Kimmo

I threw a cheap set on my road bike last century... They didn't hang on so well to ye olde skinny bars, but then neither did stems... nearly good enough IIRC. Come to think of it, that size was chosen for steel...

Anyway, the main thing I didn't like was all that weight hanging off the bars, made the thing absolutely terrible to ride at walking pace. Still it was definitely good for an extra gear, maybe two in a headwind. A few years later I gave the Spinaci a go, and they were a pretty cool compromise, but again, they hung off the skinny bars so forearm comfort was nonexistent.

What would be cool now that carbon aero drop bars are a dime a dozen, is a new take on Spinaci, in carbon with 31.8 clamps, and maybe a straighter extension you could cut down to the length you want. My Aeronova copies are so damn comfy on the forearm in the phantom aero bar position, it'd be great to have an actual aero bar to hang onto. Pff, elbow pads.

rsbob 

My name is RSbob and I love my new aerobars. Took them out for a spin today crushed my previous 28 mile PR. Actually had a pair back in the 80s and tossed them a few years back. Now that I am SIGNIFICANTLY older, it is fun being able to cycle about the same speed now as I did without aerobars back in my 30s. A cheap fountain of youth.

SW84

I noticed, after installing them on my bike that tracked mph, as soon as I dropped down to the bars my speed increased 3 mph. I actually installed them to relieve numbness from the Carpal Tunnel pressure.

rsbob 

Funny you would mention that. I have been experiencing periodic pain in my left hand due to nerve compression. I got off the hoods and onto the bars more frequently which helped quite a bit. With these new bars, there is zero compression and now I have another hand position for long rides. The cool thing for me is that I can either go faster with the same amount of effort or slow down a bit, conserve energy and go farther.

And who says a grandpa is too old for aerobars?

SW84

I agree with you about it requiring the same effort but going faster. Less wind resistance I suppose. My back won't allow me to stay on them for a long time though.

88ss

I see two different kinds of aero-bar users. One group are actually young fast riders that actually have a prayer at placing well overall in the results of a TT or TRI competition, the other group are old gray-haired riders who are in a competition with their age and egos on Strava every day. I am so glad I do not ride with Strava or any other social media tracking, I am there to enjoy riding a bicycle and not social-media. And I am also glad as an old gray-haired rider, that I can find enjoyment in riding bicycles without using Strava or it's equivalents or the racing equipment young people who are actually fast use. When I enter a TT I use a standard round-tube road bike with standard drop bars and I am not interested in age-group results but just overall results. It is okay with me that I am not as fast as I was a few decades ago.

Trakhak

I have hand numbness from nerve damage in my left elbow that two operations didn't correct, so I use aero bars on all of my bikes. The aero bars not only relieve the numbness while riding, they also keep me stretched out with a nearly flat-backed position that keeps my lower back supple and pain-free.

SW84

I wish they'd make my back pain free. I haven't done anything for the past week due to a pinched nerve in my lower back.

terrymorse 

As one of those competitive old guys, I'm feeling a bit judged. Some of us olds are enjoying our age group competition, thank you. We're not ashamed to pull out our wallets to gain some speed. And believe it or not, some of us are still pretty fast. Furthermore, competing on Strava can be fun--even more fun when you're sitting atop the age group leaderboards (not to mention any names, ahem).

SW84

I use them for comfort. Does that mean there are three groups now?

spelger

boy, if all us other grey old farts could be just like you we might have world peace.

terrymorse 

There are four groups. Number 4, the most hated of the groups, are those who show up at group rides with aerobars. The Number 4s can also be in 1-3.

88ss

So then you are admitting that when you "pull out our wallets to gain some speed" that you are no longer in a bicycle competition but a contest to see who can afford the most speed, like the guy local to me in his mid-50s who I used to be as fast as until he dumped $15K on a Specialized Tarmac and jumped up about one mph for the outlay ??? Then on top of that financial aspect, there is the question of the emotional maturity of someone who needs to be with a cell-phone all day on social media keeping track of their "status" as far as cycling speed goes in their "clique", something that used to be the domain of pre-pubescent girls.

88ss

You are interested in being aero otherwise you could put bars off a Schwinn Stingray on your bike and be comfortable right? So no, there are still only two groups.

In the disintegrating overly correct society, eventually every one of the hundreds of participants in TT or Tri events will all get a trophy, I hope they have baby's pacifiers hanging off the bottom of the ribbon. I won't accept any award below third overall, because I happen to know that just being above ground every day, let alone being on a bike, is an award.

PeteHski

I don’t use aerobars simply because the road riding events I train for don’t allow them. I’m sure aerobars would improve all my solo PRs, but I don’t see much point for achieving my personal goals. So I just do the best I can with drops and aero hood positions.

PeteHski

So you are motivated enough to enter a competition where you only care about the overall results, but not enough to bother with an actual TT bike or even aerobars on your road bike. How do you get on against the 20 somethings on TT bikes?

terrymorse 

Bless you heart, @88ss.

Polaris OBark

They fulfill a childhood dream: when I was a kid, I wanted to be a triceratops.

rsbob 

Regarding the first bolded statement: So what? Doesn’t harm you in any way and if they have the money and inclination, so be it. Should people who can afford expensive cars instead be driving econoboxes because it is more moral to you? Or people who live in nice houses downsize to tiny houses because it suits you better? Interesting how you appoint yourself the judge of what is right and wrong.

The second statement is a totally bizarre. People typically use bike computers to record their stats - which again is a matter of personal choice. If they want to compare their stats, why not? Doesn’t harm you or anyone else. Pretty judgmental on stuff that doesn’t nicely fit into your preconceived world.

Ever heard of the expression, “live and let live”? It will save you a lot of consternation.

LarrySellerz

good stuff dude!

Bah Humbug

That seemed less about age than just dumping on Strava. Which has issues, but the rant is stupid.

Bah Humbug

A Tarmac isn't worth 1mph. It's just not. And you can get a similar aero benefit for a LOT less.

Also, social media didn't used to be a thing, and Strava used to not be that.

Bah Humbug

Points for working "tri" into the context, but wouldn't it be tetraceratops?

88ss

Exactly how you would expect someone in their 60s to "get on" against 20 year old racers. You said I only care about overall results, I didn't, I said I would only accept an award for placing in the top three, but that is typical of the general population, only able to debate if they talk for their opponents.... I do have fun though, riding my choice of bike anywhere, around my block or in any cycling event no matter what is going on around me, and that is always a win, not surprising you would miss that either.........

88ss

So you know what type of bike my acquaintance was riding before he got the $15K Tarmac? No, that is why your post has zero value, let alone that it is barely the English language.