In April, Easton cycling announced the creation of the Overland S.A.D. team, a group of selected people who were in charge of taking their gravel bikes, exploring around, and reporting back to the world. Since then, the special division has relentlessly continued their quest to find incredible places and for that, they have put all of Easton’s components, from wheels and drivetrains to stems and seatposts, through the hardest conditions. Their spirit is already tough, but their material demands for each ride are even higher. In this process, the designers and engineers of Easton envisioned a new and improved version of the EC90 bars, the most popular gravel bars of the market, with the releasing the new AX version as a result.
The EC90-AX represents the top-end handlebar of the Easton gravel series, with a specially cut geometry, an excellent finish, and high-quality carbon. The handlebar comes in four different sizes, from 40 to 46 cm (measured center-center at the hoods), and each one has a different design. In general, the top tube has an ergonomic shape that makes it rather wide and flat. However, as you move down to the drops, it becomes circular and opens up to the sides with a 16-degree flare. This flare adds extra comfort as you go through technical descents, it allows carrying larger handlebar bags, and it does not seem disproportionate.
The top shape has been specifically designed for each bars’ size being larger in diameter as the bars’ length increases. With this, you are expected to ride more comfortably since bigger riders will have larger hands. All of the numbers, the handlebar’s top length and diameter, are based on hand sizing and rider testing and feedback, which adds the personal touch that cannot be reached when just designing a product from behind a screen. Aside from the geometry, all necessary holes for internal DI2 bar end routing are present.
The chosen material is the same carbon as Easton’s high-performance road EC90 SLX handlebars and Aerobars. This resulted in an incredibly featherweight flared gravel bar (208 g for the 42 cm width) that retains its proven Maximum Contact Drop. With this, they achieved ultralight handlebars backed by athlete feedback, specially designed for each rider’s needs, and tested in the toughest conditions and situations.
