Purveyors of fine cycling goods, ENVE has long been a benchmark for carbon components, with nearly everything except groupsets available from the American brand. Most of what they make is high-quality and high-priced, and the G Series Gravel In-Route Handlebars are no exception.
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
These handlebars came fitted to the ENVE MOG gravel bike used in the Gravel v All-road article, so thankfully, I didn’t have to thread any cables or hoses through them.
Construction
The G Series Gravel In-Route Handlebars are, of course, made from carbon, with a lay-up that ENVE says has been specifically designed to reduce the vibrations and discomfort of off-road riding.
The most noticeable feature of the bars is the flare, with an extra 12cm from the centre of the hoods to the centre of the drops. Much like the road-going version, the flare is front-to-back as well as side-to-side, so the widest point of the whole bar is at the end of the drops.
Either side of the stem, there are a few centimetres of round bar for mounting lights, a computer, and any other gadgets before the bar flattens a little. This section is less about aero gains than comfort, with the slightly ovalised tubing extending around the corner towards the hoods. The drops have a straightened area near the brake levers before continuing backwards and outwards to the bar end plugs.
Space for computer and lights to be mounted before comfy oval section
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
In pure figures, the reach is 80mm, the drop is 120mm, and the claimed weight is 261g for the 44cm test bars.
They are available in 42cm, 44cm, 46cm and 48cm (at the hoods) widths, giving 54cm, 56cm, 58cm and a whopping 60cm width on the drops. I’ve owned mountain bikes with narrower bars than that!
The ride
As the bars arrived ready, set up and taped, I can’t comment on the weight or ease of fitting unfortunately, but that did mean that I could head straight out the door and onto my local trails.
Simply put, I loved the tops and hoods, but was less impressed with the drops. The straight, ovalised tops were very comfy, and with the sharp 90° bend to the hoods, there was oodles of space for different hand placements (this would also make them great for use with a bar bag). As the ovalisation continues around the bend, riding just behind the hoods was also pretty comfy, and the transition to the hoods is nice and smooth.
The hoods are angled inward slightly by the beginnings of the flare, but this is no bad thing, and the GRX levers fell to hand easily. Riding forward in the drops, as you would whilst covering the brakes, was ok, helped by the ergonomic section of the bar, although I felt that my elbows were being pushed out slightly by this point. Further down the drops towards the bar ends, I was less happy.
Ergonomics worked well when using the levers, but flare is pronounced
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
The 56cm width here just felt too much for me, even at 186cm tall, pushing my elbows out and shoulders forward. I understand that width equals control, but as you can’t reach the brakes by this point, I can’t imagine feeling the need for maximum control without the possibility of braking!
The other issue with such flared bars is one of bike fit. The correct reach and stem length for riding on the tops or hoods is thrown out by moving down onto the super flared drops, making the reach then feel too long. This isn’t too much of an issue barrelling down smooth, fast gravel trails, but a lot of my rides involve technical, rocky and steep sections – exactly the type of terrain where you don’t want to feel stretched and nose down. So instead, I tended to revert to the hoods, wasting all that added width.
I preferred to use the hoods on steep, narrow and technical trails
(Image credit: Tim Russon)
Of course, handlebar shape is a subjective matter depending on riding type and style, as well as body shape and flexibility, so another rider might find the shape perfect for them, but I would have preferred less fore/aft flare. The FSA K-Wing AGX bars suited me better, for instance.
Aesthetically, the bars look pretty classy, with gloss black ENVE branding against matte carbon, and of course, super clean internal cable routing.
Value and conclusion
Ok, I can’t avoid it any more, the price of these handlebars is £440. If that information doesn’t have you scurrying away with your wallet firmly jammed into the bottom of your pocket, then these might be the bars for you.
There is no doubt that there are (much) cheaper gravel bars available, even in carbon, but not many with ENVE’s enviable reputation for quality and workmanship, along with a decent crash replacement policy. It is impossible to use the words ‘good value’ about a set of handlebars that are nigh on the cost of a basic bike, but ENVE has never been about the budget market, so the price might not matter too much to prospective buyers. Personally, I think I’d baulk at spending that amount of money on something that is very likely to get crashed or at least filthy on a regular basis.
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
Comfort and space on the tops is excellent, and whilst weight isn’t exceptional, it is reasonable considering the quality and sheer length of carbon tubing involved. The shape of the drops might not work for me, but if it suits you, and you can handle the outlay, then there is no doubt that they are a high-quality, well-designed set of handlebars in the modern gravel style.
