VISION METRON 4D
£309.95 › Ergonomically aero bar
VISION, ALONG WITH its sister brand FSA, has always made bars with a unique look, pioneering the small rise up from the centre clamp section-style, angular ergo bend drops, and were also among the first to introduce the idea of compact drop bars.
The Metron certainly pulls together new ideas, the bar having an 80mm reach [distance you have to stretch to get your hands comfortably on the bar] and a 125mm drop [distance to the lowest part of the bar], so far so compact. The difference over others is that the drop also swings outwards, so our 44cm bar measures 44cm at the hoods, but widens by 10mm down in the drops. That’s enough to ensure more than enough wrist clearance when sprinting. The profile of the drop is interesting too; from the top bend to the hood position it’s round, but get into the lower portion of the drop and the cross section becomes triangular with the flat side slanted outwards.
In use this proves to be a very comfortable gripping point, and one that slightly rotates your wrist out and pulls your elbow inwards to create a more aerodynamic riding position. It’s a simple trick but one that works well. The flat top section is angled forwards at 10 degrees, and the ovalised shape is designed for an ergonomic fit, with a nod to aero shaping too.
When riding on the tops the slightly open hand position feels more natural than a straight bar and, importantly, more comfortable.
Whatever the combination of ergonomics and aerodynamics at play, the bar is extremely comfortable in the way that it dulls road vibrations. We fitted the bar to a test bike that did feel quite firm and noisy up front with the standard alloy bar, but with the Metron, that was completely cured.
Weighing just 242.5g for our 44cm test bar, Vision’s Metron 4D is suitably light weight, and we found that the unique shaping worked for us. Whether that’s enough to justify the high price is another story...
HIGHS Great shape, lightweight, and takes the sting out of road vibrations LOWS Unique look won’t appeal to all, high price