Thinking of putting AeroBars on my roadbike



iDash

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Aug 23, 2010
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I have a Felt Z100, slightly relaxed positioned handle bars.
I mostly compete in triathlons, If I were to put aero bars on it would that be more difficult and not be worth it in the long run? I've never used aero bars before. I'm just wondering if the position would be to awkward since its a road bike, would I have to lean to far over? I had a little bit of back trouble with my last tri, but I think that will lessen as I get used to riding. What are your thoughts, thanks :D
 
iDash said:
I have a Felt Z100, slightly relaxed positioned handle bars.
I mostly compete in triathlons, If I were to put aero bars on it would that be more difficult and not be worth it in the long run? I've never used aero bars before. I'm just wondering if the position would be to awkward since its a road bike, would I have to lean to far over? I had a little bit of back trouble with my last tri, but I think that will lessen as I get used to riding. What are your thoughts, thanks :D


Your gona get mixed resposnes to this question as every one has different views on it. I personally have put road bars on a road bike and had no dramas, others find it to be a pain. What distance triathlons are you doing?? You probably wong get much benefit out of them on short races. You can buy shorter aero bars for raod bikes wich would be better as you dont have to lean over as far. The other thing is if you do group rides, some groups wont allow you to ride with them on whilst riding in the group.

All in all it's a trial and error thing.
 
New AeroBars can feel pretty wobbly for a while, so at first they can be hard to get used to.
If you get some and put them on, try them on the straights, no turns, and no busy roads for a while.

But after you get used to them, it can be a bit like biking in a Lazboy, very relaxing.

In regards to the positioning on a road bike, I might suggest starting with a set of the "clip on" or detachable aero bars (rather than the full aero setup). Most models have a lot of adjustment, are not too expensive, pretty easy to attach and take off, and you can try them without the big investment of the full aero setup.

You could try getting a deal on ebay, (click here for an example) although a word of caution: some of the clip on aero bars made years ago don't fit some of the newer handle bars that have fancier shapes.
 
Yes, make sure it fits your current handle bar diameter.

I use clip ons for my triathlons. Anything 20kms and longer. You will probably have to play with things like seat height and angle a bit to get a nice fit, but when you do get it fit properly it is a setup that can work well.

I suggest you take and write down lots of measurements from your current setup and once you get the "aero" setup do that as well. That will make life easier to switch back and forth without guessing where things should go.
 
I use clip on aero bars for all my time trials. I don't do that many of these 3-5 or so per season, but LOVE my aero bars. SInce I don't TT that often, I don't change my position (saddle height or fore/aft) from my road position. I just clip on the aero bars and go. I sit more to the nose of my saddle, and pressure points are different, but power transfer is fine and the reduced frontal area is great.

I take them off as soon as I am done time trialing, as I NEVER have aero bars on a group ride!!!

Aerobars do take some getting used to, and I never corner in them. I just get into my drops for the corners, and then back in my aerobars because I just feel more comfortable that way, but that's just me. You might feel a little squirrelly the first time you are in them, but after riding on them a couple of times, you should be fine - as long as you are a steady rider when not in your aerobars!!! If you generally struggle to hold a steady line, even with your normal hand positions (hoods, drops) then you might find aerobars to be particularly challenging and possibly even dangerous . . .
 
All good points written above. I have a set of clip ons set up on one of my road bikes and another on a tri-bike.

Been riding the road bike all year with the bars and love them. It did take a few rides to dial the position right. Started off with the bars tilted on an up angle. And as my flexibility Improved, it started to go down. Currently horizontal. Moved my saddle forward and turned my seatpost 180deg to give me the forward position. For me, I found a slight nose down on the saddle works best. But most people I know set their saddles almost perfectly horizontal.

As mentioned. For me...it's so much more relaxing.

Do practice riding on quiet and straight roads until you get used to them. And never ride on them in big groups. Also...careful on taking turns or just don't when on the bars.
 
All good points written above. I have a set of clip ons set up on one of my road bikes and another on a tri-bike.

Been riding the road bike all year with the bars and love them. It did take a few rides to dial the position right. Started off with the bars tilted on an up angle. And as my flexibility Improved, it started to go down. Currently horizontal. Moved my saddle forward and turned my seatpost 180deg to give me the forward position. For me, I found a slight nose down on the saddle works best. But most people I know set their saddles almost perfectly horizontal.

As mentioned. For me...it's so much more relaxing.

Do practice riding on quiet and straight roads until you get used to them. And never ride on them in big groups. Also...careful on taking turns or just don't when on the bars.
 
Im an amateur at cycling, i want to know if it is possible to install this aerobar http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=36180 in this bike www.wiggle.pt/r848-carbon-105-2012-de-rosa/ ??
 
Originally Posted by pedroozenda .

Im an amateur at cycling, i want to know if it is possible to install this aerobar http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=36180 in this bike www.wiggle.pt/r848-carbon-105-2012-de-rosa/ ??
Well it is possible but expensive and there are easier ways.

I'd consider mounting a set of clip on aero bars to your existing drop handlebars. Something like these: http://www.profile-design.com/profile-design/products/aerobars/carbon-aerobars/t4-plus-carbon.html

If you change the entire base bar you'll also have to buy new brake levers, new shift levers and recable the entire bike. Not impossible but not really necessary either.

Clip on aero bars can be added to most road bikes unless they have a fragile set of carbon handlebars in which case it's best not to clamp on aerobar extenstions and pads. You won't be able to get exactly the geometry or handling of an actual time trial bike as they're built differently and built for different weight distribution between the front and back wheels. But you can still get a really aero road bike and a really fast setup with clip on bars.
 

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