Review: Ritchey Design SuperLogic Carbon Venturemax Handlebar

The SuperLogic Carbon Venturemax Handlebar

 Recently Ritchey Design put out the news that they now offer a SuperLogic Carbon version of their Venturemax drop handlebar. I was asked if I would like to have a sample sent to me for test and review and I said that I would. So, here we are. 

Ritchey Design sent over a SuperLogic Carbon Venturemax Handlebar for test and review at no charge. I am not being paid nor bribed for this review and I will always strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout. 

I have had a Venturemax alloy bar for several years now and while it was out of rotation for use for a bit I decided to use it on my Honeman Flyer recently. The handlebar brought back good memories of how the Venturemax's flare, slight sweep in the extensions, and the "bio-bend" worked to give me comfort on gravel rides. So, when I saw that Ritchey had given this model the SuperLogic Carbon treatment, I was all-in.

The WCS Carbon allowed Ritchey to dial in 4° of backsweep to the tops.

The use of carbon allowed Ritchey to tweak the design of the Venturemax in ways that would be difficult, very expensive, or impossible to do in alloy. Obviously there is the flattened tops section. By the way, you may want to brush up on the drop bar terminology I use by checking out this article HERE.

Another area that Ritchey was able to massage a bit because of the use of carbon was in the area of the Bio-Bend, the bump in the drops' extensions that defines the look of the Venturemax. It is slightly different than the alloy version's "bump". You also get a 4° backsweep to the tops for better ergonomic fit, a 24° flare to the drops, and interestingly you also get a 6° sweep to the extensions which Ritchey confusingly calls a "flare out". Sweep to the extensions is a rare feature in a flared drop bar, so I took notice of that immediately. 

Internal routing is now an option and the stem and lever clamp areas are nicely textured to prevent movement of components.

The gradations on the drops aid in setting up lever controls.

The reach and drop figures for this bar are shallow and short at 102mm of drop and 76mm of reach. These are some of the most minimal figures in reach and drop you can find. Other features of the SuperLogic Carbon Venturemax are the compatibility with Shimano's EW RS910 Junction box, a 31.8mm clamp diameter, and a claimed weight of 228 grams for the 42cm width. 

These bars are measured a bit differently for width as Ritchey takes the measurement at the initial bend, at the outer edge of the bars, rather than where the hoods would be located. This means that the bars will sit in your hands at the hoods a little narrower than you'd expect. So, for example, the bars I was sent are "46cm" bars. Now the ramps of the drops are lined up with the 6° of sweep in the extensions, meaning that anything following that line will be narrower forward of the tops section. This puts the levers at a canted inward position if you line the levers up with the extensions. Anyone familiar with Salsa Woodchippers knows how this works, although in that case the situation was more extreme. I estimate that these feel a bit more like a 45cm bars in the hoods than a 46cm bar from another brand would feel. So, not a big deal, but it is notable. Also it needs to be pointed out the the extensions are wider than this, with the 24 degrees of flare.

The widths available are 40cm, 42cm, 44cm, and 46cm.  The price for the SuperLogic Carbon Venturemax Handlebar is $249.95 USD. 

First Impressions:

The SuperLogic Carbon Venturemax feels familiar in my hands, as it should since it is pretty close to the alloy version. The flattened tops section should prove to be a comfortable addition to this handlebar, but there is a compromise to this as it limits the area you have to clamp on accessory items. 

There are several ports and holes for the Shimano Di2 feature that are molded into this bar. Everything related to these looks crisply and cleanly executed. These ports also give you a glimpse of the inner portion of the handlebar which looks as clean and smooth as the outside, albeit you see the carbon weave inside and a plain matte finish outside. 

The marketing blurb on the SuperLogic Carbon Venturemax page mentions touring and single track, giving one the impression that this bar is intended for everything from pavement to mild singletrack usage. This gives me the impression that any of my typical gravel rides won't be an issue for the integrity and lifespan of this handlebar. 

I popped the handlebar on my digital scale and it showed me 249 grams for the 46cm width I was sent. That seems pretty fair in my view as this is a wider bar than the one Ritchey based their weight estimate on. I'm not going to grouse over grams as it matters not to me if the bar is super-lightweight if the ride quality is poor. That ride quality bit will be determined later on, obviously. 

I really like that Ritchey used a textured surface for the stem and the levers to grip on to. That and the gradations for positioning the levers is very much appreciated. There is nothing like having that bug in the back of your mind that suggests that your levers are not at the same level. I'd rather not go that route, so the gradations are a nice feature in my opinion. 

Now to get these mounted to a bicycle and start riding. Stay tuned for that to happen soon.