nycphotography

Just curious...

why are aero bars only used on Triathlon bikes? What advantage do they provide to triathlon that's irrelevant on a road bike?

Duke of Kent

Aero bars are used in time trials. They are, however, illegal for use in road races. This is due to the fact that you are very limited in your maneuverabilty when in aerobars, and if a person were to use them in a mass start race, they would be putting themselves and others at risk.

slowandsteady

Also, in triathalons they do not allow drafting but allow aerobars since no one is allowed to ride close to anyone else. If you ride in a pace line you can get a huge aero advantage. This is allowed in mass start cycling racing, so the need for aerobars is diminished somewhat.

I have aerobars on my road bike. I do not race, but do use them for longer distance events for the aero advantage and for comfort.

Viceroy

Would it be worth getting them put on a standard road bike if all you do is ride solo? How much of an advantage are they?

dolomite592

I have the lower-end Profile Designs aero bars on my road bike. Some times I wish my frame had compact geometry so the fit would be perfect, but they're quite comfortable for long distance hauls. My advice, make sure if you do get aero bars that they're adjustable. Also, you might want to do some research as to what shape of aero bar you want. I don't have the fully straight bars because control is sacrificed for aerodynamics, thus they're mostly only suitable for TTs and tri's. Give it a shot though.

CrossChain

Their primary advantage is comfort and efficiency. They offer a good change of position by taking weight off your hands; by getting yout upper body a bit down and forward, they bring more of your butt muscles into play. They lower your front profile going into the wind and give you something to efficiently "pull on" as you dig in to push those pedals. With a little experience you can very easily dodge ruts and debris, reach to shift from dt's, bar-ends, or ergo.

ed073

Yes.

If you don't ride in a group, or plan to compete, they are a good idea.

SaabFan

Not trying to steer you away at all, but be warned - putting aero extensions on a road bike with standard road geometry won't be as "complete" a package as starting off with a frame designed for use with aero bars. You might notice poor handling when out on the aeros, and it'll be just about impossible to get into a "good" position on them if your stem/handlebars are set up for a "good" position when your hands are on the hoods/drops. You basically need to decide which position you want to use most (or be most comfortable/efficient in) - then, adjust the stem and saddle to compensate for that position. If you try to compromise between the two, you might get lucky, or you might just get frustrated. Some of the wildly adjustable designs might give you more flexibility, but they're also much heavier and complicated.

Definitely give them a try though, especially if you can grab a pair cheap! Worst case, stick em on ebay if you don't like them or can't get comfortable.

operator

Yup. I've previously had a pair of profile century aerobars which has a u-shape so your hands never have to worry about falling off.

I switched to the S-bend profile T2+s i've got to say that the centuries were more comfortable for long hauls (because of the handrail).

goodall

There are mass-start legal extensions you can get that function somewhat like aerobars. They extend below the drop bars, enabling you to get low and narrow.

ed073

What the hell is that monstrosity**********???

supcom

About 1.5 mph when riding on flat roads.

evanatorx

ppsssshhhhtttt....aerobars? I ride brake cables all the way!

Viceroy

Would it be a good idea to get "fitted" with them at the shop? Do they do that?

Zouf

True - the fit, particularly in terms of seat position, is a compromise between the 2 positions (on hoods/drops vs on bars). Think of it as a forward rotation of your whole body around the pedal axis; so your rear end winds up farther forward, and slightly higher, and your shoulders wind up fwd and lower. If you can accomodate that fwd shift with your seat, great. If you have a setback seat post, you may need to swap that for a no-setback post. The other typical limitation is the front end height: clip-on bars will often place you too high if you don't drop the bars. You can do it if you have some spacers below the stem (or some room down on a quill stem).

End result is indeed 1-2km/h improvement at same power. If you ride alone a lot, it's good. I had a pair of Profile clip-ons I used a lot, until I started to ride in a group.

oboeguy

Are you sure those are mass-start legal??

A propos, they remind of the Scott "drop-in" bars of yesteryear:

slowandsteady

I get closer to a 2-3 mph advantage over riding on the hoods. Everybody seems to claim they are more dangerous or hard to handle. It really isn't a big deal. It does take a little longer(.5 seconds maybe) to hit the brakes, but you can turn just fine with some practice. I wouldn't ride with a bunch of 7 year olds, or attempt some sort of bunched sprint to the finish, but you should be fine on the road.