CyclingPlus reviewed the Wave for it's September/October issue, and we couldn't be more proud! FYI - only available in the magazine's paper edition at the time of this Wave Story.
One of the reasons why we love working in the cycling industry is due to the innovators that are in it - as they are always trying to make bicycles more efficient every day. Just as you think a bicycle cannot get more efficient, someone out there designs a component that just seems to make better sense compared to its traditional counterpart.
This time around we have a drop bar manufacturer aiming to make the bar more comfortable than rest and they believe in their product so much that they say that “if you don’t love it, return it”. Made by an American company called Coefficient Cycling based all the way out there in California, this bar is called the Wave and through thinking out of the box, the Wave handlebar was born. WE SAY Coefficient Cycling is on to a winner here
There are four key facts that Coefficient want people to know about the Wave bar and it all starts at the bar top.
The tops have been designed and angled to mimic the position of your wrist when it is reaching forward: and that position usually sees the thumbs pointing up slightly. This is true and you can try it yourself. Just try to rest your hands on a table or a bar, the thumbs do point upwards slightly. You try to make your thumb flat to the table or the bar and it requires a little effort.
The second fact that Coefficient wants you to know is that by including this design kink on the tops of the bar, it does not change your current shifting and braking position.
The third is that the drops feature a thumb notch which Coefficient says help improve the control of the bike during those spirited descents and power to the pedal moments.
The last key fact that they want you to know is that no matter what size you order the bar in, everything is in proportion, meaning that the top diameter slightly increases with each of the four available handlebar widths.
WE SAY Coefficient Cycling is on to a winner here
Now that the facts are out of the way what do they actually feel like out there on the road. Since we just came from a riser drop handlebar the position when riding on the tops feels very familiar. The thing that is different from our previous riser bar is that the Wave bar has a sweepback. Previously we would be switching our hand position from the tops to the hoods quite often during a non-power ride. When riding with the Wave we pretty much stayed on the tops 90 percent of the time. It feels natural and comfortable and we did not have to switch hand positions a lot to relieve pressure. Since the Wave handlebar swoops downwards after the tops heading towards the hoods we could now drop down to a lower and more aero position than before. The thumb notches at the drops really do feel like a well thought out idea. It feels ergonomically placed and comfortable. We’re not sure whether we had more control but to be in a comfortable position when in drops is always better. The bar is also stiff which we were really pleased about during an out of the saddle climbing run. Not only does the unidirectional carbon fibre material give you the rigidity it also manages to mute a lot of road buzz, so much so that we always thought that our front tyre was under-inflated – it was that comfortable.
The installation was a breeze and you can have it either as an internal cabling or external routing option. Be warned however because due to the unique shape of the bar, the cables need to be longer than usual. Some have had no hassles installing the bar whilst some have had to replace the cables as it was too short.
Nonetheless, the Wave bar really does do what it says on the tin. At 195 grams (142cm) it is light too. The first impression that we have of the bar is a good one. It’s comfortable, stiff and ergonomically pleasing. Some might have qualms about the look of the bar as it strays away from a traditional drop bar look but once it is on the bike it really does not make any difference, because you will love it for what it provides when you are out riding.
HIGHS — Riding on the tops has never been this comfortable LOWS — Shipping cost to Malaysia adds to the price
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Taken from CyclingPlus article September/October Issue