Track Cycling: Velodrome Racing and Training Area - Aero Bars for Kilo

What is everyone's recommendation for aero bars for Kilo TT's?

I haven't previously done TT/pursuit events so I am a bit in the dark on this.

What I am thinking by looking at modern aero bars is that I probably want my elbows wider than most of the fixed setups... So I would probably want adjustable arm rests. Would this probably be right?

JMR

I have 3T Mistral Pro bars on my TT bike with ski extensions. The extensions width is fixed, but there are multiple plugged fixing points for the arm rests. So you have quite a bit of flexibility in where you can fit them width wise.

For Kilo / Pursuits I have an old alloy 3T Ahero bars with trimmed basebar.

To get the bars lower, I use Ritchey adjustable stems. Both bars mentioned are 3:1 UCI compliant, which is something you may need to watch for depending on where you race…

Why do you think you want the arm rests to be set wide?

Thanks Dalai.

I just don't think that I will be able to get the leverage when the aeros are too close together... might just be in my head, but would be annoyed to buy an $800+ carbon basebar/aeros setup and find that they don't work for me!

JMR

Can you borrow a cheap set of bolt on aerobars and fit to drop bars first to experiment with arm widths? As you say, can be an expensive error if you buy bars that don't work best for you...

Yeah, that is probably a good idea... do you recon just putting them on my sprint bars would be fine, or should I buy a cheap alloy bullhorn style bar to test on?

JMR

I'd go with bull horns rather than Pista bars, especially if you don't tape the whole bar.

You should be able to sell the bull horns easily to the Hipster crowd once you are done with them. ;)

Finding the right aerobar is as tough as finding the right saddle.

I tried around 15 different aerobars (borrowing or buying) and settled on the heaviest and least expensive setup of them all. Go figure.

You are going to have to try a lot of bars before you find the one for you. I suggest going to a bike shop that specializes in serving triathletes. Shops like that tend to have several bars in stock. I don't suggest buying bars sight-unseen without trying them first.

Why do you think you want the arm rests to be set wide?

Don't knock the wide-elbows :) It works for lots of people.

Sarah Hammer, who has probably seen more wind-tunnel time than most, uses a very wide stance.

http://images56.fotki.com/v127/photos/9/1750089/9610041/ind_pursuitqualiSarahHammerUSA-vi.jpg

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/photos/2008/tech/probikes/sarah_hammer_felttk108/20080110123748.jpg

This is my favorite performance of hers:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48FalPcZ044

Don't knock the wide-elbows :) It works for lots of people.

Sarah Hammer, who has probably seen more wind-tunnel time than most, uses a very wide stance.

http://images56.fotki.com/v127/photos/9/1750089/9610041/ind_pursuitqualiSarahHammerUSA-vi.jpg

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/photos/2008/tech/probikes/sarah_hammer_felttk108/20080110123748.jpg

This is my favorite performance of hers:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48FalPcZ044
Can't say I know a whole lot about it but, she seems very shaky while riding in comparison to the girl that she's going against.

Not knocking wide arms, just querying why JMR was wanting wide pads when it appears they haven't ridden with aerobars...

Agreed there is no hard and fast rule going narrow or wide - very much an individual thing. Same with aero helmets! Hence why I went into a windtunnel with my TT bike and collection of helmets back in 2008.

Can't say I know a whole lot about it but, she seems very shaky while riding in comparison to the girl that she's going against.

Do you mean the girl that Hammer beat to win a world championship? :)

I actually think that the weaving is a function of her pedal stroke more so than her arm position. It may not be pretty, but it's fast.

The Kilo is ridden faster (and harder) than an individual pursuit. Wider bars feel more stable when at full gas at 60kph...especially on bumpy local tracks that many of us have to ride.

The purposes of the aerobars are to
- Get the head down and close the chest area from being one big inlet for air
- Get the forearms horizontal to eliminate unnecessary drag.

Further, you can have wide elbows and bring the hands together. This creates an arrowhead shape, like this:

http://www.sisport.com/sisport/images/fasmicasmcdcad.jpg

This usually means resting on one's forearms instead of near the elbows.

At the same time from what I understand you do not want your arms any wider than your knees. You want your arms to break the wind/shield your knee/quad area to get the air moving over it smoother. Forarms horizontal, chest flatter, head down.
But then again, being able to stay in that position while pushing is not fun. I took the aeros off the bike a long time ago (I dont compete btw) after playing around with the whole thing for a while.

The Shimano Pro Missile bars are the best aerobars I have.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/Felt%20Track%20Bike/IMG_0223.jpg

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/Felt%20Track%20Bike/IMG_0222.jpg

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/Felt%20Track%20Bike/IMG_0221.jpg

Do you mean the girl that Hammer beat to win a world championship? :)

I actually think that the weaving is a function of her pedal stroke more so than her arm position. It may not be pretty, but it's fast.

The Kilo is ridden faster (and harder) than an individual pursuit. Wider bars feel more stable when at full gas at 60kph...especially on bumpy local tracks that many of us have to ride.

The purposes of the aerobars are to
- Get the head down and close the chest area from being one big inlet for air
- Get the forearms horizontal to eliminate unnecessary drag.

Further, you can have wide elbows and bring the hands together. This creates an arrowhead shape, like this:

http://www.sisport.com/sisport/images/fasmicasmcdcad.jpg

This usually means resting on one's forearms instead of near the elbows.


This is what I was thinking... wider rests, but with ski jump shaped extensions rolled in towards each other a bit. This would bring my hands in closer together but keep my elbow out for more stability.

I will do what Dalai suggested and get a set of cheap alloy bullhorn bars and clip on extensions and play around with the setup. Once I have it sussed I will spend more money on somthing like what Hermes has! :)

JMR

The Shimano Pro Missile bars are the best aerobars I have.

These look awesome!

JMR

This is what I was thinking... wider rests, but with ski jump shaped extensions rolled in towards each other a bit. This would bring my hands in closer together but keep my elbow out for more stability.

I will do what Dalai suggested and get a set of cheap alloy bullhorn bars and clip on extensions and play around with the setup. Once I have it sussed I will spend more money on somthing like what Hermes has! :)

JMR

Actually my Kilo bar setup is:

- Nitto RB021 base bar (http://www.benscycle.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=188_232_593_1734&products_id=5894)
- Origin 8 clip on aero bars (http://www.origin-8.com/?page_id=91&short_code=Tri+Clip-On&cl1=HANDLEBARS). I swapped the "S-Bend" extensions for "Ski Bend" for stability.

http://www.benscycle.net/bmz_cache/9/9e7260494ea498525c0db2d2f6a5b84b.image.700x524.jpg
http://www.origin-8.com/images/new_800/33968.jpg

I've tried:
- Teschner
- 3T Aura
- And countless sets that I've borrowed from shops, teammates, and friends.

The Shimano Missles mentioned above are NICE, but not cheap.

There are a couple of theories about width of aerobars and aerodynamics. And without going to the tunnel or testing using a power meter at an indoor track (or outdoor with little wind) it is speculation which will work better. However, in general, riders with wider shoulders may find that wider bars are better. However, I would not have the arms outside the hips. Generally, as one puts arms together, it becomes more difficult to lower the head. So the best trade off is arms together as close as possible with the head down.

What can be bad is the arms close together and the head up in the wind. The best aero position is the one that a racer can maintain.

The other aspect is acceleration. Being in the drops or the bull horns is a more powerful position. So after a standing start, staying in the drops longer after you sit down may yield a better time as long as you are accelerating. Once acceleration stops, go aero.

The Pro Missile's are definitely cool but the key is having the deeper drop between the aero position and the starting position for a better standing start and aero position during acceleration. That can be accomplished with a set of endurance bars and clip ons. Plus, when you travel, the bars can be disassembled.