Roval drops bars with Alpinist cockpit combo and seatpost
The integrated bar-stem combo and seatpost can help save weight, and also reduce road vibrations, adding comfort, but not mass.
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Now that the launch of Specialized’s S-Works Tarmac SL7 is out of the way, the Big Red S appears to have more goodies coming at us before Tour’s end. Meant to enhance the ride quality and drop the weight of any bike, the Roval Alpinist one-piece bar stem combo can be installed on any bike with a standard steerer tube.
One-piece bar-stem combos are not new, but Roval’s take on this introduces a few unique features which set this cockpit apart.
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The construction is full-carbon with titanium stem bolts, and it’s designed to accommodate wired and wireless electronic groups.
An integrated out-front computer mount leads the way, while the “traditional bend” with 125mm of drop and 75mm reach allows the same comfort and hand positions found on many modern bikes. The “stem” offers a +6 degree rise.
Roval claims this $600 cockpit weighs 255g for 42cm x 110mm configuration. That’s pretty feathery for such a cockpit, so Roval is clearly making an appeal to climbers in need of some aero touches.
The Roval Alpinist is available in 10 sizes:
• 40cm bar x 80, 90, 100mm stem lengths
• 42cm bar x 90, 100, 110mm stem lengths
• 44cm bar x 110, 120, 130mm stem lengths
Roval Alpinist seatpost
Carbon seatposts also cut down on weight compared with their metal counterparts — are we sensing a theme here? — and they can enhance ride quality by dissipating road vibration.
The Roval Alpinist seatpost has a full-carbon construction and offers a single, 2-bolt clamp point design that provides micro-adjustments so you can dial in your saddle tilt perfectly. The 46mm saddle rail cradle enables an effective offset from 0mm to 20mm.
This $250 Roval seatpost is available in two sizes, both with 12mm of setback.
• 27.2 X 300mm (136g)
• 27.2 X 360mm (141g)
Both Roval seatposts and 10 Roval cockpits have a maximum rider weight limit of 125kg (275lbs).