Aero bars that don't spoil the fold

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mitchibob

Über Member
Location
Treorchy, Wales
I'm reaching here I think. It's just that while recovering from recent injury, I had excuse to fit some cheap aero bars to my road bike to take pressure off my wrist during turbo sessions, and last weekend, got to try them outside for the first time. I only really used into the headwind bits around Regents Park, but felt like I was cheating in terms of effort to maintain speed. I'd been wanting to try these sort of bars ever since the 1989 TdF final TT and fully understand why Greg Lemond used them, and don't fully understand why Chris Froome would take hand off at speed he was doing to blow his nose.

Of course, immediately got me thinking that my Brommie is still my most practical long distance bike, and headwinds are a nightmare, so, are there clip on aero-bars that'll neatly fold up or something, so as not to destroy a brommie fold? I mean, I've seen some interesting variety of handlebars on this forum for brommies over the years, so I figure this is a good place to ask.

I should add, mine now has S-bars, so issues of fitting around various M-bars wouldn't be issue. Plus fully expecting the silliness in answers this question gets.

(cue great pictures of interesting handlebars on brommies!)
 
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I've got grips similar to this - https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/lifeline-ergonomic-handlebar-grips/rp-prod155625

You're not narrow but you can be lower. It doesn't interfere with the fold at all. I'm not sure tribars would work on a Brompton. The handling would be very interesting.
 

T4tomo

Guru
The best you can do is stubby bar ends (either integrated to ergon type grips or stand alone), that at least opens your wrists out to a position similar to drop bars/ hood / tribars so you can get you upper body a bit lower, and they don't interfere with the fold
 

T4tomo

Guru
(cue great pictures of interesting handlebars on brommies!)
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I could actually replicate this if i nicked the bars & TT levers off my single speed, not sure quite where I'd but the SA shifter though - this one a hasa DI2 alfine 11 on it.

I don't think that will fold properly without swinging the bars round though
 
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mitchibob

mitchibob

Über Member
Location
Treorchy, Wales
I've just mentally tried riding my Brompton with tri-bars. I mentally fell off.

Me too... it's such a dumb idea. I'm only slightly sorry I brought it up. I've only ridden with them on a few times on road bike, and quite frankly, Chris Froome is a bleeding idiot for taking hand off to blow his nose at speed he was going on that Dauphine TT recon. Brommie at any speed is going to be sketchy as hell.

I'd be interested to see Dan Bigham's Brommie handlebars though.
 

KneesUp

Guru
I have a Dahon (so the fold is different) with old-school MTB bar ends on it, but I fitted then as near to the centre of the steerer as I could. It makes a difference but I only use them when there is plenty of room and I'm late for the train - it can get a bit sketchy if you hit a pothole with a 16" wheel when your hands are only 4 inches apart. They are actually those bar ends with tools in, which I bought so I didn't need tools in my commuting bag. It was only when I came to fit them and realised that they couldn't go in the standard bar end position because I'd need to chop off the ends of the grips that I had the idea to mount them in the centre. The way the Dahon folds, they nestle between the spokes of the front wheel and don't affect the fold at all.
 
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mitchibob

mitchibob

Über Member
Location
Treorchy, Wales
I have a Dahon (so the fold is different) with old-school MTB bar ends on it, but I fitted then as near to the centre of the steerer as I could. It makes a difference but I only use them when there is plenty of room and I'm late for the train - it can get a bit sketchy if you hit a pothole with a 16" wheel when your hands are only 4 inches apart. They are actually those bar ends with tools in, which I bought so I didn't need tools in my commuting bag. It was only when I came to fit them and realised that they couldn't go in the standard bar end position because I'd need to chop off the ends of the grips that I had the idea to mount them in the centre. The way the Dahon folds, they nestle between the spokes of the front wheel and don't affect the fold at all.
Deserves a photo!
 

CanucksTraveller

Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
Location
Hertfordshire
I put Tri bars on a Giant road bike I owned in the late 90s when I did 10 mile TTs. They're excellent on a closed straight road, but they helped deposit me upside down in a patch of daffodils just off a roundabout that I failed to negotiate once.

I think you're mad for trying to get more aero on a Brompton, and possibly missing the point, but power to your elbow and I hope you get what you need! 😄
 
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mitchibob

mitchibob

Über Member
Location
Treorchy, Wales
I put Tri bars on a Giant road bike I owned in the late 90s when I did 10 mile TTs. They're excellent on a closed straight road, but they helped deposit me upside down in a patch of daffodils just off a roundabout that I failed to negotiate once.

I think you're mad for trying to get more aero on a Brompton, and possibly missing the point! 😄
Yup! Daffodils would've gone nicely with the Dragons on my bike though!
 
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mitchibob

mitchibob

Über Member
Location
Treorchy, Wales
Just to be clear, I seriously think this is a dumb idea. Did so within seconds of posting, but then, was intrigued to see what samples of aero bars on folding bikes would follow up, because I can't be the first person to have these drunk moments, and certainly there are more practical people that'd have followed through on similar drunken thoughts ;-)
 

KneesUp

Guru
Deserves a photo!
I can't find a picture - and truth be told since the whole Corona thing (you might have seen it in the news? :-) ) I've been commuting in the car when I have to go in rather than bike-train-bike, so I've not actually used the Dahon in over a year. I've just been to get it out and was reminded that I took them off to put on my MTB instead. But they definitely made a difference, and it definitely felt slightly sketchy using them! Being bar ends there Wass nowhere to put your forearms, they were more a way to reduce frontal area.
 

12boy

Guru
Location
Casper WY USA
Years ago I replaced the stem bolt used to secure the handlebars with a stout QR . Works well enugh I don't think about it and makes bar rotation very easy. Here's some pics with a Velo Orange Milan bar.
 

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