Clip on Aero Bars

WGD

I'm going to be taking part in the Aix en Provence 70.3 in September this year which will be my first ever non-sprint triathlon. As a complete rookie I'll not be splashing out on a TT bike but was wondering about clip on aero bars for my Pinarello Prince FX and figured I should probably get them sooner rather than later so I can get used to them and train with them.

After reading a lot of stuff online, it appears that aero bars seem to make a BIG difference. My main questions are:

1. Are clip on bars going to make a large difference on a rolling course? (1,200m of climbing over 90km)
2. Any buying advice for a first pair of aero bars? What sort of things should I be considering (budget, material, weight)?
3. Should I be considering tweaks to my bike set up: saddle height/position etc.

Many thanks in advance!

imposter2.0

1. Clips ons will make a difference anywhere on the course where you need to get aero. So anywhere on the flat or downhill, they will - in theory - give you a better position.
2. Budget is down to you, material is likely to be alu as carbon is unlikely to offer any significant benefit, performance or otherwise. Weight differences will be negligible anyway.
3. You won't know until you fit the aero bars. Stem height might need to go up or down, forward or back, but I would avoid any changes to things like saddle height, especially before a target event.

WGD

Thanks a lot @imposter2.0!

I've noticed that there are a lot of different shapes and styles to the aero bars, is there any particular style that is less aggressive than others or just a case of seeing what feels good?

I'm also sensing that the second hand market might be a good place to try some of these out...

imposter2.0

WGD said:

Thanks a lot @imposter2.0!

I've noticed that there are a lot of different shapes and styles to the aero bars, is there any particular style that is less aggressive than others or just a case of seeing what feels good?

I'm also sensing that the second hand market might be a good place to try some of these out...

Second hand bars can be had quite cheaply on ebay - and there's 'S'-bend, 'J' bend (skis), flat extensions and various other combos which all feel pretty different and all give you a potentially different aero position - and importantly for comfort reasons - a different hand position.

Skis might be a good place to start - and if you don't have some already, I'd get a couple of different stems (longer & shorter) to experiment with.

Have fun

WGD

Thanks so much, this advice is invaluable!

Have a great rest of your day

singleton

I went through the same thought process when I did my first 70.3 at wimbleball in 2015.
Agree with what's been written above - you won't really know what shape you need until you try them, but rather than just buying at random, it might be worth propping your bike up, sitting on it and getting your forearms down onto your bar tops and experimenting with different hand positions. How flexible are your wrists etc?
Personally I found S-bend to be good for me.

whyamihere

One note of caution - Check that your current handlebar supports clip-on aero bars. Aluminium bars with a decent length round section near the stem should be fine, but some carbon bars aren't designed to have clip-ons attached and some aero bars don't have enough space either side of the stem to fit them.

MattFalle

yes they will make a big difference - surprisingly so once you get used to them

material is up to your budget

shape is up to ypur comfort level/aesthetic desire

when i used to use them for duathlons all i'd do is slam the seat forward - totally unscientific but seemed to work

Remember to use them for long training rides folliwed by runs so you don't get off the bike then fallover because your legs have been in a weird position for too long...

WGD

Thanks for the help everyone!

Have lined up a couple of 2nd hand S bend and J bend contenders and will see how these go...

Interesting point about the compatibility with aero bars - I have Most (Pinarello own brand) alu aero bars and I'm hoping that there is enough circular clearance either side of the stem. As the Garmin out-front mount currently works, I'm hopeful!

Definitely will be doing a few long brick sessions with each type and see how I go. Would rather figure this out in March than September...!

Thanks for all the help and advice!

lakesluddite

You'll only need about 10-15mm each side of the stem to fit them, so as long as you have that then you should be fine. I did this for my first few triathlons and it works fine, even used them in the Helvellyn tri last year and was surprised how much I used them on a hilly course. I'd advise using them on quite a few training rides, take appropriate hex keys and make adjustments as you go. You might even consider tilting your saddle down a fraction just to take the pressure of when in the aero position, or even consider getting a shorter saddle that is designed to be used in a more aggressive position.
Try and go for the elbow rests that attach horizontally (ie the bolt goes from under the bars, not behind them) as you can usually find risers that will enable you to lift them higher off the handlebars if you need this for comfort.

thistle_

1. Yes. You'll get aero benefit but I find it's nice to just have another position to ride in rather than being on the drops for hours.
2. If you don't know what shape/length you want then either borrow some, or get a cheap pair (maybe second hand) then if it's wrong it doesn't matter and you know what to try next.

MattFalle

Thinking back, the first pair I had were some jeffy big "u" shaped ones from Decathlon that looked jeffy and were huge so i just rode with them until i found the length i wanted and the excess off, hit it with a hammer, set fire to it and lobbed it into next door's garden.

bit of spare handlebar tape and booooooooom - custom fitted aero bars, ya.......