Are Aero-bars good and are they comfortable to use?

[brandon]

i have a road bike and Aero-bars/tri bars/triathalon bars look really cool but was just wondering are they worth it? or is it just a waste of time?

heres some pics:

so are they a good spending or just a crapping waste?

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

They are comfortable, easy to handle, they can give you a sustained 1.5 - 4mph over a distance dependant on circumstances, but, dont buy them because they 'look cool'. If you are thinking of TTing either competitively or by yourself then they are a good purchase.

 

[jay clock]

I do triathlons, and yes they help. But comfort is the number 1 issue. If not comfy you will not use them, then they have no benefit. The ones I have a similar to your first pic (Profile carbon Stryke). However I got some like the 2md pic on my new TT bike and so uncomfortable I had to get new bars. The flat type do not suit me and the elbows were too tight together. So try some out first and look at adjustability

 

[rb58]

I have never used them, but I recall reading somewhere that they're okay for riding solo (for example in a time trial), but dangerous if you're in a group or in traffic. That's because you don't have easy access to brake levers I suspect - so that extra half a second to react could be disasterous. Not helpful on hills either I imagine.

 

[smokeysmoo]

They were officially banned on last Monday's Great Manchester Cycle, (group ride of approx. 7000 cyclists on closed roads). I still saw quite a few using them though. Not sure if they relaxed the rules or just weren't able to vet every bike crossing the start line?

I guess the advice is be aware that you may not be able to use them if you enter any group rides.

 

[Scoosh]

Can be comfortable, very good to use.


[well, someone had to do it ]

 

[on the road]

They're not dangerous in traffic providing you know when to switch from the aero position to the handle bars, after all, TT's are often on busy roads, I've used them on busy roads and not had a problem.

If you've not use them before then takes a bit getting used to, and if you're thinking of TTing with them for the first time then you might want to use them a couple of rides before to get used to them. When I used them for the first time I found that I was having to make minor adjustments on the first couple of rides, you have to go by the way they feel.

 

[black'n'yellow]

outside of TTs or Tris, most people I see on aero bars seem to be absolutely clueless. Riding uphill at 10mph in an aero-tuck is just ridiculous....

 

[lukesdad]

Very useful ! I hang my washing on mine.

 

[marzjennings]

Very useful, but comfort can take some time. To really make the most of them you want to be as low as possible and that position can take a while for your body to adjust to. For me that was about 2 months of regular rides.

 

[brandon]

thanks for all the great comments i really appreciate it

 

[Garz]

outside of TTs or Tris, most people I see on aero bars seem to be absolutely clueless. Riding uphill at 10mph in an aero-tuck is just ridiculous....

I stuck my ones on the turbo to see if they offered more grip positions and could get used to riding in that position. My conclusion is that they are there to shave off time aerodynamically and were rather uncomfortable. As Mr b'n y has highlighted, they belong on bikes to do a TT on and should not be used otherwise (unless you find them comfortable - however they are adding weight).

 

[Deanno1dad]

Can be comfortable, very good to use.
View attachment 9898

[well, someone had to do it ]

I prefer the Minty ones!

 

[Nebulous]

I've an Allez as a jack-of-all-trades bike, and am pretty happy with it. However I started doing club TTs last year and progress has been very modest. Initially I was determined it wasn't about the bike and as long as I was improving on my own time I would be happy. However just about everybody else uses bars, and I think it would give me a better comparison if I was as well. So I think I'm just about to cave and buy some!

 

[Nebulous]

Well I bought aero bars in the Edinburgh bike sale, fitted them and had a go last night. I'm not sure how much difference they made speedwise, but I definitely felt less stable, and the position felt strange. It felt as though I was using my quads more than usual.

I'm supposed to have a confined TT tonight, but even that wont give me an accurate comparison, as our regular course is closed due to road repairs.