Originally Posted by sanlevrier
I toured with a guy once who had aero bars on his bike....said it added to the range of positions and he found it rather comfortable....i would like to hear from anyone that has used them regarding comfort, bike handling etc..thanks a bunch...
I toured across America using Aero Bars in May 2006. Here are some observations.
Pro:
Going all day against a strong headwind is much more acceptable.
Catching up with a group you fell behind is more doable.
Takes the weight off the saddle.
Takes weight off your hands, wrists.
Aero Bar position can be comfortable if saddle and bars are adjusted for it.
Same effort, speed is up perhaps 5-10% compared to hands on the bars. (not so much on the drops)
Con:
No good at all in traffic, cross winds, very fast downhill, pace lines, any situation requiring fast stopping.
Need to learn steering with elbows. (takes a while)
Changing gears is more of an issue.
BTW, I had no trouble mounting a bag up front, under the Aero Bars.