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Clip on Aero bars for Sprint focused racing?
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 2015-04-14 6:55 PM |
 538   Brooklyn, New York |  Subject: Clip on Aero bars for Sprint focused racing?Like the subject says: No budget for 2 bikes. Current road bike gets much of it's work on road city cycling. Occasional climbing. This is my first full year of sprint focused races and plan on staying at the sprint distances and trying to get faster. Is it worth getting the clip ons? I have, at times, leaned forward across my handlebars in that aero position to lean on my elbows and stretch my back out when opportunity arises (long stretches of clear road in training and in races) and kind of like it. Feel free to chime in on whether it's worth it for me Thanks |
| 2015-04-14 7:56 PM in reply to: TJHammer |
Regular 108 | Subject: RE: Clip on Aero bars for Sprint focused racing? It's a natural progression. I did the same thing before I got my tri bike. I went with the Jammer GT Aerobars and have been quite satisfied. Try and evision how you would like your hands positioned when extended and aero. My selection allows for my wrists to be angled. Some bars force the wrists to be less angled. It's personal preference, but no matter what you go with it will give you more options when riding. |
| 2015-04-14 8:14 PM in reply to: TJHammer |
Master 10208 Northern IL | Subject: RE: Clip on Aero bars for Sprint focused racing? I put a pair of draft legal shorty bars on and they've been nice. Makes that relaxed position described a bit nicer and the bars are notably less intrusive than a set of longer ones were. These tend to be meant to work with the road position more so than others. |
| 2015-04-14 8:39 PM in reply to: 0 |
Master 3888  Overland Park, KS | Subject: RE: Clip on Aero bars for Sprint focused racing? For some low cost aluminum aerobars you will get some "free" speed. How much depends on your precise position and any other adjustments you make. I raced on a road bike with clip-ons for my first 5 seasons. In my second year I got fit with the aerobars in a TT position so my traditional road position was put on the shelf. What I did was train/race with aerobars and just removed them for group rides. I simply left the Fast Forward seatpost and longer stem on the road bike so my road position was not optimum. It essentially becomes a compromise between the two. You can be fast on a roadie with aerobars but you must work on the engine to get there. I was finally able to pull the trigger on a tri bike a few months ago. Edited by reecealan 2015-04-14 8:41 PM |
| 2015-04-14 9:47 PM in reply to: 0 |
| 538 Brooklyn, New York | Subject: RE: Clip on Aero bars for Sprint focused racing? Thanks for the input. Rest assured, the engine mattering most I am committed to. The hand position I seem to gravitate to while leaning across my handlebars is neutral with palms inward, thumbs mostly pointed up. The common aero position I suppose. Definitely not straight forward with the thumbs though. What I should've thrown in my OP is the concern for messing with a pretty aggressive and successful road bike fit I am running. I've since changed the stem, rid of spacers and can really hammer away in the drops and I continue to improve in that respect. With most of my overall riding done road, can I get away with shorty bars and not mess with my road fit? I am very flexible in my lower back and legs and find stretching actually a relief when I attempt to get aero across the current bars. Yes, I shift slightly forward when doing so, but not so much that everything goes numbly painful in the nether regions. I remember reading a thread once where changing the road bike fit to the clip-ons was debated. Shane, I believe, was against it, but don't quote me. And I can't seem to relocate that thread *Those Profile Jammer GTs are short style no? Edited by TJHammer 2015-04-14 9:50 PM |
| 2015-04-15 5:47 AM in reply to: TJHammer |
| 1300 | Subject: RE: Clip on Aero bars for Sprint focused racing? Definitely worth it IMO ! When I first switched to them I saw a 1-2 mph gain. Riding my road bike with clip ons over the last few years I have been able to get it to an extremely comfortable set up. I'm sure it's not the most optimal position but i enjoy it. |
| 2015-04-15 6:39 AM in reply to: Goggles Pizzano |
| 409 Durham, North Carolina | Subject: RE: Clip on Aero bars for Sprint focused racing? Thats what I did and I loved it until I got my tri bike. I would have stuck with it too, but it was my first bike and a little too big. When the wife let me upgrade I just went straight to a tri bike. |
| 2015-04-15 8:53 AM in reply to: TJHammer |
| 467 , Wisconsin | Subject: RE: Clip on Aero bars for Sprint focused racing? The first set I tried didn't work well as they put me so far forward (pads couldn't be adjusted backwards at all). I just ordered a set of Profile Designs barely used T1+ that will allow me to move the pads back if needed. They also have the ski bend which I think will work better for me than the S bend did. I'm looking forward to trying them as soon as they get here. The consensus seems to be that staying in that position correctly will get somewhere from 1-2mph which is pretty significant. The fact that you are flexible in your back will help you a lot . . . |
| 2015-04-15 9:16 AM in reply to: TJHammer |
Pro 6582 Melbourne FL Gold member | Subject: RE: Clip on Aero bars for Sprint focused racing? Search on line for the right aerobar for a road bike, adjustability is what you want. Since you are flexible also take a look at a sea tpost that can be flipped. This will help a bit more to move you forward a bit for comfort, but may make the handling more twitchy. I recall there was a newer seat post in the past year or so that allowed easy adjustment of the seat position, can't find it though. Although not optimum aero wise vs a well setup tribike, you can get decent improvements. If you haven't seen this yet take a read through this article comparing aero savings for multiple road bike setups to tribike setups. |
| 2015-04-15 9:27 AM in reply to: Donto |
| 538 Brooklyn, New York | Subject: RE: Clip on Aero bars for Sprint focused racing? Originally posted by Donto Search on line for the right aerobar for a road bike, adjustability is what you want. Since you are flexible also take a look at a sea tpost that can be flipped. This will help a bit more to move you forward a bit for comfort, but may make the handling more twitchy. I recall there was a newer seat post in the past year or so that allowed easy adjustment of the seat position, can't find it though. Although not optimum aero wise vs a well setup tribike, you can get decent improvements. If you haven't seen this yet take a read through this article comparing aero savings for multiple road bike setups to tribike setups. Thanks for the link, I'll read up. Considering I don't want to mess with my roadie setup, it seems that GT Jammers are the compact way to go. Should allow me to place my weight over the bar rather than leaning too far forward and killing the stiff handling I enjoy about my road bike. There's no doubt, that if I like this, getting moments of lower back, tricep and lat muscle relief before hitting the run should help my runs as well. Even at 10-15 miles of sprinting in the drops, I am relatively muscular and my upper body gets pumped and a little tight as a result. I simply don't have the time to "re-loosen" up in the run in sprint events |
| 2015-04-15 10:20 AM in reply to: TJHammer |
Extreme Veteran 2261 Ridgeland, Mississippi | Subject: RE: Clip on Aero bars for Sprint focused racing? I bought my Venge for the purpose of using it as my TT bike as well for racing. I tried both full sized clip on aero bars and mini TT bars, and the mini bars work great for me. I got the low TT position I was looking for, and I don't have to touch my saddle's height or position at all to make it work. Just throw them on and go. |
| 2015-04-15 11:21 AM in reply to: 0 |
| 538 Brooklyn, New York | Subject: RE: Clip on Aero bars for Sprint focused racing? Originally posted by msteiner I bought my Venge for the purpose of using it as my TT bike as well for racing. I tried both full sized clip on aero bars and mini TT bars, and the mini bars work great for me. I got the low TT position I was looking for, and I don't have to touch my saddle's height or position at all to make it work. Just throw them on and go Further good news. Just ordered the Profile Jammer. Re post that pic, it's not coming through. Love to see it Thanks again everyone Edited by TJHammer 2015-04-15 11:21 AM |
| 2015-04-15 1:58 PM in reply to: 0 |
Extreme Veteran 2261 Ridgeland, Mississippi | Subject: RE: Clip on Aero bars for Sprint focused racing? Let's try it this way. Image is attached. Edited by msteiner 2015-04-15 1:58 PM Attachments ---------------- received_10101533346767846.jpeg (94KB - 40 downloads) |
| 2015-04-21 9:23 AM in reply to: msteiner |
| 538 Brooklyn, New York | Subject: RE: Clip on Aero bars for Sprint focused racing? *Update So, this past Saturday the GT Jammers came in and I spent several hours fussing with the myriad of positions even these short style bars can accommodate. Once settled on a position I rode a bit and video taped to be sure. I had a mini sprint tri the following day with a flat short bike course, which I spent 85% of my time doing in the aero position. The fact that those bars can be put on without altering my road fit is fantastic. I was the fastest I've ever been on any short flat ride (race or training wise) with those bars. And (yes, I know it was short course) my arms and back were completely loose after hammering away. THANKS A MILLION for the advice here. Those bars are on to stay! TJ |
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