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review
Handlebars & extensions
Genetic STV Road Bar Genetic STV Road Bar Genetic STV Road Bar
Genetic STV Road handlebar

Genetic STV Road Bar

8
by Stu Kerton
UPDATED Tue, Feb 25, 2020 15:46

First Published Feb 25, 2020

0
£29.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Decent performance and a quality handlebar for an impressive price
Compact shape
Small diameter top section allows you to run thick bar tape
Cable grooves are non-existent
No 'sandpaper' effect for gripping gear shifters
Weight: 
308g
Contact: 
www.ison-distribution.com
How we test

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Genetic STV Road Bar delivers a good balance of stiffness, comfort and weight at a decent price. It also has a compact shape that can be used by less flexible riders.

The STV does pretty much everything a handlebar needs to. Made from 6061 series aluminium alloy, it offers loads of stiffness, something that I wasn't too sure it was going to have, considering how narrow the profile is on the tops. Either side of the 31.8mm diameter clamping area it tapers down to a little over 20mm, which is a lot smaller than most.

> Find your nearest dealer here

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It does leave plenty of room for the cable and hose routing, though, which is good as there are no specific grooves to run them through. You can run thicker bar tape too for extra comfort without adding too much to the bulk.

Genetic STV Road handlebar - centre.jpg

At the hoods the bar profile thickens again and continues down to the drops, so there is plenty of stiffness here for when you are mashing the pedals in anger.

Some bars have a sandpaper effect under the anodising for grip where the gear shifters sit, but the Genetic doesn't have this. The surface is very smooth and I did have a bit of an issue with one of the levers slipping on the first ride, but after a light rub down with a bit of wet and dry paper it was solved.

Genetic STV Road handlebar - drop bar.jpg

The drops themselves are pretty shallow at just 120mm and the reach is only 70mm, which makes everything quite compact: perfect for those riders with small hands or who still like to hunker down for the fast sections but maybe aren't the most flexible.

It's available in widths from 36cm to 44cm measured centre to centre, in 2cm increments.

> Buyer’s Guide: How to choose the right drop handlebar + 8 of the best

The overall quality and finish are impressive for the money. The anodised coating is robust and hasn't scratched, nor have the graphics.

A weight of 308g (42cm) is none too shabby, and it's 5g lighter than the £52 Ritchey Comp Ergomax. Pretty good for a handlebar that is a penny shy of £30.

It's only a few grams heavier than the very good Easton EA70 AX bar, which costs more than double at £79.99.

On the whole, the STV bar delivers across the board, with a much higher performance than its price point would have you expect.

Verdict

Decent performance and a quality handlebar for an impressive price

road.cc test report

Make and model: Genetic STV Road handlebar

Size tested: 42cm

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Genetic says, "Our STV handlebars are a great product at a great price point.

These bars are made from 6061 series Aluminium alloy, for superior strength and toughness, whilst also being lightweight, with good fatigue resistance.

With 70mm of reach and 20mm drop, the STV bars also feature a flat transition from the bar tops to the brake lever hoods. While the five different size options from 360 to 440mm, in 20mm increments, make them the perfect choice for riders, trying to achieve optimal handlebar width.

STV bars are aimed at the road rider/racer, but are also suitable for Track, Cyclo Cross, Gravel, Touring and Commuter bikes."

It's a good quality and nicely shaped handlebar for all types of road riding.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Genetic lists:

Road, Track, CX, Gravel, Touring or Commuting

Flat transition from tops to lever hoods

Compact ergonomic style bend

Smart sandblasted and black anodised finish

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It's a competitively priced road bar with decent performance and comfort.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Shallow drop gives plenty of hand options for many riders.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Gear shifters can slip on smooth finish.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

A lot of the bars we've tested lately using this material are around the £45 mark and above, like the Ritchey and Easton mentioned in the review.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

A really good handlebar: a lot stiffer than I was expecting from the narrow top section, plus it comes in at a decent weight. The price is impressive too.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

Genetic STV Road Bar 2020
Genetic STV Road Bar
Genetic 2020
Genetic
Stu Kerton

Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.

With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.

He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.

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