Hello everyone, I'm curious if anyone has used those small extensions mounted on the center of the handlebars.

I'm not interested into going full TT or triathlon style, only with a smaller grip for the hands, without the rest pads for the hand

like Farr Carbon Aero Bolt-On V3 (or cheaper alternatives).

Even though I'm quite slow, I noticed that against the wind I get better aero with both hands close to the center, but in this position my arms feel a bit restricted.

I have seen a couple of models, like those from Farr, all are a bit expensive (I could find full carbon handlebars for less than that), so I'm wondering if someone has some experience with them on long rides, mounted on drop bars, mostly for road/gravel?

I've often wondered why people resist the idea of installing full-length aero bars on their bikes. I have them on a half-dozen of my bikes, including those with flat bars and those with drop bars.

Other than in traffic, I do about 75 percent of my riding in the aero position. The fact that I'm faster in that position is secondary - the comfort of resting my upper body weight on the elbow pads is what keeps me using them.

I cannot comment on the ones you reference, but I do have a set of SQlab 410 2.0 Innerbarends installed. I do not use them that much, but they are mounted on a flat bar bike, which also has Ergon GP3-L BioKork Grips fitted. If they were fitted to my drop bars, I might be more inclined to use them.

My guess is road conditions, and as you mention trafic, are often not favorable... see how aerobars are rarely used in UCI races. Where I live I'd need to ride 10+ km to find roads where I could safely get in a full aero position, and another 10 km away I get climbs, many bends!

Thanks, I'll have a look. Although I like the shape of the Farr, also because I could fit my front light in the center if needed, it comes with a strap and reduces the real estate on my bars...

Meanwhile I have found another model from Farr, in aluminium:


It's called "Alloy Aero Bolt-On for 31.8mm Handlebars, Ergo Shape", and cheaper...

And also something from Shimano's "PRO" brand:


This one comes with a mount for a bike computer, but I'm not using one (and it looks too flat to turn my light in the correct downward angle, but I could fit something rounded on the mount.)

Rare reviews of these 3 extensions sound positive, except for profiled handle bars.

You can mount a light on the underside of these.

The pads get in the way of using the bar tops and the weight sticking out make dealing with the bike while dismounted obnoxious.

Where I live, you need the brakes too often for full aero bars.

There are lots of attachments that can make riding nicer - racks, flick stands, computers, fenders, bags, hydration thingys, cameras, lights. I avoid them all as much as possible because basic bikes are great to ride.


I like the thingy in the OP because it is the smallest possible solution to a kind of narrow aero position. But I still wouldn't get one.

I have full-size aero bars, and mounted an interrupter/mid-cable brake lever on front left for the front caliper, so I do have effective braking. I'd do it for rear brake too, but the front is enough so far.

I don't use the aero bar enough, I need to remove the pressure from my hands, but I need to raise it about 75 mm without raising the flat bars. Aero bar company risers say are not for my bars, even though they would fit, as they impart a side-moment to the bolts and risers, no good, they are designed for their later bars with wider mounts at the handlebar. I need to use double-clamp/stem, but that usually mounts where the aero does; I need a flat bar with a wider center section, or center section that tapers fast to 22.2, not the slow taper on my current bar that obviates clamping there.

Also I want to switch to other aeros I have with sprung flip-down forearm rests, the current rests are not in the way, but the flip-downs allow wider spacing, which I need for my shoulder width and long periods of being on the aeros. For me, it's about comfort, not aerodynamics. Higher and wider aeros and I'll be dialed-in.

Until my left knee began acting up, I did close to half my yearly mileage on a fixed gear bike with none of the accessories you list, unless a water bottle counts as a hydration thingie. (You don't include gears in the list, but they represent a far greater departure from "basic bike" status than aero bars.)

I wouldn't have done nearly as much riding on the fixed-gear bike without the aero bar (plus bullhorns). You might consider trying that setup sometime. It's a lot of fun, once you get over worrying about what other people will think of you.

I rarely had occasion to use the bar tops before I installed aero bars. Maybe that's because I've always been skinny and fit enough to feel no need for that position except for tootling along at low speed. For such riding, it's just as easy to just hold the forearm pads, which put me in a position that's even more upright than that of grabbing the bars next to the stem.

Aero bar weight and maneuverability: anyone who can walk a bike while steering it from the saddle can likely do that with or without aero bars.

The only circumstance I've encountered where aero bars are limiting is riding rollers, where the extra weight on the bars makes it impossible to ride no hands. For me, anyway. On the other hand, it's been 30 years or more since I last rode rollers.

I bought a set of Cinelli Spinaci bars when they came on the market. They came with a pair of minimal/not particularly comfortable forearm pads that attached to the main bar with Velcro straps. Kind of cool, but half the magic of aero bars is having substantial, comfortable forearm pads.

I don't know why people assume that having aero bars requires you to use them as much as possible. Where I live is Baltimore City, so plenty of cars to contend with. Staying off the aero bars in city traffic is easy.

Yes, but not my current light!

But that's the only one I can buy locally... all offers for the Ridefarr I can find on eBay and Amazon don't ship to my country.