Considering aero bars

[themaff]

Hello all,
I wonder if I might be able to get some thoughts on types and set-up of 'aero' bar extensions with forearm support? I'm looking forward to several long rides this year, including LEL (with some trepidation). I have a Cannondale Synapse with slightly flared compact aluminium bars. I have long thought that the possibility of an alternative riding position that facilitates support of the upper body with parts other than hands and wrists was a good idea. However, most products are designed for speed, and appear, often, to result in a low, stretched position, which would be unsuitable (certainly for me!) I'm looking for something that allows pads to be mounted a little behind the handlebar tops and with a good amount of height to be achieved, along with other adjustment. And there's the small matter of not occupying too much handlebar real estate! I like the look of the Profile Design Neosonic Ergo 45AR, but it looks like a new development of the Sonic Ergo, and it won't be available until April. I've read a few ultra-distance blog equipment reviews, but I'd be interested to hear any YACF opinions and reviews of products used. Thanks, and happy pedalling!

[Can’t swim won’t tri]

I use the Deda Uno bars, which come with a large selection of risers. With a mid height riser, there’s space for me to reach under the forearm pads and hold the tops of my drop bars.

For me, they are very comfy - on a long ride I’ll spend the majority of my time using them. .

They were about £70 from wiggle.

[John Stonebridge]

Ive used aero bars on and off over the years and Id agree with CSWT - to my mind the two most most important things are

1.  To have enough room to reach under the forearm pads to hold the tops of the bars (my typical climbing position).  If the pads are too low, you're robbing Peter to pay Paul. 

When I first set out using aero bars about 15 years ago I had a pair where the pads flipped up inwards when not in use exactly for that reason - but they were a bit gimmicky and "the flip" wasn't really needed and they did look a bit silly when not in use.

2.  Generally dont be afraid to have them set fairly high - it's not a TT.   

Set up properly the extra position is well worth giving them a try Id say.  Very useful for eating up kms into the wind.         

[themaff]

I use the Deda Uno bars, which come with a large selection of risers. With a mid height riser, there’s space for me to reach under the forearm pads and hold the tops of my drop bars.

For me, they are very comfy - on a long ride I’ll spend the majority of my time using them. .

They were about £70 from wiggle.

Thanks for this tip CSWT - the Uno looks good. Good to hear of your good experience with them. Nice to see that the height adjusters are included, and it looks like the pads have a bit of fore/aft adjustment available. Interesting Deda-unique standard 31.7mm clamp diameter, rather than the near-universal 31.8mm. Presume you are happy with the way they fit, or do you use Deda 31.7mm bars?

[themaff]

Ive used aero bars on and off over the years and Id agree with CSWT - to my mind the two most most important things are

1.  To have enough room to reach under the forearm pads to hold the tops of the bars (my typical climbing position).  If the pads are too low, you're robbing Peter to pay Paul. 

When I first set out using aero bars about 15 years ago I had a pair where the pads flipped up inwards when not in use exactly for that reason - but they were a bit gimmicky and "the flip" wasn't really needed and they did look a bit silly when not in use.

2.  Generally dont be afraid to have them set fairly high - it's not a TT.   

Set up properly the extra position is well worth giving them a try Id say.  Very useful for eating up kms into the wind.       

Thanks for the advice John. Once I get some, I'll experiment with different set-ups, and will almost certainly be aiming for pretty high.

[Can’t swim won’t tri]

I use the Deda Uno bars, which come with a large selection of risers. With a mid height riser, there’s space for me to reach under the forearm pads and hold the tops of my drop bars.

For me, they are very comfy - on a long ride I’ll spend the majority of my time using them. .

They were about £70 from wiggle.

Thanks for this tip CSWT - the Uno looks good. Good to hear of your good experience with them. Nice to see that the height adjusters are included, and it looks like the pads have a bit of fore/aft adjustment available. Interesting Deda-unique standard 31.7mm clamp diameter, rather than the near-universal 31.8mm. Presume you are happy with the way they fit, or do you use Deda 31.7mm bars?

Yep, they fit my bars very well - I have a relatively anodyne set of £50 trek handlebars with a 31.8mm central zone. More than enough adjustability for me in all directions. Takes a while to get used to them, but in my experience it’s possible to get them so comfy that it’s tempting to nap whilst cycling!

One thing to bear in mind is that if you get really into riding on the aero bars, it’s nice to be able to change gear from them, which means electronic gearing. That changes them from a £50-100 purchase to a £1k+ option 

[T42]

I used a pair of Profile Design bars a bit like their current Flip model about 20 years ago.  They were great fun, especially on the downhill, but they do put your hands a long way from the brakes & gears.  The pivots eventually worked their way out of mine and the springs went for a burton - I suppose they've fixed that now.  I put HB tape on mine and added a couple of cross-pieces to take lights & counter.  I liked them even for climbing mountains, since I could use them as a hat-rack for my helmet.  I eventually took them off since they were non gratae in UAF Audax pelotons.

Last job they've had was as part of a lectern for use on the turbo.

[themaff]

I use the Deda Uno bars, which come with a large selection of risers. With a mid height riser, there’s space for me to reach under the forearm pads and hold the tops of my drop bars.

For me, they are very comfy - on a long ride I’ll spend the majority of my time using them. .

They were about £70 from wiggle.

Thanks for this tip CSWT - the Uno looks good. Good to hear of your good experience with them. Nice to see that the height adjusters are included, and it looks like the pads have a bit of fore/aft adjustment available. Interesting Deda-unique standard 31.7mm clamp diameter, rather than the near-universal 31.8mm. Presume you are happy with the way they fit, or do you use Deda 31.7mm bars?

Yep, they fit my bars very well - I have a relatively anodyne set of £50 trek handlebars with a 31.8mm central zone. More than enough adjustability for me in all directions. Takes a while to get used to them, but in my experience it’s possible to get them so comfy that it’s tempting to nap whilst cycling!

One thing to bear in mind is that if you get really into riding on the aero bars, it’s nice to be able to change gear from them, which means electronic gearing. That changes them from a £50-100 purchase to a £1k+ option 

I'll try not to nod off. No danger of having any further capital investment being signed off by the home office, sadly!

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

I used aero bars on LEL in 2009 (which is where my forum name came from), and would highly recommend them, especially for getting under the wind on the fens.  A couple of pointers.  I was already using a similar set up for time trials - having ridden a 50 and a couple of 100s as warm up for PBP in 2007, I got the bug for a while, but wasn't serious enough to get a full TT bike, so used clip-ons.

1) It takes a while to get confident on the set-up and until you have, they won't be as much benefit as you would like, so take the time to learn on quiet roads.  It's worth noting that I use them less now because the general state of roads is worse and they aren't much fun when you have to do a lot of pothole avoidance.

2) The set up needs to consider how you mount your lights.  I have my bars almost flat, because my Lumicycles are mounted onto the tribars, which works perfectly well, but if I had them angled upwards my lights would do little more than dazzle oncoming drivers.

As above, I still use them on most long Audaxes, but when I'm riding solo, usually on good roads, and primarily for headwinds and for maximising speed on gradual descents - quite often I would be rolling at 25 - 30mph passing people pedalling at <20mph.

[Diesel]

I use the Deda Uno bars, which come with a large selection of risers. With a mid height riser, there’s space for me to reach under the forearm pads and hold the tops of my drop bars.

For me, they are very comfy - on a long ride I’ll spend the majority of my time using them. .

They were about £70 from wiggle.

Another user of the Deda Uno. They work well for me including on PBP. Some observations:
- initially I didn't use any risers and they were fine. I did lose the tops position, but the net gain was worth it.
- for PBP I had moved them all nearer me so the arm rests were the near side of the bars and the other side, no further than the brake hoods - as per PBP regs. Not my preferred setup, a little compact but it worked
- now I have the best of all worlds - I bought the riser set so have them higher which is a bit more comfy, I have the tops position available and I'm back to original position with arm rests over bars.

I find this setup very comfy and useful for taking the weight off my hands. I would suggest that you try this out extensively though to see what works for you and be prepared to adjust to make it work.

[Suffolk Born]

I like to use aero bars on anything longer than 300k, I use Profile 50A with the highest risers. these make it extremely comfortable for me, also you are able to make an nice cockpit with the aid of tie wraps. Only used 10minutes an hour, just to rest the arms and hands, but useful in a headwind.

[themaff]

I used aero bars on LEL in 2009 (which is where my forum name came from), and would highly recommend them, especially for getting under the wind on the fens.  A couple of pointers.  I was already using a similar set up for time trials - having ridden a 50 and a couple of 100s as warm up for PBP in 2007, I got the bug for a while, but wasn't serious enough to get a full TT bike, so used clip-ons.

1) It takes a while to get confident on the set-up and until you have, they won't be as much benefit as you would like, so take the time to learn on quiet roads.  It's worth noting that I use them less now because the general state of roads is worse and they aren't much fun when you have to do a lot of pothole avoidance.

2) The set up needs to consider how you mount your lights.  I have my bars almost flat, because my Lumicycles are mounted onto the tribars, which works perfectly well, but if I had them angled upwards my lights would do little more than dazzle oncoming drivers.

As above, I still use them on most long Audaxes, but when I'm riding solo, usually on good roads, and primarily for headwinds and for maximising speed on gradual descents - quite often I would be rolling at 25 - 30mph passing people pedalling at <20mph.

Thanks for all of the advice 👍

[themaff]

Thank you all for your advice, observations and recommendations. I think I might be able to source some Deda Parabolica Uno for a good price, so I think I'll probably start with these. Happy pedalling! 👍

[toontra]

It's worth noting that I use them less now because the general state of roads is worse and they aren't much fun when you have to do a lot of pothole avoidance.

Also when/if you do hit a pothole there is a lot less cushioning (no elbow bend) and the shock goes straight to your shoulders, which can make steering interesting.

Having said that I moved to pretty much the same setup as CET a few years ago and wish I'd done it sooner.  For endurance stuff it's invaluable in wind-cheating and giving the hands/wrists/forearms a rest.

[Karla]

Zipp and Profile are the market leaders.  Both  should take risers so you're not in too low a position - the Zipps definitely do whereas I'm not sure which of the Profile range do or don't, but some will.

Get bars with J bend extensions.  Don't be tempted by S bends, they'll hurt your wrists on an event like LEL and you'll end up not using them.

It's very unlikely, but don't get the modern 'Reverse S' bars either: they're designed to keep people UCI legal and are completely irrelevant for you. 

Attaching lights to aerobars is easy: you can either fit a cross-piece (made out of an old piece of handlebar, an old piece of broomstick ... you get the idea) or you can buy one of several readymade solutions from companies like Aerocoach or Wattshop.  It helps that front lights have recently been made compulsory in TTs so there is a cottage industry in front light mounts!

A word of caution about the Deda bars: unless they've changed since I last looked, their extensions are a custom size.  Most tribar extensions are 22.2 mm so you can swap them out if you don't like them, but Deda are different so you're locked in. 

[Wycombewheeler]

I use the Deda Uno bars, which come with a large selection of risers. With a mid height riser, there’s space for me to reach under the forearm pads and hold the tops of my drop bars.

For me, they are very comfy - on a long ride I’ll spend the majority of my time using them. .

They were about £70 from wiggle.

Thanks for this tip CSWT - the Uno looks good. Good to hear of your good experience with them. Nice to see that the height adjusters are included, and it looks like the pads have a bit of fore/aft adjustment available. Interesting Deda-unique standard 31.7mm clamp diameter, rather than the near-universal 31.8mm. Presume you are happy with the way they fit, or do you use Deda 31.7mm bars?

Yep, they fit my bars very well - I have a relatively anodyne set of £50 trek handlebars with a 31.8mm central zone. More than enough adjustability for me in all directions. Takes a while to get used to them, but in my experience it’s possible to get them so comfy that it’s tempting to nap whilst cycling!

One thing to bear in mind is that if you get really into riding on the aero bars, it’s nice to be able to change gear from them, which means electronic gearing. That changes them from a £50-100 purchase to a £1k+ option 

unless you are already on di2

[cygnet]

A word of caution about the Deda bars: unless they've changed since I last looked, their extensions are a custom size.  Most tribar extensions are 22.2 mm so you can swap them out if you don't like them, but Deda are different so you're locked in.

They are still different and it's worth noting as most clamp on mounts e.g. for GPS units will not fit around the standard Deda bars. (If you go down the broom handle/zip tie route, this isn't a problem)
I've used shims around standard dia bars and the clamping force is sufficient for them not to slip.

[toontra]

This is how I sorted out lights & computer. It's a handlebar extension that is double-mounted and sits below and out front of the handlebars and has space for 2 (possibly 3!) lights. The Bolt is on an out-front mount fixed to the main bars.  There is still plenty of room under the pads for hands on the tops.






The white discs on the front of the tri-bars are red flashing/solid led's for use in emergencies 

[Karla]

A word of caution about the Deda bars: unless they've changed since I last looked, their extensions are a custom size.  Most tribar extensions are 22.2 mm so you can swap them out if you don't like them, but Deda are different so you're locked in.

They are still different and it's worth noting as most clamp on mounts e.g. for GPS units will not fit around the standard Deda bars. (If you go down the broom handle/zip tie route, this isn't a problem)
I've used shims around standard dia bars and the clamping force is sufficient for them not to slip.

Well yeah, this is the thing.  Deda make ok bars but Zipp/Profile/3T all make good bars and they're all compatible with each other so I'd go with one of those.

[MattH]

Profile Design for me. I have a set with the flip-up pads, a bit like these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175130786654 , and a set that is identical except with fixed pads. The fixed pad set I ran for ages without the pads, resting my forearms on the top of the standard handlebars, to avoid losing the climbing position. I'll have to check photos, but that's probably how I was configured on my last LEL.

One thing to bear in mind is that if you get really into riding on the aero bars, it’s nice to be able to change gear from them, which means electronic gearing. That changes them from a £50-100 purchase to a £1k+ option 

One one of my bikes I have the little bracket that Profile Design used to make that mounts on the pointed front end of the bars. That lets you mount old school down tube shifters there - fine on the 3x9 setup, probably not ideal on more modern systems. You can put bar end shifters into the end of the more traditional individual tube aero bars. A bit cheaper than £1k, but both of these options mean you have to reach forward to change gear if you are riding on the hoods. You get used to it, and I spend most of my time on the aero bars when doing any distance anyway.

[morbihan]

Ive got two rigs set up for endurance riding with with aero bars. Both bikes are already a more relaxed geometry than than the a-typical road bike.
Both have risers in addition to the relaxed angles of the bike set ups. (55mm I think.)
One set of deda parabolica and one set up with zipp profile.
You may also want to look at something like this to give you access to your handlebars and maybe bring the resting position closer to your body:-
https://fred-bars.myshopify.com/products/fred-bar
I'm always impressed and amazed how riders far more limber than me can get into a stress position on very low aero bars, or have none at all. If that's not you though, for a foray into riding long then comfort is paramount  and they REALLY help lessening the discomfort if set up in a relaxed position.
Both my guys have been routed with di2;  though if that wasn't  on the cards I'd still use aeros and just switch positions to change up and down.
I have the older generation di2 shifters on one rig that looks a bit more clunky but I prefer over the new incarnation. The new one doesn't allow changing big to small front ring, and is more breakable in a spill. It's more expensive too.

[themaff]

Thanks all, again, for continued stream of thoughts. I've found some Profile Design T4+ aluminium with J-bend. I like the look of these because armrests clamp independently to aero bars, so I should be able to fine tune armrest and J-bend positions independently with respect to the handlebar. There is also a reasonable choice of risers, up to 60mm. I'm tempted to plump directly for the 60mm rise, given that on my 58cm Synapse I have a handlebar drop of around 100mm from saddle top to bar top. I reckon this should feel like splendid luxury. I'll try not to nod off... I'll also be sure to use them only when out on the open road, given the distance back down to the brakes and shifters! I'll have a play and let you know. Cheers!