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Road Bike with Aerobars
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What advise can the ST community provide about taking a road bike frame and creating a aerobar triathlon bike. The interest is not to simply clamp on aerobars but to use the bike as a triathlon specific machine.

Why you ask, not get an aero specific bike? I am interested in titanium and if I can convert a road bike the options are much broader.

I am already thinking forward seatpost but is that all. Please chime in. Thanks.
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Re: Road Bike with Aerobars [digitalfitness] [ In reply to ]
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Taking an S5, Venge, Foil, Noah, or other aero road bike and slapping on aerobars is frequently done.
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Re: Road Bike with Aerobars [digitalfitness] [ In reply to ]
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This was discussed very recently here, do a search - there's a LOT of info on the site for this sort of conversion.

to summarize:

1. On a road frame that fits you, once you get forward on the seat you'll either run out of handlebar from the short top tube or the bike will handle poorly from all that weight on the front end.
2. Depending on the frame, you might have some difficulty getting the bars low enough up front for good position.
3. No matter what else you change, you'll likely give up time from the frame not being as aero.

If you have the option, get a used tri frame / bike. If you're set on Ti, I'd suggest hunting for a used Litespeed Saber or Tachyon. It still won't be all that aero, but the geometry will be "right."
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Re: Road Bike with Aerobars [digitalfitness] [ In reply to ]
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What you propose was a "triathlon bike" for many, if not most people well into the 90's. Shoving the seat forward may affect handling, or may not. The top tube may be too long or maybe not.

Having done this in the 80's and 90's, my personal opinion is that road bikes should be ridden as rode bikes and tri-bikes ridden as tri-bikes.
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Re: Road Bike with Aerobars [benjpi] [ In reply to ]
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Can you possibly post any links? I must be doing something wrong because when I use the search on this site, it just lists the same post be different replies over and over.
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Re: Road Bike with Aerobars [digitalfitness] [ In reply to ]
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Trained on this last year and rode IMC on it. Front end complete change, forward seat post, tri saddle and cages, aero wheels.

The big issue is that the headtube on a road bike is usually too tall to permit an aggressive aero position.
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Re: Road Bike with Aerobars [digitalfitness] [ In reply to ]
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digitalfitness wrote:
Can you possibly post any links? I must be doing something wrong because when I use the search on this site, it just lists the same post be different replies over and over.


Search on this site is garbage. Your best bet is to just use google to search the site.

Here's a link:

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...rum.cgi?post=4572112
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