Pro Vibe 7S Compact Bar

The Pro Vibe 7S Compact Bar is very stiff, well made and comfortable for day-long rides. It isn't as light as some, but this doesn't take away from what is a very good unit.

While researching this bar I found perhaps my favourite site on the internet: Chris Froome Looking At Stems, which shows firstly that he loves looking at stems, and also that he rides the Pro Vibe 7S Compact Bar. It is the bar of choice across most of the Sky Team, so I was keen to see if it lives up to their standards.

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A little technical info about the bar: it's a compact design (but also available in anatomical, round and track versions), comes in 2cm intervals between 38-44cm, and they all have a standard 31.8mm diameter.

Fitting the bar is simple and there is a useful angle and centre guide which works well with the Pro Vibe 7S Stem that I tested alongside the bar (review to come), given its cutout in the centre. It made it very simple to get the bar centrally aligned and at the right angle for me. It also has dual cable routing, which made it simpler to run both brake and gear cables down larger channels.

Once on, the first thing you notice about the bar is that it is wonderfully stiff. When combined with the Pro Vibe 7S Stem there is practically no movement at all. Maybe this is why Froomey spends so long looking at his stem – is he trying to see if there is any microscopic deflection? I used this setup while sprinting hard and wrenching on it on tough climbs and found barely any movement whatsoever. It seems Pro made a good choice with the 7075 aluminium material.

Given that it's compact, it's easy to move your hands around on, and I found I could quickly and easily shift from the hoods onto the drops and onto the tops quickly. There was also no wrist bumping when riding in the drops.

The bar is slightly heavier than others in the same price range, coming in at 287g, but this isn't a huge amount given the advantages you get from the additional stiffness it provides.

In terms of looks, the bar we received was simply black with a single Team Sky blue line on the lefthand side. This design won't be for everyone, but I think it looks good. If you are averse to the FKW label, it's also available in black with white graphics.

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According to distributor Madison it has a price tag of £74.99 (though some places quote an RRP of £69.99), but can be found cheaper if you shop around. The price seems about right, given the level of stiffness this bar offers.

Overall, I was impressed. Others may be lighter, but in the long run I would prefer having the stiffness this bar provides rather than saving 20g. When combined with the Vibe 7S Stem, there is very little that would move it.

Verdict

Very good bar with no hint of flex or twisting, no matter how hard I tried