Prime Primavera Aero Carbon Handlebar

Prime's new Primavera Carbon Aero Handlebar is, like its forerunner, a great upgrade option at an attractive price. The drop is slightly shallower with a more ergonomic shape that's excellent for sprinting, and the price is still very good.

I reviewed the original Primavera Carbon Handlebar back in 2019, and I'm happy to see a lot of features I loved back then carried over to this one. Still present and correct are the easily-accessible drops, the aero top section, huge holes for internal cable routing, and the space around the stem clamp for a computer mount and light.

Installing the bar is pretty simple. Those large holes for the cables make life very easy – especially if you're installing hydraulic brake hoses with mechanical shift cables – and there's a hole at the back of the clamp area for electronic shift wires heading through the stem.

Like the older model, wrapping bar tape is straightforward too, though you need to take care has when you finish the wrap at aero top section. A bit of time with the scissors and a clean finish is achievable.

46.3% more numbers

Prime says the new bar is 13% lighter, 29.5% stiffer vertically, 11% stiffer horizontally, and 21.4% stiffer rotationally. Overall, it's apparently 20.6% stiffer with 16% less deformation.

So, having calibrated my arms to within 0.1% of maybe, I headed off for some test rides. In truth I found the original bar plenty stiff enough, and with a weight of just 64kg and a maximum sprint power of 1150W, I'm certainly not the most powerful rider either.

Ride feel

I don't feel much has changed. The stiffness I liked about the old model is still there; stronger riders might find this new model gives them a slightly more solid base for big efforts, but the important thing for me is that Prime hasn't ruined the bar by making it harsh.

The road buzz that can hamper stiff carbon components isn't present here. Even with gloveless hands resting on the bare carbon of the aero top section, I don't feel much buzz.

The drop section seems to be a bit more angular than the old model, though this is something I quite like, especially for getting a tight grip of the drops to get my head down and open up a sprint.

The shape gives a tight and stable hold on the bar that really helps you get planted, though one knock-on effect is that the drop transitions into the flat end very late. This leaves a very stubby flat section – I would have liked to see it extend another inch or so for a more comfortable hand position.

Fitting accessories on either side of the stem is still easy, even with a chunky stem like the Zipp Sprint SL holding it on, and – for what it's worth – the weight is marginally lower too. Our 38cm test bar weighs in at 226g.

> 13 of the best cycling drop handlebars — how to buy the perfect bars

It's very good to see Prime has kept the price to £149.99, so it's still one of the cheapest aero handlebars on the market. Vision's Metron Aero bar is £351, for instance, so I'm sticking with my thoughts on the old version: this is an upgrade that's worth the money.

Verdict

Updated aero bar is still light, still stiff and still a great deal