PRO Discover Medium handlebar

This handlebar is part of the latest gravel range of components released by PRO Components. The PRO Discover Medium, or Ergo, has a flare of 12 degrees, a flat section for your hands, is Di2-ready, and its alloy construction offers plenty of stiffness while keeping the weight down.

• Pros: Great shape, decent price
• Cons: No additional abrasive material to stop the hoods from slipping

Most off-the-peg gravel and adventure bikes we see coming through the door here at road.cc have a handlebar that flares out at the drops in relation to the hood position. The wider stance gives you a bit more control and stability when descending in the drops on a loose surface, but retains a more usual narrow width for when you are riding along the road on the hoods or tops.

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A lot of brands have settled on 12 degrees of flare per side, which pushes the bar width out by about 5cm at the bottom compared to the top, and I find it a good option. I can feel the extra width and it gives me the confidence to push things a little on the gravel without feeling like my arms are stretched too far apart.

That's just my opinion, and if you want to go for a much larger flare then you can opt for the 'Big' Discover bar which has a 30-degree flare. That comes in just two width options, a 42cm or 44cm, and the drops width increases by 13.5cm.

In its technical drawings, PRO lists this Medium flare bar as Ergo, because the tops are slightly flattened to give you a little more area to rest your hands on. It's not as wide as some of the racing wing shaped handlebars we see, but it offers a comfortable area for grip.

There is a slight groove underneath for accepting brake hoses and cables, plus the drops are drilled to accept the latest Shimano Di2 bar end junction box.

With a drop of 110mm and a reach of 75mm, it is quite a compact offering, so the option of using the drops regularly is available to most.

There are markings on the sides of the bar to align your shifters, but where most brands add a sandpaper style effect to stop the hoods from shifting, PRO has kept it smooth. I did have a couple of times where the shifters slipped on really rough terrain; the clamp has to be done up very tight.

PRO has used a 6066 grade of aluminium alloy for its construction and stiffness is absolutely fine without feeling harsh. Even hauling hard on the bar I couldn't really feel any discernible flex.

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It's light, too, at 265g (40cm measured centre to centre), making it nearly 50g lighter than the more expensive Ritchey Comp Ergomax: £44.99 versus £52, so it delivers on the value front too.

On the whole, I really like the PRO Discover. It offers plenty of stiffness and comfort thanks to plenty of usable hand positions.

Verdict

Great addition to the gravel and adventure market with a balance of performance and value