The Integrated Aero Barstem is the new benchmark aero barstem for road and gravel, combining leading aerodynamics with refined ergonomics and a feathery weight. Its progressive shape, with drops flared by 30mm, boosts control and slashes the drag of the combined bike and rider, while increasing wrist clearance and comfort. The Integrated Aero Barstem achieves its speed in two ways: 1, it enables the rider to achieve a much more aero position; 2, it slices the air more efficiently. Both the rider and the bike’s handlebar meet undisturbed airflow at the front of the bike, so these are big opportunities to reduce drag. You can achieve a more aero position on the Integrated Aero Barstem thanks to the narrower hoods. This is now a popular feature across aero road bikes with good reason – it works. With your hands on the horns of the levers and your forearms flat, your frontal area is reduced and you go faster. The mid-depth profile of the top section was selected to compliment the OSTRO VAM and to balance aero against weight and the need for the tops to be comfortable. Following extensive research and development, a 40mm profile depth was chosen. Variations were assessed in CFD (computational fluid dynamics software) first and then prototypes of the best shapes were tested in a wind tunnel. When we returned to the tunnel with the final version to run it against the best rival products, we were so shocked at the results that we repeated the tests. The outcome was the same – the Integrated Aero Barstem decimates the competition.
