Daniel Frost

Complete my 1st and second triathlon this summer (southern hemisphere) I have just added a set of tri bars to my bike (done 400km with them) I find myself getting wobbly, or weaving, when in the aero position. I have changed my bike setup, this has helped. I have been keeping note and its not in any particular gear, or hills or anything.

Any thoughts on what it could be or how I could correct it? or is this a common occurence?

gazelle5333

Pictures of your set-up? Also, what bars did you add/how did you change your set-up? I personally just added clip-ons(Profile Design Jammer GT) to my bike and even though the firs ride was a little wobbly(didn't have them tight enough and they were slipping), but once I properly tightened them and locked down a good position(no set-up change, just altered the pads and angle of the bars), I feel like I'm in complete control. I'm still tweaking it a little bit but as it gets more comfortable, it also gets easier to handle. No problems staying in a straight line doing 30+mph downhill

thehammerdog

your too far forward..too much weight on the front wheel......

Daniel Frost

After a long think I have replaced my seat, which makes me much more comfortable and now I sit a bit further back my wobble had gone, well except when that big truck ripped past this morning.

gazelle5333

once again I ask...what did you alter to your set-up? What you did may affect power transfer and/or make it easier to injure yourself. Plus, what kind of bars did you get? Were they full length bars or shorties?

Daniel Frost

They are full length bars. I changed the angle and pad positions till I was comfortable.

gazelle5333

That would be the main problem from the wobble...You should have gone with the shorty bars b/c they are designed to be used w/ a road bike and keep your weight over the back tire where it belongs. You are probably very stretched out to reach the bars, which I can't picture as comfortable either after long rides. Also, FWIW, now your bike is most likely not UCI legal anymore

Tourmalet

I ride a road bike (Cervelo Soloist) with shorty bars and the only wobble I ever had was the very first time I rode that setup about a year ago. It just took getting used to. So question is, have you been wobbling for all of 400km, or have you changed something else recently and aren't yet used to the setup?

My bike is easy to control. So much so that I usually cup both hands and rest them over the bars with just the lightest of touch.

Daniel Frost

been wobbling the whole 400km, I have a long back so Im not stretched out at all

900aero

I'm no expert on this but have a couple of things to contribute anyway...

Aero bars are more wobbly by design as your centre of balance is more concentrated than with regular, wider road bars. This is one of the reasons that they are only allowed in non-drafting or time-trial races. They would be too dangerous to have if everyone was in a peleton.

Getting your posture & weight right will probably help a lot. It has for me - although I'm not there quite yet. The best riders I've seen using these bars make it look effortless. They also seem to be much further forward on the bike ( although this makes you more unstable) in order to get a more aero position. One of the theoretical advantages for using aero bars ( & TT bike geometry) in triathlon is that they allow your legs to be more extended and there is less of a shock when you transition to the run.

Time on the bike is the best thing. Once you get used to sitting in the aero posture you can just crank out the miles although there will always be some kind of adjustment that you'll want to make.

hope this helps - I'm not much further down the TT bike journey myself.

Daniel Frost

Agree with everthing Aero900 said.

StanSeven

Properly setup aero bars are not wobbly once you get experienced using them. It takes some time to get used to the position and feel comforatble and confident.

The reason they are banned in mass races is your hands are too far away from the brakes to quickly stop.

Mekrob

When you say 'wobble', do you mean a weird vibration like your car has a tire out of balance, or you just can't hold a straight line? If the latter, ease off on the grip. You should be 'steering with your elbows'; at least that's how I was taught.

Only thing I can think of for the former is the headset is loose. Maybe the geometry has something to do with it? I've cruised downhill in the aerobars at 45mph with no wobble. Scared the s**t out of a race marshall when I went zinging by him on his scooter!

Oh, and everything 900aero said.

Daniel Frost

I weave a little and it comes and goes, with more time in the saddle this has reduced, I think I have got the setup right now just need more time on it, pity winters coming down here.

jetta-the-hut

yeah I had the same with my bike, the more I rode the better I got steering with my elbows and the wobble went away. I still weave though.

Daniel Frost

Herd that from a few sources now, just thought I better check to see if there was some super secret trick to it. did a 45km ride this morning and had very little wobble.

StanSeven

You're doing well then. Just add more distance at a moderate pace and you'll find yourself steady in no time. Then you can add hard efforts.

Daniel Frost

I have 3 45km loops I do, one is flat and easy and the other 2 have a good mix of hills.

StanSeven

Hills are great training. If you can do hills without wobbling, you can sprint and do hard race accelerations.

nutterbutter

Their are so many reasons... both above are correct. not to mention they can stab anyone you run into pretty hard, and they reall dont make sense for draft legal racing if you are a part of the peleton because you dont need to be aero whhile drafting