
Price Paid:
$65.00
Purchased At: gotta ride bikes
Similar Products Used: oval concepts r500, modollo ergo, itm 260 + lots of stock bars
Bike Setup: Clark Kent ti frame, Easton ec90 sl fork, CK aheadset, thomson stem, fsa wing pro compact bar, campy record carbon seatpost, selle smp glider saddle, ultegra group, ultegra hubs with mavic rims and continental gp 4000 tires.
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Submitted by
racerveza
a Road Racer
from Date Reviewed: August 14, 2007
Strengths: Comfortable shape, variety of hand positions, respectable weightWeaknesses: Availability has been spottyBottom Line: The best bar I've owned. I've got the Shallow (125mm) Drop version, which I find perfect for long periods in the drops. The non-anatomic bend is exceptionally comfortable and versatile, as it doesn't have any abrupt bends (thus making it more anatomic than typical "anatomic" bends). Controls are very easy to reach, even when sprinting out of the saddle.
Similar Products Used: Deda 215, Bontrager Race X-Lite VR
Bike Setup: Giant TCR Composite, SRAM Force, American Classic 350 wheels, PowerTap SL
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