Hello,
I've been mulling over this decision for an extremely long time and thought the great advice of the Bike Forum might help me pull the trigger with no regrets.
First, the following are the reasons/activities I intend on using aero bars for: Long distance, so far my furthest ride has been 228 miles, I'd really like to up that to 300+ and participate in the multiple 12hr and 24hr events in my area. Second, I want to get into Triathalon and Duathlon, I'd like to take a stab at most distances, maybe even an IM in fall (currently getting ready for a marathon in Spring). Lastly, I want to participate in the various time trials like the Wisconsin State Championship time trial without being at
too much of a disadvantage.
The reason why this has been a challenge is my stupid handlebars, I got a great deal on a Bontrager XXX carbon handlebar+stem but the flare for the stem makes it impossible to attach any conventional aero bars:
So, sadly, I'll need a new handlebar+stem+aero bars for this to be successful, which can become quite pricey.
One of the best options I've come across which I've been seriously considering is this sweet combo drop bar + aero bar from Vision:
Vision Metron 4D Flat M.A.S. J Bend
I've linked to the actual source I would intend to buy it from, I've bever heard of "BicycleBuys" but they have it cheapest and in stock.
My reservations are the following:
- These are actually a bit old, it appears Vision/FSA store no longer sells them in any capacity through their main site, I can only find a handful, mostly out of stock, for not so-reputably vendors scattered across the internet. This is a problem if I want replacement parts for something like a crash or incompatibility.
- Me, being new to aero bars, doesn't know what offerings will work with the bars like hydration, device mounts, etc. It appears aero bars from sites like Profile Designs, Redshift, etc. sell many options compatible with their aero bars, but I'm not seeing my specific to these.
- The price of $529 for just aero bars and handlebars is pretty steep, but they are carbon!
The next option I've been considering is the following combination from Profile Design:
The total price comes out to $530.96
and I have a stem + hydration (the thought process of getting the Aeria Ultimate Stem is its compatibility with the Hydration). However, as I have no experience with aero bars/tri bars, or Triathalon, I don't actually know how crucial something like that hydration thing of the front would be, and if it would cause any excess instability (I imagine using aero bars on a road bike in the first place will cause instability, but whatever...)
As a third option I could save for a Tri-bike, the problem is, I spent a lot of $$$$ on my current bike, which has disc brake, full carbon, Aeolus 5 wheels, which I would want to use
on the tri-bike instead of its stock wheels. I would also need a power meter and a fit, so (as a couple of examples) If I were to get the new Cervelo P-Series bike with 105, or the Quintana Roo PR4 Disc, I would be able to pay the least for the frame/groupset and swap my nicer wheels on. With the aforementioned bike fit and power-meter, buying and outfitting yet another bike easily crosses into the 5k territory, which isn't impossible, but I could really go for a summer without living on Ramen Noodles.
So, I've been meaning to write this post for
months, in the end, I would really like a bike with Aerobars, a power meter, my sweet disc brake wheelset, and a very expensive fit (probably in the $250-$300 area) for the best-valued price point. If you have any thoughts on the above, opinions, insights, or other options, please feel free to post them!