Originally Posted by
Rogue Leader
. That and Mountain bikes are as aero as a brick so there won't be much aero benefit. I wouldn't bother.
Lots of bad advice in this thread. Mountain bikes are aero as a brick because of the flat bars and upright position.
This is precisely why aerobars on the MTB will make a significant difference in your speed on the bike leg.
Get the cheapest slicks, and aerobar you cand find, and for $75 bucks you'll get at least 50% of the speed increase you would get by buying a high end TT bike.
The rider's position is the most important thing for speed in a TT,a nd you can get a decent position putting aerobars on a MTB with some trial and error.
And as for "It doesn't matter if you're not going 20mph plus" being more aero is always good, and aerodynamic improvements measured by total time are actually more significant for slower riders. i.e. if you ride a 40k in 1:20, a 2% improvement is a bigger time gain, than a 2% improvement is for someone who rides a 53 minute 40k.
Sure, it would be great to have a P4, but if all you can afford is $50-75 bucks think slicks and a used aerobar from Ebay.