juntjoo

What is the trick to getting accessories to clamp tight enough on your handlebars so at least your headlight and body weight upon aerobars will stay put?

spelger

Well, mine came the right size so they clamp pretty tight. You did measure bar diameter before you got your bars I hope.

juntjoo

Yeah, mine are correct size, it's just as I've researched these, even with the more expensive ones there is this issue. So far I've gathered as with mine, the threaded holes for the bolts are the same weak aluminum material the bars are made of making their stripping threshold below the point of adequate tightening, so one should get new longer bolts with nuts to secure them in place of the bar's material, or as I'm considering rethreading them with those helicoil inserts.

So before I try that I'm just fishing for feedback x extra ideas. I'd even be willing to drill into the handlebars if someone did that but then I'd need to figure out how to drill into steel or whatever they're made out of with a hand drill.

Andrew R Stewart 

Please whatever you do, DON'T drill the bats. And then hide the hole with a covering aero bar clamp so you can't see the crack develop

The aero bars I have worked with pretty much all didn't have the bar clamping ability to resist a lot of aero bar rotational levering. This is one reason why the elbow/forearm pads are usually fairly close to the handle bar (lessening the leverage they place on the bar clamp). When riding on them one "shouldn't" be working their arms in a manor to rotate the aero bars.

There are a number of reasons why I dislike aero bars and their being far more able to rotationally slip is one, not the biggest reasons but still quite important to the rider if they insist in riding in a manor that causes the bars to slip and not being able to work through that should it happen.

There are also aero bar/handle bar combos that eliminate the clamp, the two sets of bars are one unit. If you find one that fits the bike and your needs it might be the best next step. Andy

alcjphil

I assume that Andy was advising you not to drill holes in your handlebars. I agree wholeheartedly
Don't do that

base2 

26.0mm vs 25.4.
There is a huge difference.
Use a proper shim.

juntjoo

Thank you! You just filled in a lot of gaps there in my understanding of these things. Yeah, two pieces only makes way more sense but sacrifices adjustability but perhaps worth it. I bet the ones I found on ebay were og this type. Forget the brand off hand but it's was like all of them when you just search "aero bars". Some guys name or something. I may check them out. I've got these Amazon ones though and I really like their shape so I'll look into this a bit more B4 deciding

juntjoo

Come to think of it, just by looking at the pic I posted, these shouldn't incur too much forward rotational influence from my weight. I think grab some new hardware and try it out.

If I match the original bolts(that thread into back of aluminum)threads with longer bolt/nuts combos I think they won't be able to strip so long as the nuts are harder right? And then I read everyone using loctite. I wonder if could just use those nylon fitted nuts for the same effect.


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Crankycrank

I'm going to take a wild guess and say that clamping over your bar tape might be the issue. Clamp should be on a bare surface.

juntjoo

I thought about that but want to try first with it in case I can keep it there in case 8 return these

alcjphil

If you get it tight enough to hold clamping over the bar tape you will probably tear the tape

dsbrantjr

By clamping over the bar tape you have effectively shimmed the bar to a 2mm or more larger diameter. Do not expect that this will work well.