Aero bar/stem/combos

neeb

'Tis said that much of the drag reduction benefit of aero bikes comes from the front end, specifically the "cockpit", i.e. bars, stem, cables etc.

But how much of this is down to 1) aero profile of the bars themselves, i.e. round vs. broad and flat on the top, 2) integration of the bars and stem, i.e. 2-piece bar and stem combis vs. integrated bar/stem units, 3) cable / gps mount / junction box etc tidying.. ?

Thinking about a bar upgrade for aero benefits (and retail therapy - it'll make my old aero-ish bike look a bit more up-to-date).

Seem to be limited by my preference for narrow (38cm) bars.

This would be a perfect fit and good value, but do those flat tops really do much on their own in terms of drag reduction?
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/prime-primaver ... handlebar/

Then, for an arm and a leg, there is this - looks the biz. But the profile of the bars themselves is still fairly oval/round. Does the integration trump that aerodynamically however?
https://blackinc.cc/product/integrated-barstem/

redvision

neeb wrote:

'Tis said that much of the drag reduction benefit of aero bikes comes from the front end, specifically the "cockpit", i.e. bars, stem, cables etc.

Very true apparently.
Think it was cycling weekly who said that if you fit the specialized tarmac with an integrated stem and aero bars you half the aerodynamic gap to the new venge.

Bar width, shape and internal cable routing seems to offer significant aero gains.

fenix

Get them if you fancy them - but in the real world - it won't make any difference.

Get a photo of you head on on your bike - the bike is a tiny bit of the wind resistance.

neeb

Fenix wrote:

Get them if you fancy them - but in the real world - it won't make any difference.

Yeah, probably.. Although you could say the same more or less for all equipment-related aero benefits that aren't actually designed to change your body positon (like a TT setup). Wheels, aero frames, etc.

The figures that get quoted in the marketing bumph for aero frames seem incredible to me - 10-20 watts or whatever at 40kph for an aero frame alone..? Obviously these tests (and assumption made) will be tweaked to show the equipment in the best light but, even if it's only 5-10w that's very significant.

Would be useful to have some objective data for relative drag savings of wheels vs. bars/cockpit vs. frame tube profiles (including dropped seatstays etc).

But yes, no doubt that the most aero bars for me are going to be the ones that make it most comfortable for me to get my forearms flat..

fenix

Dont forget that going too low or too narrow could reduce your power output. It's not as simple as slamming the stem and choosing narrow bars.

shirley_basso

I never go above 40kph on the road unless downhill.

What's the point?

Unless looks, in which case splurge away.

bobones

I'm interested in these too, but purely for aesthetic reasons. Does anyone have any recommendations or warnings about Chinese offerings from eBay such as these Canyon copies?

neeb

I think that's one area of the bike where I'd steer clear of Chinese copies.. You just have no way of knowing (other than heresay) whether the manufacture and quality control is up to spec. It might be just as good as the stuff from international brands but you don't have the backup of the brand's reputation and UK/EU safety standards to reassure you of that. If bars or stem fail suddenly you have a high chance of death or life-changing injury. I'd take the risk with a saddle. seatpost or even a frame sans forks, but not with stem, bars, steerer or forks..

joey54321

if you really want to get an aero front end:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGil15gHDEk

FWIW Deda sell 38cm outside-outside bars for ~£15

lesfirth

bobones wrote:

I'm interested in these too, but purely for aesthetic reasons. Does anyone have any recommendations or warnings about Chinese offerings from eBay such as these Canyon copies?

I bought a set of cheap E bay 200 g carbon bars. My thoughts were that if I try to break them and cant they are strong enough. If I can i have not lost much. Well I could not . I am not built like a gorilla and I know they will melt in the rain and I know that at some time in the near future they will turn to dust but I have them on two bikes now.
I also have a Uno alloy stem off Ebay . Weighs 95 gms and I can't break that either.

bobinski

I have the primavera bar on my TCR.
They work for me. Nice shape, comfortable flat tops
and look great.
Am I faster with them? Doubt it. But I like them and got them for £99 when wiggle dropped the price.

neeb

bobinski wrote:

I have the primavera bar on my TCR.
They work for me. Nice shape, comfortable flat tops
and look great.
Am I faster with them? Doubt it. But I like them and got them for £99 when wiggle dropped the price.

Actually I've just bought a pair of these. They look great, which probably means I'll ride 2 or 3 watts harder with them..

And I've just ordered one of these. Heavy, but the advantage of my other bike being a weenie machine is that I don't worry too much about weight on this one. And again, looks the D's Bs, which if I'm honest is mostly the point..
https://www.controltechbikes.com/products/item/208.html

N0bodyOfTheGoat

There's claims that aero bars might save up to ~7.5W at 40kph alone by Zipp, without fitting an aero stem or slamming the stem (which may lead to power loss over time due to discomfort).
https://machiine.com/2017/a-look-into-r ... ebarsstem/

Another power loss to think about up front and maybe dismiss is your GPS mount, one that sits above the stem compared to a front mount in-line with the stem losses ~8secs over 40Km according to Specialized...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emBR0gO ... e=youtu.be

I keep thinking about maybe treating my Cube to a carbon aero bar, more than anything for perhaps a bit more comfort. As my lower back has reminded me recently, I'm not likely to ever regularly ride a bike with a low front end and the frame's 610mm stack plus spacers hardly puts me in a Watt saving position!

darrell1967

Marginal gains.

cougie

Just wear longer socks...