New to Triathlon... building a bike

[Rogue Leader]

And I'm also new to Bike Building as well. I have this Bianchi Sport SX road bike that I would like to convert into my "Road Warrior" for a Triathlon I'm doing this summer. I've never done one before but I have tried triathlon bars and I like the position and comfort, so I would like to put a set on this bike, as well as shifters. I know I may need to change up the drivetrain as well to pull this off but before I even get that far, how do I mount a triathlon bar on the bike, all the ones I see, full out bars, just come with a clamp.
this is a good example:

http://cgi.ebay.com/PZ-Racing-AE-5-0-Time-Trial-Bar-Triathlon-Handlebar-44C_W0QQitemZ320210561050QQihZ011QQcategoryZ27951QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

What do I do just clamp that on to the road bar on the bike already? Seems goofy. Or I have to get some sort of post to go with it.

Thanks for any help, I look forward to being here!

[Treefox]

Most aero bars will be something like this:
http://www.probikeoutlet.com/images/glorycycles_.jpg
You just clamp them to your handlebars on either side of the stem. You may need to peel back the handlebar tape to get them a comfortable distance apart.

They'll end up looking something like this:
http://www.gottaridebikes.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/vukalg.jpg

The item you linked to is basically everything integrated into one, so you'd remove your existing bars and stem and clamp that whole thing onto your steerer tube (the bit connected to your forks that sticks up for your stem to clam to). Though in some of those photos it looks like you supply your own handlebars.

[maddmaxx]

I own a set of the PZ Racing Bars and there are a few things you should know about them.

1. The bars and arm rests are unique to this brand in that all of the clamping features are part of the stem cap. There are castings at the bottom of the stem cap to hold the aero bar extensions and there are bosses cast onto the top of the stem cap for the arm rest extensions to bolt to.

2. There is nothing particularly bad about these bars (there have been some reviews that they are a bit wimpy when your really grabbing and pulling but thats probably because the stem clamps are not a substantial as other brand bar clamps). They are however, not adjustable in angle. The extensions can be adjusted in and out for length and rotationally but you cannot change the angle up or down. You cannot flip the stem as one of your height adjustments because then the clamps are pointing much to far up.

If you like the standard setup however, they work and the price is generally too good to pass up. They are a complete set, stem, bullhorn aero bars and elbow cups.

[Rogue Leader]

So Maddmax you are saying this includes the stem that I need to insert into the front tube of the bike that attaches to the front forks. My current handlebars are all 1 piece and the stem that goes in is part of it.

Also do they have provisions for installing shifters?

[maddmaxx]

Not a stem that inserts "into" the steering tube on the fork........these are 1 1/8 threadless compatable and the stem goes around the fork steering tube.

No special shifter provisions as bar end shifters will insert into the ends of the aero extension tubes.

[Rogue Leader]

Not a stem that inserts "into" the steering tube on the fork........these are 1 1/8 threadless compatable and the stem goes around the fork steering tube.

No special shifter provisions as bar end shifters will insert into the ends of the aero extension tubes.


Ok cool, I need to get a fork steering tube as well.

Considering the old running gear I may just get brakehandle shifters to make things easier and a new campagnolo or shimano setup...

So much for a budget project LOL....