I think it's time. The cockpit on the TT bike needs to go. I can keep the extensions, shifters......but the stem and base bar and pads are pointless. It's about as aero as a brick. That old 5:1 ratio HED bar is literally a rectangle. It's not rounded off hardly at all on the front. Sooooo aero.
Also, since it is a home hack job, there is zero adjustability.
I'm going to buy a shorter stem and figure out what kind of low stack, affordable, and halfway aero cockpit I can do.
If the bars clip on, aka aren't integrated, I feel they can probably get lower stack.
The evolution of TT/tri cockpits seems to have been to reduce stack in the head tube and headsets but add it back in the risers under the arm pads.
Notice how all the super bikes have that stem perfectly in line with the top tube these days but have like some 3" of risers under the pads.
Not sure what the idea is there in that evolution. But, it means an "integrated" bar and riser/pads kind of deal won't really work too well for me as the stack will be too high.
Also, I'm kinda sketched out these days by the modifications to my crap old HED base bar I had done. It's also super uncomfortable on the bull bars.