Aerobars on the Burke-Gilman
 

Aerobars on the Burke-Gilman MUP in Seattle: Really dumb or great fashion statement?

Depends on how fast they're moving.

At 12 mph, they say, "I'm on a recovery ride, taking it easy, watching out for pedestrians."

At 22 mph, they say, "I'm an idiot, and I don't care if I run over your kid."

Aerobars on a full suspension mountain bike are more about comfort than style,
but still win the rider points in both categories!

Riding on them, or jsut having them on the bike?

Using aerobars on any multi-use trail is anti-social. The burke has a speed limit of 15 MPH, and I think if you're going to ride above that you have to be very careful. I don't think you can do that when you're on aerobars.

Anyone riding fast enough to really benefit from aerobars on the B-G Trail: GTF off the MUP and onto the street, where you belong.
Some days I'll take a quick hop on the B-G Trail, but I slow it waaay down; especially near Wilmot Gateway Park and from the 90th St. bridge all the way to Marymoor.

^^^ What he said.

If someone really wants speed but doesn't want to ride on the street, there's always the Marymoor Velodrome.

i think aerobars are lame (for rec. cyclists) on the MUP & road, but that's just me.

i hate it when people are coasting downhill at 18 mph, in the "aero" tuck on their bars.. grab your drops and start pedaling, dammit!

you guys would be shocked at the recreational riders out there. At the bike shop, the general consensus on aero bars from casual rider -

They are 'comfort' bars, not aero bars.

People put them on their hybrids for gosh sakes. One kid comes in all the time on his tricked out Specialized Enduro with aero bars...... good grief, these people are looking at aero bars as just another hand position.

Do they have an aero position when they're down on them, or are they setting them up more like the ultradistance riders I see using them; with the stanchions set up really tall so they are really just a "resting" position for your arms?

I wonder how aero one can get on a foot-forward hybrid? ;)

you shouldn't be doing personal time trials on the MUP

^^ And it's really pathetic that anyone even needs to say it.

It is always amazing to me to listen how elitist some of you sound. I agree that it is unsafe to run aerobars on crowded public trails but why would any of you get your panties in such a bunch because 'recreational cyclists' are using them for long distance comfort tools?

Look down on the behavior, not the equipment. If they want another hand position, great. If they want to practice safely using aero bars at a low speed on empty stretches of trail, great.

If they're gonna go 25mph on crowded trails on aero bars, well, that's a terrible idea. But it's also a terrible idea to do it on any kind of handlebar.

Don't give the guy in a Corvette a ticket just for having a sports car, give him a ticket if he does something illegal or dangerous. Same goes for bike equipment. If someone's riding in a prudent and safe manner, don't hassle them.