ENVE has had a unique take on the aero road bar for some time: since the rider is the biggest source of drag, why not reduce that mass with a narrow-is-aero frontal profile? Now, the ENVE aero road bar has been revamped for Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 internal routing, including placing the junction box at the bar end.
In other ENVE news, the company has updated its titanium skewers to offer a stronger attachment for wheels to the bike. The previous editions could stretch a small amount initially, requiring a retightening after the initial installation. [Stretchy skewers was my primary complaint on the relatively new ENVE 3.4 SES wheels; I managing to yank the rear wheel out of the dropouts on a hard acceleration up a steep hill.]
SES Aero Road Bar
ENVE's aero bar features a 2.5cm sweep out on the drops, making the hoods' width substantially narrower. The idea is that bringing the rider's hands and forearms in tighter will make for a more aero overall package.
The aero road bar also has flattened top profile like other aero bars, plus internal cable routing.
What is new is the facilitation of Shimano's DI2 routing, so not only can all wires and brake cables tuck neatly inside the bar, but the Di2 junction box can be positioned at the end of either side of the bar, for easy charging and adjustment of the system.
The $400 bar (UK/AU pricing not available) comes in widths from 40-46cm, measured center to center at the drops, and weighs a claimed 249g for the smallest size.
The reach is 77mm and the drop is 127mm on the compact bar.
Titanium Quick Release Skewers
ENVE's revamped titanium skewers have a new, beefier design so they won't stretch. At a cost of just over $1 a gram, the lightweight skewers come in two widths for rim-brake wheels (100/130mm, 87g) and disc-brake wheels (100/135mm, 88g).
