Cockpit & Pedals

I use it on a gravel bike that doubles as a road bike. The SWOPE tops are the biggest improvements over a traditional/aero drop bar. I find myself on the tops a lot more due to the comfort. The notch for the thumbs in the drops are a neat feature too. Elsewhere on the bar are similar to a traditional bar in terms of shape and comfort in my opinion. Expensive, but there are some comfort gains. Installation requires longer brake hoses due to the additional extension/bends, but fairly straight forward.

I recently built up a couple bicycles with full internal routing using the Coefficient RR handlebars. There were limited internally routed stems available. I've had several sets of ENVE wheels and forks in the past and have always thought highly of their designs quality control.

PROS: Out of the box this stem looks great! The -7 option worked for one bike while the +12 was a better fit for the other bike. Both stems are comparable in design and filament. They also look great on the bike. The routing design is well thought out and worked very well with the Coefficient bars. I did like how ENVE separated the hose routing into two individual openings. Their tolerances were very tight but easily accommodate one brake cable. Adding a second shift cable would be tight but doable.

CONS: I was very diligent to maintain the same bolt configuration when disassembling these stems. In the build process one bolt was out of sequence and I found it wanted to cross thread easily. You will want to put each bolt back in the factory location when re-installing. Not a difficult task but a touch annoying. The spacers are cheap plastic and look that way. At this price point a higher quality material would be welcomed.

It will be interesting to see if this design holds up as more manufacturers join the internal routing game.

I have used Lizard Skins handlebar tape a few times and have not been disappointed. A little more expensive that some of the others but easy to install, lasts a long time and very comfortable. Totally worth it.

This is my third pair of Dura Ace pedals. They are Shimano's best, and they are very good indeed. They are light, stiff, have excellent bearings, and provide a solid platform for great power transfer. They are easy to clip into and out of. Release tension is easily adjusted, and the user-serviceable bearings can be re-packed as necessary. A great pedal for performance riding at a price that can't be beat. As always, customer service was excellent and shipping was prompt. Highly recommended.