 Zipp
has a long-standing history with cheating the
wind when it comes to bicycles, having developed
its first disc wheel way back in 1988. The
company entered the road handlebar market in
2005 with the ultralight SL model, but the Vuka
system is Zipp's first foray into cockpit
components designed specifically for time trials
and triathlons. Naturally, aerodynamic
performance was a key target for the Vuka, but
Zipp also wanted to retain enough structural
rigidity to withstand the stresses of a rider
climbing out of the saddle. After borrowing a
bit of technology from a fairly unconventional
source (more on this soon), Zipp finally felt
that it was ready to offer something unique, and
worthy of its prestigious brand name.
What's a 'Vuka', anyway?
Depending on which African language
you choose, 'Vuka' means 'rising
spirit', 'wake up', or 'wing'. In
Zipp-ese, the Vuka Aero is a fully
integrated carbon fibre time trial bar
system that features wind tunnel tested
aerodynamics, integrated carbon brake
levers and an innovative biaxial
compression sleeve system for securing
and adjusting the extensions. |
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The base bar is 42 cm wide and is
positioned so as to roughly mimic the
location of standard brake hoods on a
conventional drop bar set up. Since
there is no room for conventional bar
tape, the grip areas are covered in a
replaceable friction tape to provide a
sure perch. The arm rests are covered in
a plush anti-bacterial Lycra and are
fully adjustable for width, height, and
fore-aft.
Zipp offers not just one, but three
different styles of extensions for the
Vuka: the included 'chicane' set that
puts your hands roughly level with your
elbows; a fully straight set which puts
your hands in a low position; and the
traditional ski bend which allows you to
have your hands slightly raised.
The manner in which these extensions
are attached is one of the details that
sets the Vuka Aero apart. Zipp utilizes
threaded collets (analogous to what
you'd find on a Bridgeport or similar
lathe, or even your common cordless
drill) that provide a 360° purchase on
the extensions for a secure grip.
Cleverly, the slight offset built into
the collets also allows for 2.5° of
angular adjustment (both horizontally
and vertically) without the need for any
additional clamps or hardware. |
Setting up the Vuka Aero
For the most part, installation of the Vuka
Aero is reasonably straightforward. The clamp
diameter of the Vuka Aero is set at 26.0mm in
order to accommodate non-oversized stems (which
would presumably present a marginally smaller
frontal area), but Zipp also includes adapter
shims to fit 31.8mm stems as well.
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The one major exception to the Vuka's
straightforward installation involves
the routing the cables. Zipp opted for
fully internal routing for a cleaner
look and better aero performance. This
doesn't create much of a headache with
the derailleur lines (which cleverly
feed out the back of the hollow collet
bolts), but running the brake lines
through the base bar can be a bit, er,
'tricky', to put it diplomatically.
Thankfully, though, this doesn't have to
be done that often and subsequent
fittings are much easier to deal with.
I tend to like my arms pretty flat so
after a bit of experimentation I settled
for the 'chicane' extensions. They come
with plenty of length and will require
trimming for most people; I cut off
around 4cm to replicate my usual
position. Getting the extensions at the
right angle - and both at the same angle
- proved fairly fiddly, but no more so
that other bar systems I've used in the
past. The collets needed more tightening
than I would have expected to stop them
from moving under stress, but once
everything was correctly positioned and
sufficiently tightened (using the
tightening tool provided) they felt very
secure.
Ride like the wind
Cornering with my hands on the outer
handgrips feels very stable, despite the
very "low at the front" position. The
wisely-placed grip location means that
the steering is as predictable as you
would normally expect and you're ready
to lay down the power as you straighten
out of the corner.
The bars really come into their own
once you get them on to a flat straight
bit of road, and it becomes plainly
obvious exactly what it is that Zipp
does well: make things that go really
fast! While a time trial position will
rarely be called comfortable, the
armrests are some of the plushest I've
ever used and produced none of the pain
in my arms that I have suffered through
with other bars. It's obviously partly
(or mostly?) psychological, but the bars
do really feel fast. |
Once in the tuck position there's
nothing to get in the way of the air
that passes - except my own
non-aerodynamic shape. With the cables
neatly routed internally and the minimal
size of the brake levers there is very
little frontal area to speak of, filling
you with the confidence that everything
possible is being done to make sure your
energy is efficiently propelling you
forwards, and as little as possible is
needed to fight the forces trying to
slow you down.
Had the outer bars been
set any narrower - as I have seen with
some other systems - climbing out of the
saddle would become less stable. I was
forced to do this on a couple of the
steeper parts of a climb in the middle
of an early season race, and Zipp seems
to have met its rigidity goals as I
found that the carbon wings to be as
solid and stiff as anything I've ever
tried to bend before.
The Vuka Aero's small brake levers
don't look like they're up to much, but
due to their well-engineered pivot
system they still pull an appropriate
amount of cable and actually work really
well. If anything, the amount of cable
pulled is on the longer end of the scale
as I was able to set my brake calipers
wide enough to allow 23mm tyres to pass
through without the need for a quick
release lever, but the brakes were still
very strong. |
Conclusion
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If you're looking to win the Tour de
France prologue, or to simply shave a
few precious seconds off your personal
best on the local 10k, then slicing
through the air as efficiently as
possible is going to be pretty high on
your list of priorities and Zipps' new
TT bar seems to do this very well.
The Vuka Aero certainly isn't the
lightest option on the market, but
they're nowhere near the heaviest
either. Due to their very wide bladed
outer bars it's difficult to see where
weight could be saved without making
them more flexible, and the rigidity of
the system is definitely one of its
strong points.
Unfortunately, along with the Zipp
performance comes the Zipp price, and
there's no getting around the fact that
these are easily the most expensive bars
I've ever come across. Also, potential
buyers should keep in mind that only the
'chicane' extensions are included; those
that would prefer the straight or 'ski
tip' versions will have to factor that
into the budget. However, this is not
necessarily a reason to condemn them. If
you've got the money and you like
spending it on high-end components - and
let's face it, at this price, these
things are going to be pretty exclusive,
too - then you'll likely still want a
pair of these.
Weight: 828g (1.90lbs) -
depending on style and length of
extension used (claimed weight 860g)
Pros: Slippery aerodynamics, wide
range of adjustability, multiple
extension options, extremely rigid, and
sexy!
Cons: Prohibitively expensive for
all but the most well-heeled, not as
light as some, brake cables difficult to
replace |
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Call (613) 382-5144