Bicycle Mechanics - shims for clip-on aero bars?

Not sure if the tri forum would be a better place to ask this...I recently bought a pair of Syntace C2 clip-on aerobars, and they are designed to fit 25.4 mm bars and slightly larger. I thought my bars would be OK, but they are 25.4 in the middle, and more like 23.5 out where the clipons would attach.

There are actually two road bikes I'd like to use these on, my old Coppi here in Wisconsin, and the '84 Ciocc that I have out in California, where I'm doing a full-distance tri this summer. I had my nephew measure the Ciocc's bars, and they seem to be similar in size to the ones on my Coppi.

I tried wrapping some foam adhesive tape around the bars, but they still wiggle a bit. What should I try next? I'm thinking of cutting up a tin or aluminum can to make a shim, and put that over one layer of black friction tape.

Ideas?

Strip of inner tube.

-R

Strip of inner tube.

-R

If you want to go with dangerous then yeah, try that. You're putting a huge amount of weight onto your aerobars. If they weren't designed for the bar size you're running, replace the bar or get aerobars that were supposed to fit. It is not worth the $20 bars cost.

Yeah, operator, I tend to agree with you, and I wish I had these Syntace clipons before the Madison bike swap meet last month. There were handlebars all over the place.

But I'm confused--when I look around online, it appears that all the handlebars that are 26mm at the clamp area taper down further out--even the bars that Syntace sells do this! They have a 122 mm wide area that is 26 mm diameter, but that is nowhere near long enough to clip the aerobars on. They want to clip on almost out where the bend starts.

Are there any 26 mm handlebars that stay 26 mm all the way out to the bend, or am I going to have to get a new stem and use 31 mm dia. handlebars?

almost all drop bars taper out to 24mm, even 31.8mm bars.

is the clamp adjustable in any way at all?
what's the spacing between the clamps?

Wow, that was stupid of me. I was trying to mount the left clip-on on the right side! I thought "oh, you want to really get narrow, the pad must go really close to the stem". Stupid me.

So the clamps are supposed to go right near the stem clamp, and the TTT bars on my old Coppi just taper down too quickly. I've seen handlebars all over the place that have a wider section of 26 mm tubing.

OK, I can figure this out. Thanks for the help!

Wow, that was stupid of me. I was trying to mount the left clip-on on the right side! I thought "oh, you want to really get narrow, the pad must go really close to the stem". Stupid me.



http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3028/3006359012_b0c9565c5a.jpg?v=0

If you want to go with dangerous then yeah, try that. You're putting a huge amount of weight onto your aerobars. If they weren't designed for the bar size you're running, replace the bar or get aerobars that were supposed to fit. It is not worth the $20 bars cost.

You obviously haven't seen too many aerobar installs then. Anything less than 31.6 uses a shim to take them down in size. Adding a rubber strip isn't going to put you on your face.

I think you've figured this all out already.

Yes, the C2's are meant to clamp the bar right next to the stem. I've clamped mine on 26.0 and 26.4mm bars with no problems.

Many 1st generation clip-on aero bars clamped on the tapered section. My old Scott Clip-ons do. I think some of the old Profile bars do, too.