The time has come to give you my final verdict on this handlebar from Ritchey Design. Before I dive into that, you should check out my previous post on this bar HERE and my introduction to the bar with all the specs HERE.
The one thing that kind of bothered me about the SuperLogic was that I just was not finding that "sweet-spot" in the drops like I was finding with the aluminum Venturemax. Everytime I rode the bike with the aluminum bars I was hitting that nice grip in the drops that made my hands happy. But with the SuperLogic Carbon Venturemax (SLCV) I wasn't getting that 'happy-place' feeling. But these Bio-Bend things weren't that different on the SLCV, were they?
I was determined to try anything to find out if I could replicate my experiences on the aluminum bar with that carbon bar. I went out on a ride recently and without changing a thing, hey! Suddenly I was hitting that spot and I feel that perhaps some hand injury I experienced at work during the time I was testing the SLCV may have been the culprit.
Whatever it was, the SLCV really did feel like the aluminum bar as I gripped the extensions. Yes - You still have to pick up your hand and move deep into the drop to use the levers. That is one thing I'd change about the Venturemax in both of its iterations if I could.
The SLCV has a really well done flattish "flats" section from the stem to the ramps. It is shaped and tilted 'just so' and that felt right to my hands and arms. The section is wide enough to lend good hand support yet not so wide that you cannot get a grip on the tops to control the bike.
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| Those ergonomically flattened sections past the stem are done quite well. |
The overall ride quality is .....fine. I mean, the SLCV is maybe a tic more compliant than the aluminum bar, but I probably couldn't tell the difference if I was blindfolded and rode both bars back-to-back. So, if you were hoping that the SLCV was going to be a vibration absorber, well, I don't know that it would be quite all that.
It is lighter than an aluminum Venturemax and it has more features due to the use of carbon fiber. In that sense, it is "the better bar" of the two versions, but it does cost well above what an aluminum Venturemax bar would cost. Here you would need to value the ergo tops, the hidden cable routing, and the lighter weight of the SLCV.
One more thing that may cause you to choose another bar is if you need to clamp on accessories to the handlebar. As you can see from the above image, the SLCV lends little space for your accessory mounts.
And that Bio-Bend. You have to get on with that, and this facet of the design, more than anything else, is probably going to be the fork in the road for accepting the Venturemax design or not at all. I can only speak for myself and say that this feature is one of the things I do like about the Venturemax design. So, from my viewpoint, it is a positive thing.
Final Word: The SuperLogic Carbon Venturemax is an evolution of a design that might fit your needs and in my opinion is a very comfortable handle bar in all positions. The Bio-Bend thing is divisive and does cause one to have to adjust for reaching the levers a bit, but if the carbon features appeal to you, and you ride mostly from the hoods anyway, that may not matter to you. In my opinion it is definitely a step up from the aluminum bar and this would make a fine addition to that nice carbon or titanium gravel bike, a great choice for fine steel handmade bike, (or a Ritchey, of course!), or just a general upgrade to your gravel bike, whatever it may be.
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