bcervelo

Im thinking of upgrading my tri bar setup, at precent i have Syntace Streamliner tri bars on Syntace cow bars. im thinking of getting a one piece bar with the tri bars that dont have the turnup ends they have a slit bend and continue parrellel with the gound, Bontager do some i think.
Worried about how my wrists my feel turned down holding the bars especially for Ironman races, the position doesnt feel that natural.

^*^BATMAN^*^

I would say either Oval Concepts A900 bar, or the Hed Aero bar, those are the 2 best IMO. They both have the options of having s-bend bars like you said you want, and as too comfort, I am sure if you are flexible in your arms, and give yourself lots of time int eh saddle before racing an Ironman, you should be good to go.

Triguy

I raced a HIM on sbends and I am switching to regular single bend vision techs. My arms didn't feel too bad after 50 miles or so in them, but they could have felt better. Although I think integrated systems are great, I would fully recommend S-Bends for long distances.

^*^BATMAN^*^

oh, and if you are thinking of getting integraded bars, i personally dont like ones with the stem built in. You are limited to a single stem length then, getting bars without a stem built in gives you the flexibility to play with the fir on your bike.

MHR

It is a matter of preference and overall comfort - Aero last. With a good bike fit and a good bar like the HED carbon you are very aero already. The small tweek of turning your wrists down is so small in relation to time it's not worth the trade off in comfort, at least IMHO. Although, some may feel the s-bend bars are more comfortable - but again a matter of choice. I guess if you are at that pro level looking to get 1 - 3 min advantage on your fellow pro's into the marathon you would look at every option out there including the s-bend bars.

The extentions don't cost that much so you can swap between s-bend and std. up turned style on most bars. I have the HED integrated carbon and used it at Ironman Hawaii with the std. up turned style of extentions. I tried the S-bends this year and swtched back as I like the feeling of being able to grip/pull on them while riding (even though that is so minimal) but just having the up turned bars seem more normal to me.

I have 2-TT/Tri bikes, each is set-up specific to the distance I use it at. The bars are a big part of that for me: One is set-up for IM distance (I have the HED bars on it) and is the Trek -TT. The carbon frame helps me feel better after a long 112 as I head off into the marathon. IM Hawaii is just a rolling out and back where you can stay in the aero position the entire time until the turn-around. With bars like the HED there is really nothing to grab on to when out of the saddle except the sides of the wing.

My other bike (a Cannondale IM 5000) is fit more aggressive (more fwd on a 78 degree seat tube angle) and set-up for shorter races like 1/2 IM and Olympic distance. The aluminum frame is very stiff, quick reacting and very agile. For the shorter distance I have the Profile carbon strike set-up (with cow horn style ends) to increase bike handling ablility which is typical in shorter events.

differentspokes

Bontrager's Race XXX lite aerobars are a real dream. They have an aero bladed main body with Internal brake routing, are carbon fibre throughout and weight 660 grams. The stock bars come with standard 'hockey stick' extensions but you can buy s-bend extensions aftermarket and they are a doddle to fit. I have use these all season and they are without a doubt the best tri-bars I have ever ridden (better than the Cinelli's, ITM CX2s and Profiles I have had). You will need to get suitable brake levers such as Dia Compe/Cane Creek BRS 200s or Textro RX2.0s, but I hear that Bontrager will soon have a carbon lever that will knock spots off the competition that they have designed themselves. The hand position on an S-bend is not as comfortable as a standard extension but they do not cause discomfort if you know what I mean. Anyway, who said that Triathlon wasn't meant to be uncomfortable!!!