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Beginner Triathlon

Tony S.

Aero Bar quesiton

asked almost 3 years ago | Report

Ok, this is another one of those "duh guy" questions I'm sure, but I'm new to this whole not cheapo mountain bike thing, so here goes. I'm looking at getting some clip-on aero bars for my new road bike, and my main question is: How the hell do you shift/break with these things? Do you have to get out of the aero position for this? You guys helped a ton with the clip-less pedal question so I think this is the right place to look for info :-) Thanks!

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  David N.

  I bought clip-on aero bars when I decided to do a couple of triathlons. I didn't do much homework on the project...just bought some from a local bike shop without asking any questions. I usually take one arm out of aero to shift but come all the way out of aero when braking. But, even with that inconvenience, it makes a significant difference in avg speed.

  Maybe others here can offer suggestions for brands/models that won't require you to get out of aero...that would be a nice feature to have.

  Also be aware that there is aero bar etiquette when riding in groups. Riding in aero position with a group is generally frowned upon. I usually ride with a few friends that have them also. The unspoken rule we follow is that you can ride aero while riding in front ("pulling") but that's it. When I join larger group rides I don't use them at all. And, on the occasional race-paced training ride with the hard-core roadies, I remove them from the bike.

  answered almost 3 years ago |Report

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  Darrel W.

  David N has it right... I ride a road bike with clip-ons, and simply move my hand over to shift. When braking, I'll just sit up and put both hands back on the road bars.
  For triathlons, one other modification I finally made was to use a Profile Fast Forward seatpost, which puts the saddle further forward, allowing for a better position when using the aerobars.

  For a LONG and informative article about the triathlon riding position, see the following link:
  http://www.slowtwitch.com/Bike_Fit/General_Fit_Articles/Tri_road_or_tweener__647.html

  Good luck!

  DW

  answered almost 3 years ago |Report

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