Comments on my Road Bike with Aero Bars and My Aero Positon

What aerobars do you have?  Can you slide them back in the mounts so they are not so far in front of your drop bars?

There is a group of fitters that believe the back of your elbow should be directly below the front of your shoulder.  This is a bit more stretched out, but keeps my knees from banging my elbows.

I do plan to go for a full fitting when I get back from my trip.  Maybe you should look for a good local fitter and spend an hour or two with him. 

First, I'd suggest finding a fitter that can help you. Second, if there's not one nearby or if it's not in the budget then there are some things you can do yourself.

If you're getting aches in your shoulders then you might be too stretched out. A shorter stem would help. The stem that came with your bike is probably a standard size for your size bike which uses the geometry to set it up as a road bike, not a tri bike. A shorter stem would bring the handlebars closer to you which would enable you to rest your forearms on the pads, not your elbows. Also, a stem with a greater angle will bring everything up, a lot of it depends on how flexible you are.

Also, what's the position of your seat in the rails? Is it in the middle, front, or back? Moving your seat forward will also change your position. Moving the seat position might mean that you have to change your seat height but try it out first before moving your seat up or down, especially if you're not having any knee pain.

If you can't see a fit specialist then I'd try this first but one thing at a time so you can better narrow down what works. If you have any more questions let us know!

Mindy