HED Vantage Eight
The simple solution is almost always the best solution when it comes to bike parts. Some manufacturers spend a lot of effort designing a complicated way to accomplish something simple - but not HED. Rather reinventing the wheel, the company has refined and simplified the two-piece aero bar without forgetting the importance of adjustability.
ERGONOMICS
The extensions can be shortened with a hacksaw and carbon-specific blade. Although this requires some work, it eliminates the guesswork of choosing the correct-size bar. The pads can be moved very wide, but they can only be raised or moved backward about a centimeter. Many riders benefit from the ability to move the pads up and back, but the Vantage Eight simply cannot accommodate these needs.
The brake levers are positioned very far from the rider, which forces him or her to maintain a semi-aggressive hip angle even while gripping the base bar. I think this is a good thing. Sitting up straight may feel comfortable, but many riders produce more power when their hip angle is within a certain range. Eliminating the arm-chair position allowed me to feel a little more natural when climbing on my tri bike.
AERODYNAMICS
The aero bar is critical to the CDA of a bike because it is exposed to clean air. Although I don’t claim to know the specific drag numbers of the Vantage Eight, aerodynamics experts agree that small frontal area and a deep, smooth profile are both good things. HED clearly designed the V8 with these parameters in mind.
DETAILS
A torque wrench is mandatory for this bar. Don’t try to be a hero. You aren’t a “human torque wrench," so just go buy one.
At 590 grams, the Vantage Eight is a bona fide lightweight, although it can’t sniff the reigning champ, the Easton Attack, at 390 grams.
HED offers both single bend and S-bend extensions. This specific S-bend is one of my favorites because it rises significantly. The tall bend keeps the wrists happy but still lets the rider yank on the bars when in difficulty.
A $695 bar should have full internal routing, plain and simple. The routing through the base bar is very clean, but the shift cables can only be routed externally.
THE VERDICT
This is one mean racing tool. HED built this bar around speed-friendly features like aggressive hand positions and a sleek aero profile. The Vantage Eight may not be appropriate for those looking for a less aggressive position on the bike, however. Although it is adjustable, the V8 simply can’t accommodate the high pad position that some riders require. The simplistic clamps and design set this bar apart from so many overly complicated competitors. At $695 for a two piece bar, it better be good. All things considered, I love this bar.
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Aaron Hersh is the Technical Liaison at Colorado Multisport in Boulder, Colorado. He has been competing in endurance sports for the last seven years. Hersh has a B.A. in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado, focusing on biomechanics.
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