bonsai171

I'm thinking about putting clip on aero bars on my road bike for extra speed. They will also be used on my gravel bike from time to time too. Would these bars be a good choice for my purposes? What should I be looking for besides a 31.8mm clamping diameter?

https://www.nashbar.com/ritchey-comp...RoCH6AQAvD_BwE

Dave

atwl77

I didn't see any mention of length, but at a glance they look very short, possibly designed for ITU draft legal specifications. Those arm pads don't look very comfortable either.

Unless you're concerned about legality (for events like triathlons, etc) might as well look for longer bars with more comfortable, curved arm pads, with more adjustability. Profile Design is one brand that I'd look at for starters.

SpedFast

It says adjustable length, but what lengths are they talking?

tempocyclist

They look ridiculously short, which will make getting a good fit difficult. Also those totally flat pads will offer zero support or "lock-in" when in the TT position.

A compromise for draft-legal triathlon perhaps?



Get a regular full-length set that'll enable you to really dial in your position. That way even if you find them too long at least you can cut them down to size.

RChung

Those are "mini" aerobars, designed for road bikes. Most "standard" aerobars are longer but are designed for TT bikes which have a steep seat tube so the rider is more forward, so the extensions are longer. Because road bikes are used in draft-legal ITU racing, they will typically use mini aerobars. The pads are short because the extensions are short (because the rider sits farther back) so they tend to support the mid-forearm right behind the wrists, so they're not as comfortable as pads that support the arms nearer the elbow.

That all said, they're not as comfortable as longer aerobars, but longer aerobars aren't really an option for road or gravel bikes. They give you an alternative position that's more aero but don't expect full comfort. For mini aerobars, I prefer the ski bend as these have than straight extensions.

$100 seems expensive for these.

atwl77

Uh... longer aerobars are used by ultracyclists regularly for comfort. Depending on the way they are setup, they can be optimized for aero, for comfort, or any level of compromise between the two.

SapInMyBlood

I love my profile designs on my road bike, for audax riding or fast solo rides.
Adjustable pads, adjustable bars, height, side to side indépendant adjustment of pads relative to bars, etc. And you can get super thick, super cushy pads

guachi

I'll echo those saying the bars look really short and the pads are flat. I went with longer bars like SapInMyBlood mentions. Mine aren't height adjustable but otherwise similar.

bonsai171

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have had good luck with Profile Designs products in the past, will take a look at those.

The one thing I'm wondering about is getting used to riding with aero bars. I haven't tried them before, but put my forearm on the handlebar last night to get an idea of what it might feel like. How long does it take to get used to them?

As far as length, the Richey bars adjust between 180 and 185mm. I'm thinking the longer bars look a little too long, is that something you get used to quickly?

Dave

atwl77

Try riding "invisible aero bar" style on your current bike. Develop a feeling of how to be stable in that position, as well as using your forearms to steer. Then transfer that over to aerobars once you get them. An important point to note is that you steer with your forearms, not by gripping the bars and trying to steer with your hands. (Obviously, until you can ride stably, practice this somewhere safe like low-traffic, smooth tarmac roads.)

Don't be too concerned about bars that are too long - they are meant to be long so that you adjust and reduce their reach (or cut them down to size if they're too long). Find the most comfortable resting place for your forearms on the pads, the length of the bars will then be determined by this position.

RChung

Ah, you may be right. I'm more used to ACP regs, that limit aerobar extension length to no farther forward than the brake hoods. I suppose it would be possible to use "long" extensions on a regular slackish angle seat tube road bike, but I don't know if the riders who use them would have to alter stem length or saddle position -- I tried this years ago on my regular road bike and I would have had to, which is why I went with mini aerobars, and saved the long aerobars for my TT bike.

atwl77

I think this would depend on the specific set of aerobars - or to be more precise, how much adjustment the specific model provides. I use the Profile Design Sonic Ergo 35a, where the pads have some degree of front/back adjustment, so I positioned mine furthest to the back which works for me without needing to alter stem or saddle position.

My bike at the start of a 1000k, last year:

Carbonfiberboy 

I've been riding with clip-ons on my road bike for over 20 years. Must have started in '98. Didn't see a reason not to. I did not alter my standard road position to use them. I think folks who do simply don't have enough reach in their standard position. If you're on the hoods with horizontal forearms and your upper arm is vertical when your back is flat, should be fine, elbow then in just the right spot for the pads.

You might hate flip-up pads for gravel. I wouldn't use aero bars in gravel anyway.

Adjustable length bars are good. I like the pads just behind (aft) of the bars, center of pad ~3" in front of point of elbow when holding the bars' ends. Unlike most folks, I put bar tape where my hands go. Good grip is nice. Most folks run flip-up pads to increase bar-top space. Those rattle but one can fix that to some extent by gluing thin foam where the rattle is.

Yes, they take a deal of getting used to. The worst of the flip up pads is getting down into position. That takes a lot of repetitive practice to do smoothly, especially at speed. I try to get down on them and stay there for long periods of time at least once a week. Try to ride the white line. My practice is to never corner at high speed, say over 30, on them, and never take a sharp corner on them. I've never had even a close one while using them, maybe because I'm careful. You want to be able to correct in a tight situation with your hands in your normal riding position, using your normal reflexes.

spelger

you mean something like this...?

https://profile-design.com/products/airstryke-ii

i have these and the rattle drove me completely nuts with all the chip seal we have here. i eventually tie-strapped the pads down as an experiment and have left them there after a few failed attempts to make them quiet. regardless of that i really like them and am almost always in them except for ascents and descents. heck even ascents and descents sometimes when the grade is not too bad.

Ti473

I agree with some of the previous posts that short extensions aren't very comfortable, at least for extended periods of time. I guess it depends what your goals are and how much time you plan on spending on them. If you do group rides and want something to do a little faster pulls while you're at the front, those would be fine. For longer rides, I prefer something with a high level of adjustability, bigger pads, and the ability to bring the arm rests farther back than usual, so you can maintain your road riding position on the saddle. Otherwise you end up sliding forward too much and sitting on the nose of the saddle and your taint is not going to like that. Some extensions sets have the arm rest brackets that are independent from the bar mounts/clamps, such as some older Profile Design ones, or Pro Gear (the aluminum ones). If you have multiple bikes and plan on taking them on and off often I recommend Red Shift Sports ones. they have a quick release mechanism and you can get a separate set of clamps to put your second bike. You leave the clamps on the bars at all time and remove the extensions as needed. The advantage of that is that you don't have to get the position dialed in every time, they will always be in the same spot. Also the clamps are well engineered and are nice and wide so the chances of slipping are minimal. And trust me, that's an issue with some clamps. You don't want to over torque them (especially on carbon bars) but then you hit a bump and they slip and you end up with uneven extensions, which can drive you nuts. One thing that helps with that is a layer of sports tape around the bars. Oh, and contrary to what some may think, aero bars are great for gravel.

Ti473

Also, for comfort, get something you can put risers on. Even an inch or so goes a long way and you'll still be way more aero then being on the hoods or drops. All the ones I mentioned have optional risers.

And about the flip-up kinds, the airstrike (which I don't have any experience with) weren't the only ones. 3T and HED both made them. Unfortunately they are discontinued but you may be able to score a NOS or used set on Ebay or what have ya. I have both sets. They are ok, they don't rattle either.

Carbonfiberboy 

Yes, with the aero bars below the handlebars like that, except that mine are two separate bars rather than conjoined. You could try putting little pieces of 1/8" thick foam tape where the plastic clacks together.

tempocyclist

I always find clip-on TT bars bit of a compromise on position, but they absolutely work. I've tried a LOT of different pairs over the tears. The Profile Design ones with carbon extensions are my favourite.

This is the PX Stealth with Profile Design clip-on bars (I've since swapped out the front end for a proper time trial cockpit, far better for outright speed).



Urgh. Just noticed my mis-matched tyres in that photo. Oh the shame...

bonsai171

How about these? They also have riser block options.

https://www.nashbar.com/zipp-vuka-cl...avqqqaau2zhaa2
Dave

Carbonfiberboy 

I ride with a k-hound randonneur who uses risers, except on PBP years he has to train with the aero bars off.

SapInMyBlood

In terms of handling I'd say fairly quickly. If they're set up right at any rate ...
As for comfort, I prefer mine to being on the hoods or drops. I do a lot of audax type stuff and i can happily sit on those for hours on end, whereas I inevitably end up with hand pain or numbness way faster on drops. Way better pressure distribution, and you can also load more of your weight forward, onto the bars, and therefore less on your sit bones.

I'm at the point now where I can descend on them at 40-45kph, take wide sweeping turns if desired, and if i feel like being an idiot around friends then i can climb out of the saddle, on my aero bars.

A good set of bars should enable you to easily slide the extensions forwards and back, as well as adjusting the pad placement. Once you get everything dialled in you can then trim the extensions shorter if you wish.

Last but not least: flexibility. If you're not too flexible, definitely get some risers added in. I know a few ultra cyclists who use them with 40-60mm of spacers. It doesn't give much aero benefit at that point, it's entirely a matter of comfort long distance