Triathlon - adding an aero position to a road bike...?

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.

PDA

View Full Version : adding an aero position to a road bike...?

The_Mickstar

01-01-06, 09:09 AM

I posted this in the Road Cycling forum, but didn't get much activity, so I thought I'd post it in here, too...

I have an early-90s Raleigh Technium Olympian with the shifters on the downtube that I'd like to convert to a more triathlon-friendly setup with aero bars and bar-end shifters. However, I'm not exactly sure how to accomplish this.

Is it as simple as buying a set of clip-on aero bars (the two separate bars, not the curved, single-piece variety) and a set of bar-end shifters? What about the current shifter mount? Will the new shifters come with cable stops (or something similar) to replace the current shifters? I assume I'll need new cables, too?

One thing that bugs me is that I'd still have to switch to the drops to brake. But, I don't see a way around that.

On a related note, does anyone have any experience with the Nashbar road bar add-ons...?

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?...reid=&pagename=

They seem like a good way to test wether an aero position will be comfortable and work for me before going through the investment of the above.

Thanks.

Steve

MHR

01-02-06, 12:30 AM

1. Buy the parts of your choice, a clip on is fine for starting
2. Save your money and make an appointment with a qualified bike fitter who has experience with TT and Triathlon fits. While a Road and a Triathlon fit are very different a TT and Tri fit are also different. If you still want to use the bike as a road bike you really need to just add clip-on's and make only slight adjustments to your fit.
If you need is to convert to a dedicated Tri-machine, clip-on's are still a good way to start.

- Bar end shifters are a must if you want to stay in the aero position, although my road bike from the mid 1980's didn't have them and I raced just fine back then - but compaired to my bike now that bike was a Ford Pinto. As far as comfort my TT-bike now is way more comfortable in the aero position (which is the only way the bike can really be ridden) then my old road bike with aero bars could ever hope to be.
- As far as braking... you need to get used to not braking and hopping off the bars to the brakes only when necessary. In my TT's I never brake (except in (1) 180 degree turn), in my last Tri (a 1/2 IM) I braked maybe 4-times.