Originally Posted by
AzTallRider
Many groups ban aero bars, but as I've gotten faster and starting riding with faster groups, I've found that those groups are okay with them. I see quite a few of them in pacelines now, and don't have any issue with them. Just as "It's the motor", it's the skill of the rider that matters where safety is concerned. I'm more worried about me than I am about the guys I see with aero bars, who generally have far more experience than I do.
Grasshopper, you are beginning to see clearly.
I agree it's all about the guys you are riding with. The faster the pace the less the reaction time and the more you have to trust the guys in front of you. When I ride in 20-23 mph groups I usually sit off the wheel of the rider in front so I can see ahead. When the pace gets "turbo" and I have to get right behind the rider in front and can't see ahead is when the trust level is paramount.