New ENVE SES AR might be the most expensive one-piece handlebar in the world

Previously only sold with ENVE bikes, the cockpit is now available to the aftermarket

ENVE

Published: January 18, 2024 at 3:00 pm

ENVE has made its SES AR One-Piece handlebar available to the general consumer, and it comes with a hefty price tag. 

It was previously only seen on the brand’s Custom Road bike and through select frame builders. 

The cockpit is now available in 20 width and length configurations, with stems as short as 90mm and bars as wide as 460mm. 

ENVE’s components and wheels have a reputation for being on the pricier side. Its recently launched Innerdrive Premium hub set is priced at £900 / $750 and its road bike wheels can cost more than £3,000 / $3,000. The SES AR One-Piece has a similarly high price, costing £1,300 / $1,200. 

ENVE SES AR One-Piece features 

ENVE AR One-Piece handlebar product shot.
The ENVE SES AR comes in 20 sizes, combining different stem lengths and bar widths. - ENVE

In ENVE’s nomenclature, ‘AR’ stands for ‘All-Road’, and the SES AR One-Piece is said to be suitable for road bikes and gravel bikes

The cockpit’s handlebar shape is similar to the ENVE SES AR Handlebar, designed in response to how many people now ride one bike across multiple surfaces. It has a flared drop, meaning the drops are 5cm wider than the hoods across all widths, and an aero-profile top section. 

ENVE AR One-Piece handlebar product shot side on.
The bar has a 127mm drop and ENVE's integrated bar-end plugs. - ENVE

The cockpit has the same reach and drop as the AR Handlebar, at 76mm and 127mm respectively. 

Like all ENVE handlebars, the cockpit has the brand's integrated bar-end plugs to give a cleaner finish when wrapping bar tape

The carbon cockpit, made at ENVE’s headquarters in Ogden, Utah, is said to weigh 330-360g depending on the bar width and stem length. 

All ENVE SES AR One-Piece cockpits come with a K-Edge bike computer mount, as well as spacers and hardware kit. 

ENVE AR One-Piece handlebar showing K-Edge computer mount from underside.
All ENVE AR One-Piece handlebars come with an ENVE-branded K-Edge computer mount. - ENVE

The 20 available sizes use a combination of bar widths and stem lengths. The five bar widths range from 380mm to 460mm and the five stem lengths vary from 90mm to 130mm.

Not all widths are paired with all stem lengths, but ENVE says uncommon size combinations or custom stem lengths may be ordered, but will carry a lead time. 

What about compatibility?

ENVE AR One-Piece handlebar product shot.
ENVE says the bar may be compatible with bikes that use similar internal cable routing. - ENVE

Despite previously only being available as part of the ENVE Custom Road package, the ENVE SES AR One-Piece is compatible with the ENVE MOG and ENVE Melee

Beyond ENVE’s range of bikes, the cockpit is available with any frames built with the brand’s In-Route System.

The In-Route System runs wires, cables and brake hoses through the bar and stem, down the front of the steerer tube, and then into the fork and frame. 

ENVE says that if your bike does not have the In-Route System but has similar internal routing, you may be able to use the cockpit. However, it says this may require headset modifications, which may invalidate warranties. 

Additional compatibilities will be announced in the future, according to ENVE.

Not the pro edition

Tadej Pogačar's Colnago V4Rs with new ENVE integrated handlebar
The ENVE SES Aero Road will launch later this year. - Simon von Bromley / Our Media

The SES AR One-Piece may look like the cockpit used by Tadej Pogačar, which we spotted at the 2023 Tour de France, but ENVE says it is not the same model. 

ENVE developed its SES Aero Road handlebar into a one-piece bar and stem for UAE Team Emirates last year. 

ENVE says this cockpit, called the SES Pro Team One-Piece, will be available in the second quarter of 2024. 

The SES Pro Team One-Piece will be available in three bar sizes, measuring from 35cm to 39cm at the hoods and 40cm to 44cm at the drops. ENVE says the narrow positions at the hoods reduce the rider’s drag profile.