It was no secret that the Enve SES one-piece bar and stem combo was coming soon. Ever since we saw it on Tadei Pogacar's bike, it had been touted as a potential entry into the best road handlebar list. Despite this, its specs were not widely known.

That changes today with Enve's release of the SES AR one-piece bar and stem combo. Now you no longer need to be a builder who knows Enve, a customer who buys Enve custom roads, or a race team with Enve sponsorship; if you want to clean up the cockpit of your Enve IN-route compatible bike frame, Enve has it for sale.

Like the previous AR bar and stem combo, it features integrated bar ends, compound flares, 76mm reach, and 127mm drop. However, there are now 20 different skews to choose from that cover the full range of integrated bar and stem combinations. The smallest option is a 90mm stem and 38cm bar combination, and the options increase from there. There are 38cm, 40cm, 42cm, and 44cm widths, each with 90mm, 100mm, 110mm, and 120mm stem lengths, plus 130mm for the 42cm and 44cm. Custom orders are also available if special sizes are needed. Weights range from 330-360g depending on size, with a weight reduction of approximately 85g depending on size.

One new detail is the out-front mount. Until now, Enve has entrusted the engineering and testing of the out-front mount to K-Edge, another American brand, but previously this mount had to be purchased separately. Now, K-Edge has released a new design specifically for the one-piece design, which is now included as part of the purchase price. Along with the out-front mount, each handlebar will include a 30mm IN-Route spacer and one "bypass" spacer. The bypass spacer allows the hose to be externally routed whenever the setup needs to be tested before focusing on internal routing work.

Not only was the existence of the one-piece bar and stem combo no secret, but Enve has been willing to tell anyone about its journey from concept to market. To add to the story for those who missed the details, the story begins with UAE Team Emirates and Tadei Pogachar requesting a handlebar solution that was lighter and more aero efficient. The result was the one-piece SES aero road handlebar and stem, which debuted at the 2023 Tour de France after five months of development. Today's release is not a version of that, but the SES Pro Team One Piece handlebar, based on the SES Aero Road handlebar option, will be available in the second quarter of this year, but the basic engineering and business case will remain the same.

Previously, Enve had two aero optimized handlebar options. Those who wanted the most aero option at the expense of a stiffer ride would choose the Aero handlebar, while others would choose the SES AR road handlebar, which offers a more forgiving aero ride. Both handlebars, combined with Enve's aero stem, allowed for inner routing without exposed cables.

The problem is that a two-piece bar and stem is not the most efficient solution; using a two-piece instead of a one-piece always means more carbon and some compromise. So when UAE Team Emirates wanted the absolute best, it was clear that a one-piece system made the most sense. Catching up with engineering required lowering the previously required compromises while optimizing production to achieve the same goals as the two-piece design. But with that came new challenges. Indeed, one of the biggest obstacles to these releases seemed to be the business case rather than the technology.

The SES AR one-piece handlebar released today has an MSRP of $1200/1449 EUR/1300 GBP. The company claims that this price is the result of Enve keeping the numbers low, opting for domestic production, and continuing to respond to changing demand.

If you are willing to jump on today's release, you will need to negotiate compatibility: the IN-Route is a design developed with Chris King Precision Components that allows for hidden cable routing. Cables will travel from the controls through the center of the bar/stem to the front of the headtube, requiring the use of a 1.125" steerer fork and running hoses and wires between the steerer and the 1.5" upper headset bearings.

At this time, this design further restricts access to the new SES AR one-piece handlebar. Currently, compatibility is only guaranteed for a small percentage of Enve frames and independent builders that comply with the IN-route standard. Despite this, according to Enve, "most bikes using similar systems are likely to be compatible with the new SES AR one-piece with a few modifications."

A good example of this is the Colnago V4Rs. This bike is compatible with one-piece bars by replacing the upper bearing covers with Enve-specific ones. While Enve does not currently sell that bearing cover, it is a relatively simple component, and it is easy to imagine the day when it will be part of a library of small parts that "allow Enve components to be seamlessly integrated with the most popular frame models.

The SES AR one-piece handlebar is currently available for purchase directly through Enve.com and retail partners worldwide for an MSRP of $1200 / €1449 / £1300.

Purchase includes two 5mm spacers, one 10mm spacer, and one 10mm bypass spacer, plus a Garmin and Wahoo compatible K-edge computer mount, integrated bar ends, and a hardware kit with bolts and top caps, including 40 ...includes spacers of 40 mm ...