Ritchey has been building drop bars for gravel since before the category had a name, and the SuperLogic VentureMax is the first time the VentureMax platform has gotten the full carbon treatment. Compared to the alloy version that built the bar's reputation, the carbon layup drops weight and adds a bit of vibration damping, while keeping the geometry that made the original work — short reach, shallow drop, and a wide flare that opens up the drops without making the hoods feel awkward.

The 24-degree flare is the headline number, and it's what separates this bar from a road drop you'd bolt onto a gravel bike. Width is measured at the initial bend rather than at the hood, so the drop widths open up to 54.5, 56.6, 58.5, and 60.5cm across the 40, 42, 44, and 46cm sizes. That gives you a genuinely wider platform for descending loose stuff without pushing your hoods out to an uncomfortable spread. Reach is 76mm and drop is 102mm — both on the short-and-shallow end of what's available, which suits riders who spend more time in the hoods than the drops.

The Bio-bend is the raised section in the drop extensions that Ritchey has carried across the VentureMax range. It gives you three distinct hand positions in the drops — forward of the bump, on the bump, and behind it — and on this carbon version the bump is slightly less pronounced than the alloy original for more comfort during long stretches down low. The tops are shaped 38x22.5mm with a 4-degree backsweep, and there's a 6-degree outward sweep in the extensions that Ritchey calls "flare out" — a detail you don't see on most flared bars.... Read More