Zipp SL 80 Race Handlebar Review – Integration King?

Bar shapes are evolving. Over the past several seasons we have seen WorldTour riders adapting to the ever-changing rider position regulations. Banning the super tuck has resulted in a search for more and more aerodynamic positions. With that as the inspiration and a desire to have a bar that’s purpose-built for SRAM’s AXS groupsets, the Zipp SL 80 Race Handlebar was born.

Zipp SL 80 Race Handlebar Features:

• Unidirectional carbon fiber with aerodynamic tops
• Hidden, external hose routing
• Wireless Blips integration
• 5° drop flare and 8° drop outsweep
• 80mm reach and 125mm drop
• Widths: 36cm, 38cm, 40cm, 42cm (reviewed), 44cm
• Weight: 250g (42cm, stated weight)
• MSRP: $375.00

Next-level SRAM AXS aero race bar

Not many years ago, carbon road bars primarily came with internal cable routing. This was fine for Di2 cables, which could be easily fished around, but causes all sorts of headaches when it comes to hydraulic brake lines should you need to make cockpit adjustments down the road. As someone who likes being able to adjust stems, bars and stack height, oftentimes I would still route my brake lines externally — almost out of protest. I did this with the PRO Vibe Carbon bars.

Listening to those concerns and with a desire for AXS integration, Zipp has introduced the SL 80 Race carbon bars. While the Service Course SL 70 and XPLR both feature cable grooves to accommodate brake lines in a simple way, the Zipp SL 80 Race takes that a step further to not only allow for brake lines, but wireless blips and SRAM-specific hood integration to deliver an ultra-smooth transition from hoods to tops. Shimano’s PRO components have long-featured Shimano-specific bits, so it’s about time SRAM launched a bar built specifically for their AXS groupsets.

The Zipp SL 80 Race bars also allow the latest trend of ultra-narrow tops and inward-pointed hoods. Available all the way down to 36cm wide (C-C), you can definitely get your aero on. But, I also appreciate that they still offer a 44cm width (my preference, but you get what you get when testing bikes). Over the past year, I’ve blissfully ridden the SL 80 on the Ari Suncrest, Orbea Orca and Cannondale SuperSix EVO.

While SRAM says this bar is optimized for the latest RED, Force and Rival, it works well with the previous-generation kits as well. But, it is most ideal with the new stuff. I’ve read from others who have outfitted the SL 80’s with Shimano Dura-Ace and Ultegra Di2. Regardless of your kit, I love, love, love that all routing is external and hydraulic lines can still be routed through the stem. It’s an ingenious design for sure. I can’t say with absolute certainty that it works with all internally-routed stems, but I’m sure it works with most of them. I have the Cannondale C1 Conceal Stem and my plan is to switch to it, so I’ll confirm that when I do.

Once situated, wrapped and adjusted for fit, the SL 80 Race offers a modern, aggressive fit. Today’s riders are mounting their hoods inward and opting for narrower bar tops because of the increased flare at the drops we’re seeing. The SL 80’s flare isn’t extreme, but it’s above and beyond traditional with a 5° drop flare and 8° drop outsweep. Who am I kidding? That would be ludicrous on a road race bike just a few years ago, but is now the norm. With it, I can get narrower I the hoods for better aerodynamics, while also having wide, comfortable drops for increased handling precision and wrist clearance. Also, keep in mind that these do have a longer, 80mm reach, so you may (like me) want to consider dropping your stem length by 10mm. I opted for a 100mm instead of my typical 110mm stem that I use with Zipp SL 70 XPLR or Service Course bars.

I’m not racing, so for me, I just appreciate the comfort of the aero tops and the variety of hand positions all around these bars. Above and beyond any bars I’ve ridden, the smooth hood-to-bar transition is incredible. There’s always a funky transition with other bars, but it’s so smooth and integrated with the SL 80 Race that it makes me only want these bars for SRAM setups going forward.

Out on the road, I love the responsive feel of these bars. They are plenty stiff when standing and climbing or sprinting. And, they are comfortable enough on most roads. Zipp prioritized responsiveness over comfort, which is understandable given the cable routing channels and the added stiffness they provide. That said, on the roughest roads, I did wish for a little bit of forgiveness in their nature. Still, they offer a refined road feel and dynamic handling when riding in the hoods or drops. While in the drops, it’s easy to reach the shifters or brakes — especially with adjustable reach — and the shape is comfortable on even the longest mountain descents. With time, the stiffness became more of a positive than the initial negative was.

I chose to wrap the bars all the way so I can perch myself on the tops on long climbs. But, more racy or aggressive riders may want the minimal look and only wrap them to the first indent. It’s a rider’s choice affair and I did the indent for a smooth bar-to-tape transition. For me, I’ve got 2000 ft. ascents that demand varied hand positions and I love every bit of elbow room these bars provide.

Should you want blips on the SL 80’s, there are grooves built into both the drops and tops to accommodate them, based on your preferences. I chose not to use them, so there are plugs in the drops that fill in that notch. It’s a little wonky keeping them in place until the bars are wrapped, but I just kept them in place with a little bit of electrical tape. You can see the underside of the bars — with all the grooves, below.

It’s worth noting that a stem computer mount is necessary with these bars. You can see some photos where I did make it work with the out front mount of the Wahoo ROAM V2, but it sits a little crooked and doesn’t clamp squarely on the bars. I opted for the Zipp QuickView integrated mount with the Zipp SL Speed carbon stem with my custom Cannondale SuperSix EVO build. That provided me with the full spectrum of either Garmin, Wahoo or Hammerhead mounts along with a front-facing light mount. So, just plan on another $80 to get that or another that’s compatible with your selected stem.

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