I'm planning on doing my first triathlon in a month and I've already been doing the roadbike thing for a while. What I want to know is if it would be a wise investment to buy aerobars now, or if I should wait until after the tri to see if I like it or not. I'm sure that I can do well, but I don't know how much I'll be handicapped without the aerobars. Btw, it's a sprint distance triathlon, about 11-12 miles ride.

Thanks for the advice.

but the most important one for now is the distance of the race.

For the 10-12 mile bike and in your situation, no the bars would not be worth it. Unless you think you will be in the top 10 or so out of the water, you will most likely be hindered by aerobars. Here is why.

Picture this, you come out of the water with 50 swimmers in front of you. You, being much more gifted as a cyclist, will be passing most of those swimmers once on the bike course.

Weaving in and out of all those folks would be better suited for drops as opposed to an aero tuck.

Now, once you complete the race, you will be ready to do another. So, yes, buy the bar, but have it ready for next season.

but the most important one for now is the distance of the race.

For the 10-12 mile bike and in your situation, no the bars would not be worth it. Unless you think you will be in the top 10 or so out of the water, you will most likely be hindered by aerobars. Here is why.

Picture this, you come out of the water with 50 swimmers in front of you. You, being much more gifted as a cyclist, will be passing most of those swimmers once on the bike course.

Weaving in and out of all those folks would be better suited for drops as opposed to an aero tuck.

Now, once you complete the race, you will be ready to do another. So, yes, buy the bar, but have it ready for next season.

Thanks for the advice. I

Interesting. I never thought about people being obstacles like that.

I actually plan on being one of the first 10 people out of the water. My swim is the best event, and running is my worst. I want the biggest lead I can get heading into the run, so I need to get as much as I can out of the first two events.

Another thing to point out is that I've got a significantly "wider" upper body than most other triathletes from swimming and the weight room. I catch a lot of air when I ride. I'm sure that I'll benefit from the aerobars because of this, but I'm not sure by how much on this shorter ride. If the improvement is on the order of 30 seconds, I might not feel as if it's worth it. If it's 2 or 3 minutes, that's pretty big.

I decided to look at some numbers and I think i's worth it. Is you're a 25 mph rider over that distance on drop bars, and you can knock off 10 - 15 % of your frontal area, you should gain between 1 - 2 minutes or around 0.8 -1+ mph,

Assumption : 0.9 CD
frontal area from 0.4 m2 reducing to 0.35 m2.
Initial speed = 25mph with drops.
Power remains the same about 340W.

Personally, I gained 0.5 mph over 40 miles by going to aero, but I am probably significantly slower.

My numbers may be total c r a p so take with a pinch of salt.

If you want to use the aerobars in a tri event in a month, get the bars on the bike TODAY. It takes awhile to adapt to The Position. I made a mistake of going straight to a low aero position the first day I got the bars. My back explained to me the big mistake I made. The next day I rasied the bars back up a little and opened them up a little and my back said thank you. Then I made minor 1/4" changes each week over the next few weeks until I had the bars low where they belong and the elbows tucked in.

You will need at least a month to get use to riding on the bars and a couple of months or more to get to peak form on the bars. Don't put the bars on for the first time the day before the event and expect them to help.

I noticed the wide upper body. Work on tucking your shoulders in when on the bars. Roll your shoulder inward and upward when looking in the mirror and see how it effects your frontal profile. Get use to holding that position when riding on the bars. it's a little awkward and can be even painful at first.

I decided to look at some numbers and I think i's worth it. Is you're a 25 mph rider over that distance on drop bars, and you can knock off 10 - 15 % of your frontal area, you should gain between 1 - 2 minutes or around 0.8 -1+ mph,

Assumption : 0.9 CD
frontal area from 0.4 m2 reducing to 0.35 m2.
Initial speed = 25mph with drops.
Power remains the same about 340W.

Personally, I gained 0.5 mph over 40 miles by going to aero, but I am probably significantly slower.

My numbers may be total c r a p so take with a pinch of salt.

A properly set up bike with aerobars (and a rider who has adapted to the position) is going to give you at least 0.5 mph, perhaps as much as 1 mph. Plus, the position can be easier on the arms/hands in a long TT.

Get the aerobars. If you've been riding for a while, I don't think it will take you more than a few rides to get used to them. And the advantage you'll gain by keeping your upper body relaxed is going to be very, very obvious to you after your first aero-tacular brick workout. As for aerodynamic position, that can come with time.

One thing to keep in mind: When you're setting up your bars and establishing your new position, you're looking for a balance between comfort and positioning --unlike a pure road TT, you have to get off and run run run.

I found this site really helpful with my set-up:

http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/bikes/karma.shtml

Sounds like I should get the bars.

Now I'm looking at the prices and I'm weighing the 100 bucks it costs to the extra 1 mph I could gain. I guess I should have mentioned this first, but I'm trying not to spend much on the bike anymore. I've overspent the student budget easily this year w/new bike+everything that comes with it.

Any tips on saving some money here (best bang for the buck aerobars)?

I'm thinking Syntace C2 because of the light weight and good design and if it comes down to it, I don't want to spend money on something I'll always hate using.

Btw, thanks again.

Sounds like I should get the bars.

Now I'm looking at the prices and I'm weighing the 100 bucks it costs to the extra 1 mph I could gain. I guess I should have mentioned this first, but I'm trying not to spend much on the bike anymore. I've overspent the student budget easily this year w/new bike+everything that comes with it.

Any tips on saving some money here (best bang for the buck aerobars)?

I'm thinking Syntace C2 because of the light weight and good design and if it comes down to it, I don't want to spend money on something I'll always hate using.

Btw, thanks again.


I have seen new Profile Century's go for less than $49.00 at Nashbar. They are non-adjustable, but that also keeps the weight down.

There is always ebay. I have purchased a couple sets of Scott's at reasonable prices, 30-50. Go for the black set with the big armrests. Again, not adjustable, so be sure you buy the right size, small, med or large.

I may have a set around, I will look through the parts box and see what I can come up with. Contact me off-line at wallygrooms@hotmail.com if you are interested.