Q about aerobars

Ken C. M. said:

Last Saturday I was riding a paved trail and saw plenty on road bike
riders with aerobars and they were all riding faster than me. So the
questions are: Besides making the bike / rider system more aerodynamic
thus more efficient, are they more comfortable? Meaning do they help
take some pressure off the hands and wrists of the rider? Should I
consider some clip ons?

It depends...

A bike set up for competitive triathlon / time trialing will likely
have the bars very low, cranking the rider's upper body nearly
parallel to the ground. That position isn't about comfort (and often
isn't all that comfortable) but about aerodynamics.

OTOH, many find that aerobars take the weight off their arms (since
your upper body's weight is resting almost entirely on your nearly
vertical upper arms, requiring very little effort). They're popular
with ultra-distance riders for this reason., though they normally
don't set them up like a triathlete or time trialist, but ride them
higher, and with a shorter "cockpit length".

OTOH (or am I out of hands?) they are dangerous on a multi-use path
because they put your hands far away from the brake levers... it takes
a long time to move from "riding the aerobars" to braking, at least in
terms of "what can happen in that amount of time". If the paved path
you ride is "busy", you might find constantly moving to and from the
aerobars annoying.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame

Ken C. M. said:

Last Saturday I was riding a paved trail and saw plenty on road bike
riders with aerobars and they were all riding faster than me. So the
questions are: Besides making the bike / rider system more aerodynamic
thus more efficient, are they more comfortable? Meaning do they help
take some pressure off the hands and wrists of the rider? Should I
consider some clip ons?

In general it's less comfortable to ride with aero bars, although that
depends partly on how they're set up. The load is taken off your
hands and wrists, but a much greater load is placed on your elbows,
shoulders and back. A well set-up bike doesn't cause you to put very
much pressure on your hands anyway, so if that's a problem for you,
you should get your bike fit checked out.

Their major disadvantage is that they greatly reduce control of the
bike, which is why they're not used in group riding or racing, and why
they shouldn't be used on trails or paths, where sudden and precise
maneouvres may be needed. They're also useless extra weight when
you're climbing

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

Mark Hickey said:

Ken C. M. said:

Last Saturday I was riding a paved trail and saw plenty on road bike
riders with aerobars and they were all riding faster than me. So the
questions are: Besides making the bike / rider system more aerodynamic
thus more efficient, are they more comfortable? Meaning do they help
take some pressure off the hands and wrists of the rider? Should I
consider some clip ons?

It depends...

A bike set up for competitive triathlon / time trialing will likely
have the bars very low, cranking the rider's upper body nearly
parallel to the ground. That position isn't about comfort (and often
isn't all that comfortable) but about aerodynamics.

Yes I sort of noticed that. Some of the riders with aeros were very low,
with that flat parallel to the ground back, but some also had them
positioned somewhat higher.

Quoted message said:

OTOH, many find that aerobars take the weight off their arms (since
your upper body's weight is resting almost entirely on your nearly
vertical upper arms, requiring very little effort). They're popular
with ultra-distance riders for this reason., though they normally
don't set them up like a triathlete or time trialist, but ride them
higher, and with a shorter "cockpit length".

Well comfort on the regular drop bars isn't too bad, the only discomfort
I seem to have is with "riding the hoods" and it seems to me because I
have small hands and if I ride too long with my thumb positioned on the
inside of the hoods the part of my hand between the thumb and pointer
get a little sore.

Quoted message said:

OTOH (or am I out of hands?) they are dangerous on a multi-use path
because they put your hands far away from the brake levers... it takes
a long time to move from "riding the aerobars" to braking, at least in
terms of "what can happen in that amount of time". If the paved path
you ride is "busy", you might find constantly moving to and from the
aerobars annoying.

Yeah I thought of that too. Even moving from the bar top position to the
brakes takes too much time sometimes.

Ken
--
The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets
old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without
shocking the entire community. ~Ann Strong

Ken C. M. said:

Last Saturday I was riding a paved trail and saw plenty on road bike
riders with aerobars and they were all riding faster than me. So the
questions are: Besides making the bike / rider system more aerodynamic
thus more efficient, are they more comfortable?

If you like them, yes. If not, or if the ones in question provide a
poor riding layout, no.

Quoted message said:

Meaning do they help
take some pressure off the hands and wrists of the rider?

If properly affixed, they can move pressure from the wrists to a point
nearer the elbow. For some riders, this is a net load increase.

Quoted message said:

Should I
consider some clip ons?

As with most things on bikes, the key is to use what works for you.
If you've never tried aero bars, it's hard to say if you would love
them, loathe them, or (more likely) find that they had both advantages
and drawbacks which you would have to weigh for yourself.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Michael Warner said:

Ken C. M. said:

Last Saturday I was riding a paved trail and saw plenty on road bike
riders with aerobars and they were all riding faster than me. So the
questions are: Besides making the bike / rider system more aerodynamic
thus more efficient, are they more comfortable? Meaning do they help
take some pressure off the hands and wrists of the rider? Should I
consider some clip ons?

In general it's less comfortable to ride with aero bars, although that
depends partly on how they're set up. The load is taken off your
hands and wrists, but a much greater load is placed on your elbows,
shoulders and back. A well set-up bike doesn't cause you to put very
much pressure on your hands anyway, so if that's a problem for you,
you should get your bike fit checked out.

Well like I said the bike is the right size. I personally think the
issue with my hand discomfort on the hoods is because I have small
hands. Probably almost woman sized paws. But the brake hoods are
probably standard size. Perhaps a woman specific design, if there is
such a thing would be a better fit.

Quoted message said:

Their major disadvantage is that they greatly reduce control of the
bike, which is why they're not used in group riding or racing, and why
they shouldn't be used on trails or paths, where sudden and precise
maneouvres may be needed. They're also useless extra weight when
you're climbing

--
The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets
old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without
shocking the entire community. ~Ann Strong

I would think aerobars on an mtb would enhance the uphill ride. So extra
weight is no factor.
Trace has aerobars which I will get installed. No hurricane handles yet so
I think it will work out.