FSA gets Comfortably Aero on Gravel, Lots of Integrated Headsets & More!
FSA’s AGX lineup gets more aero for gravel bikes and long-distance “alt road” adventures and is comfier with vibration-damping stems. It also showed off its massive array of integrated headset options, new aero wheels and cockpit pieces for road and tri, and a few other bits worth seeing.
FSA Aero Gravel Cockpits
The new top-level K-Force Loop AGX handlebar and carbon fiber aero extension are upgraded from its already extremely ergonomic K-Wing AGX handlebar. With sculpted grooves and indents for multiple hand positions, both the K-Wing AGX and K-Force Loop AGX offer very comfortable hand positions, but the new Loop bar goes wider with a massive 25º flare for a 50mm offset at the tops (double the Loop’s 12º flare and 25mm offset).
The bar comes in 42/44/46cm widths with 25º flare, 100mm drop, and 70mm reach. Weight is 320 g.
It includes the new bolt-on AGX Loop aero extension, which has a round nose for easy accessory mounting, and included pads and cradles give your forearms somewhere to rest. Combined, they should provide long-distance gravel racers and tourers with everything they need.
For alloy lovers, the new Pro-Wing AGX builds a bar and loop into a single piece for a 472g ergo/aero cockpit. Also in 42/44/46cm widths, it shares the same 25º flare, 50mm offset at the drops, 100mm reach, and 70mm drop. The drops have a classic rounded profile and round tubes, though, lacking the additional shaping of the carbon version.
The new VAS (Vibration Absorbing Stem) uses swappable polyurethane bushings to damp harsh vibes before they reach your hands. They come in 70a (gray), 80a (dark gray), and 90a (black) durometers that absorb up to 47% of vibration. Aftermarket stems will ship with all three, and OEM placements will get the medium-density insert.
The VAS stems come in 80/90/100mm lengths with -6º rise and have a 31.8mm clamp diameter. Claimed weight is 291 g.
New Vision Metron Wheels
Vision’s Metron aero wheel lineup expands with new 37mm deep climber wheels and a 91mm deep aero wheel for TT and triathlon pursuits. These add to the reasonably light Metron 45 and 60 that launched in 2021. At that time, those two replaced slightly shallower wheels while also dropping weight, so these could be replacing the 30 and 81 wheels. We’ve reached out to FSA for more details on these wheels (we will update as we get them).
All three get its Floating Ratchet Ring hubs, which disengage the toothed rings when coasting for less noise and drag.
Headset Integrations, E-Bike System, and Other Fun Stuff
FSA is a monster when it comes to OEM placement. Its headset offering goes way beyond the increasingly popular ACR integrated system for getting cables and hoses stealthily into the frame. Other things it makes include:
- HBS – Headset Block System to limit total bar rotation
- RAS – Reach Adjust System allows multiple headset positions for adjustable head angle and reach
- CBS – Control Bike System steering damper helps prevent speed wobble
- CBS – A self-centering version that returns the steerer to the center if you let go
With its ACR system getting spec on so many bikes, it has started offering a wider variety of custom cone spacers and top caps to blend into the design of major brands:
One size definitely doesn’t fit all, so it’s nice to see FSA offering more custom-fit options for their customers. They’re available for select Trek, Specialized, BMC, Cannondale, Cervélo, and Pinarello bikes for now.
While many brands will spec their own spacer with whatever stock handlebar comes on the bike, if you wanted to upgrade to an FSA handlebar or stem, these custom cone spacers keep the clean, integrated look while opening up more cockpit options.
The new KFX SIC ICR (Stable Integrated Cockpit, Integrated Cable Routing) mountain bike handlebar combines the bar and stem with full internal routing for the next generation of MTBs. It uses its ACR headset system to run everything inside the frame for a very clean cockpit and includes an out-front computer-and-accessory mount that’s attached to a spacer that fits under the bar.
Available in 65/85/105mm effective stem lengths, all are 780mm wide. The effective stem angle is -12º, with 9º backsweep, 5º upsweep, and 5mm rise. Claimed weights from 265 g to 315 g.
Its WE electronic shifting system finally gets the TT bull horn bar-mounted brake levers with integrated wireless shift buttons. They include the junction box that goes in the stem, and are compatible with any 22.2mm OD bars.
The FSA System is its integrated e-bike system. It can be had with an internal downtube battery, an external water bottle-size battery, or both … and both are 252 Wh. The hub motor is the high-tech bit, featuring a built-in speed and torque sensor that requires no additional, external sensors to clutter the bike, and it has very low friction so it should ride normal once you’ve exceeded the 25km/h assist limit.
While it looks like a bolt-on system, frame integration is required for the control pod, which gets embedded into the top tube, and a charging port that can go pretty much anywhere. And wires are run internally, so ports are necessary. The whole system weighs just 3.98 kg.
Unrelated, it also has a wider variety of 12-speed compatible chainrings for its cranksets now too.
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