TT Bars

gtvlusso

Any of you guys use TT bars for commuting?

Seen a few hybrids (no racing bikes) with them and wondered if they made any difference? I used to use them on both my TT bikes, but only for racing and triathlon...the bikes were low drag, head on the front wheel geometry as you'd expect. But was not sure if there was any advantage in terms of drag or comfort on a hybrid.

itboffin

I've seen plenty of them on the London commute, there's even one guy that wears rolled up jeans wearing a full aero helmet, i assumed it was some kind of dare until I saw him again.

N u t t e r

cjcp

No chance - I like to be able to reach the brakes quickly.

notsoblue

cjcp wrote:

No chance - I like to be able to reach the brakes quickly.

This... Total overkill for any commute I'd do in London. I'd never be able to use them safely.

EKE_38BPM

Don't worry about stopping, just jump the lights!

kelsen

Really don't see the point. The chances of finding a clear stretch of road to use them properly are unlikely. All they serve to do is make you a target for everyone else to overtake.

asprilla

I use clip on ones sometimes, generally in the run up to tri season, since my commuter is also my tri bike and I need to get used to the position again.

I only actually use them during the less busy parts of my commute though,

Gussio

Seen a chap on the NKR with a blue steel Kona MTB frame, kitted out with tri-bars. He is pretty quick, but haven't spotted him for a few months. Not something that appeals to me.

Greg T

They are useful for IDing someone who doesn't know what they are doing - give them a wide bearth and don't let them draft you . . .

CiB

Yeah I do in the summer occasionally. No traffic and long straight smooth roads on this commute make for ideal conditions. It knocks a good chunk off my time too if I make full use of them.

In my mind the kids waiting for the school bus are agog at seeing Cav blasting through their village at 10 to 8, but in their world they probably just see a bloke on a bike.

Greg T

CiB wrote:

In my mind the kids waiting for the school bus are agog at seeing Cav blasting through their village at 10 to 8, but in their world they probably just see a bloke on a bike.

You should shout at them as you go by - tell them what to think.

I'm CAV

CAV

FAST

I'm CAV - LINE - POWER - SCORE

I hope your no handed finger in the air salute is up to muster . . if not see you in A and E.

Blue Meanie

Quite popular in Holland, stadfiets with tri-bars, and still amusing.
Save 'em for TT's, or prep training...

EKE_38BPM

CiB wrote:

Yeah I do in the summer occasionally. No traffic and long straight smooth roads on this commute make for ideal conditions. It knocks a good chunk off my time too if I make full use of them.

In my mind the kids waiting for the school bus are agog at seeing Cav blasting through their village at 10 to 8, but in their world they probably just see a bloke on a bike.

Is that 10 - 8 mph or kph?

The Rookie

I regularily see a guy using TT bars, on a rough country lane - must be mad!

Simon

gtvlusso

personally - I cannot see the benefit....have seen a few 'brids with them fitted, even the expensive carbon jobbies.....on a 9kg+ bike, does it matter?!

nation

gtvlusso wrote:

personally - I cannot see the benefit....have seen a few 'brids with them fitted, even the expensive carbon jobbies.....on a 9kg+ bike, does it matter?!

Once you're rolling air resistance is far more of an issue than weight.

Not that I'd use tri bars on the road.

iPete

Have just fitted Tri-bars to my roadie.

I'll only be able to use them safely on 3-4 miles of road of 17. Looking forward to the added target on my back in the city, although the pannier bags might confuse people I'll have to rename it the Time Tourer.

Pain in the arse trying to work out mounting points, looking forward to trying to read my computer mounted sideways on the stem :?

sketchley

kelsen wrote:

Really don't see the point. The chances of finding a clear stretch of road to use them properly are unlikely. All they serve to do is make you a target for everyone else to overtake.

This.

If I see someone with TT bars on I just chase them down, more so if they are using them. I'd like to think being scalped by a fat bloke on a hybrid would tell them all they need to know! I do not think I've met a proper quick rider using aero bars on London Commute, make of that what you will.

iPete

Sketchley wrote:

kelsen wrote:

Really don't see the point. The chances of finding a clear stretch of road to use them properly are unlikely. All they serve to do is make you a target for everyone else to overtake.

This.

If I see someone with TT bars on I just chase them down, more so if they are using them. I'd like to think being scalped by a fat bloke on a hybrid would tell them all they need to know! I do not think I've met a proper quick rider using aero bars on London Commute, make of that what you will.

Maybe you should try doing a triathlon and then come back.

You'll quickly realise that people are probably using them to get used to them, get comfortable and sort out technique. They probably aren't in SCR mode but putting in the base miles and conserving the legs for running/swimming/gym sessions.

CiB

Sketchley wrote:

kelsen wrote:

Really don't see the point. The chances of finding a clear stretch of road to use them properly are unlikely. All they serve to do is make you a target for everyone else to overtake.

This.

If I see someone with TT bars on I just chase them down, more so if they are using them. I'd like to think being scalped by a fat bloke on a hybrid would tell them all they need to know! I do not think I've met a proper quick rider using aero bars on London Commute, make of that what you will.

Pffft. Pish & tosh. On this logic, anyone who's carrying a bit too much weight, probably drinks a bit more than is sensible and will never light the world of club racing up with his lack of speed [hello everyone ] should stick to cast iron Grandad bikes then, instead of having a nice bit of carbon to ride and occasionally sticking the tri-bars on. Since when did we have to be Lance or better to be allowed to aim for something that's well out of our reach? Since when did BR FMs develop this snotty 'ha look at that tw@t riding a nice bike even though he's obviously not good enough for it' attitude?

I'm going to fit mine back on tonight and enjoy the 6 mile straight empty road from Winslow to Calvert via Botolph Claydon tomorrow morning, happy in the knowledge that I'll be a) quicker than I normally am, and b) making some of you spit with anger at the thought of someone who's actually not that good enjoying the ride in for its own merits, and not because I want to make World + Dog think I'm a TDF rider. Except when I get to the bus stop in Calvert obviously where the kids there obviously must imagine that I'm Cav, ripping the tarmac up as I go through.

:roll:

SimonAH

Excuse me for being daft - but can one not get milimetrically close to a Tri bar position on correctly adjusted bullhorns? And be left with way more leverage and control when required?

I always wondered if Tri bars weren't more of a fashion statement? Don't see a lot of bikes running them on the TDF or the PR?? (OK, OK, I know, different discipline but.....)

CiB

Bars are banned for most group / mass-start rides, which is why you don't see them on the Tour etc. Lemond famously used them on the TDF final day TT into Paris a few years ago and made up enough time on Fignon to win the thing, and from pers experience I know they improve the aerodymnamic position substantially. It's swings & roundabouts - what you gain in that aspect you lose in terms of amplified steering input & the brakes suddenly being an arm move away instead of at the finger tips.

vorsprung

My old audax bike had clip on tribars, Campagnolo gears, Brooks B17, a 23 litre saddle bag, mudguards and 28mm tyres.

The tribars with this setup are worth 1 or 2kph at speeds of 30kph compared to drops. They are great into a headwind. Also the way I had it set up, resting the forearms on pipe lagging, the tribars were great over bumpy ground.

Blog article about my old bikes tribars: http://audaxing.wordpress.com/2010/09/0 ... andlebars/

I commuted on it a couple of times but it was my best bike, I didn't want to leave it hanging around at work.

On my commute there is about 3 miles of A road that might suit tribars. However, with cars overtaking I want as much control of the bike as possible so tribars are not good.

prawny

I'm thinking of getting some clip-ons for the summer, most of my commute is fast a road liek CiB so I reckon I could make significant time savings. If I was riding 10 miles into london I'd agree but mines 20 miles so I could do with speeding it up.

They'll look cack, but I don't care, I wan't to get home and see my kids.

I did consider a proper TT bike for commuting on, but the shifters being on the extensions would be a ball ache for the last few miles into brum and I can't afford Di2.

CiB

So. I stuck em back on last night, a pair of Iron Man carbon TT bars. Net result was a 2, 3, 4mph gain in most places. Where I'd normally be expecting to be in the high teens the speedo is showing low 20s; the bits where I push for 30 I'm seeing 33-34 instead. Descents that run straight into a climb see the speed retained for longer.

Most noticeable is that if I move the hands from full tuck on the TT bars to down on the drops the increase in wind resistance is noticeably huge. Conversely dropping back to full tuck instantly adds 1-2 mph on with no effort.

And the bends are more fun too. Given that he bike goes where your eyes are there's not much steering to be done as it's mostly leaning, but there's a lot of pleasure in swooping round open bends down on the tri-bars. Remember fun & pleasure? IIRC that's what this cycling lark is meant to be about.

Upshot - 5 mins off my normal winter commute time (about 20.5 miles), and big increase in the fun factor. Downsides? They do look stupid, add to the bulk of the bike and they get in the way of the gear cables out of the levers. And it really is an effort to keep looking up for tractors, girls on horses, Blind Stan in his old Land Rover etc. I reckon they'll be off by Sunday TBH. Fun though. Worth it for that & the speed increase.