Aero bars on club rides

[cyberknight]

Raised an issue last night to the club Secretary.Its a newly formed club and riders have been turning up and riding on tri bars in a group ride .i personally feel they are not suited for group rides and raised it to him .One has already flounced after it was announced they were not supposed to use them in a group. Feel a bit of a shoot for raising it but i dont want someone causing a crash

 

[smutchin]

You did the right thing. Absolutely 100% no question about that.

If the club loses these idiots as members, so what? You're probably better off without them.

 

[DCLane]

I'm uncomfortable with them on group rides. My club doesn't allow it on safety grounds.

 

[mjr]

Depends on the group. They're not suitable for tight formation riding IMO because most riders can't get to the brakes fast enough but they can be OK in relaxed social groups with good stopping distances between riders. In relaxed groups, riders with regular bars who try to overtake on the left silently are far more hazardous and you can't spot them before the start.

 

[ianrauk]

If someone flounces from the club over such a simple safety issue. Then the club is best off without that person

 

[smutchin]

they can be OK in relaxed social groups with good stopping distances between riders.

If you're riding far enough apart for the use of aerobars to be safe, that's arguably not a group ride.

 

[Tommy2]

IMO Even if the group ride is specifically out to practice team TTing or triathlon draft legal racing, group riding on tri bars it’s still very sketchy in public roads.

 

[Nibor]

I don't like aero bars on any ride they tend to melt in my pocket.

 

[Dan B]

I don't like aero bars on any ride they tend to melt in my pocket.

And they're Nestlé

 

[mjr]

If you're riding far enough apart for the use of aerobars to be safe, that's arguably not a group ride.

It's a group ride but not a chain gang.

If you want to get into arguably, then most chain gangs on public roads are arguably reckless cycling, falling below the standard the government has set for a competent cyclist (National Standard for Cycle Training level 3 section 16: "cyclists should not ride so close to each other that they cannot react to a sudden movement or stopping of the cyclist in front") but let's not go there, eh? Hopefully we can agree that aerobar use in most chain gangs is a bit worse than arguably reckless...

 

[fossyant]

Absolutely not. Should only be used for TTT and or practice. Even with people you know and ride with regular its a no no. With people you aren't familiar with, what planet are they on, so dangerous.

 

[jiberjaber]

Not sure I understand this... going down on aerobars is not a good thing in a group of riders, if you are the rider on the front then I do not see a problem.

If this is about you are not allowed to ride in a group if you have them fitted (irrespective of them being used) - then yes that is a bit too nanny state for me.

 

[mjr]

going down on aerobars is not a good thing in a group of riders, if you are the rider on the front then I do not see a problem.

@Fnaar. I suspect Miss Goodbody likes being the rider on the front, but it's the first time I've heard it called an aerobar.

 

[fossyant]

You don't even use bars in a chain gang. Way to dangerous as chain gangs vary speed quite a bit.

I know from club rides and training rides, as soon as the person in front stands up to climb a hill, they effectively 'go backwards' slightly as your speed is fractionally more just before you start to climb.

 

[cyberknight]

Not sure I understand this... going down on aerobars is not a good thing in a group of riders, if you are the rider on the front then I do not see a problem.

If this is about you are not allowed to ride in a group if you have them fitted (irrespective of them being used) - then yes that is a bit too nanny state for me.

Its actually using them during a ride, of course you can have them fitted , even on the front its a bit of a no no in terms of control.