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So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar...
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http://www.morf-tech.com/

I figured I'd put my thoughts down while they're fresh in my mind.

Thomas Gerlach dropped Frank's (the inventor/owner) bike off last night. He rode it a bit yesterday and I'm sure he'll post his thoughts over here in due time. While fiddling with the bike last night, I have to be honest, I kept thinking "am I going to eat it the first time I use this thing?" My fears were unfounded.

Frank dropped by the house this morning and I had my Shiv out ready in anticipation of us going for a short ride through the neighborhood. Unfortunately we were beset with wet roads and fog so I just settled for riding up and down my own street (accidentally without a helmet no less in my excitement, lol).

So what was it like? It was solid. Within 100' I was getting in and out of aero like it was nothing. A few notes below:
  • The bars aren't going to accidentally "unlock" from the base bar position. You have to actuate two levers in order to get the bar to unlock. Just actuating one lever isn't enough to get the bar to unlock and just actuating one lever will not just release one side. The two sides are linked together.
  • The bars don't "lock" in the aero position. Your weight on the bars/pads is enough to hold you securely in aero. This has the added benefit of not having to "release" anything if you want to pivot back into the base bar position.
  • The bars are very adjustable from a tilt perspective as it's a round bar. Just rotate it in the stem! They are a fitter's dream in that you can use a standard stem to hit your desired stack/reach coordinates.
  • The bars make traveling super easy! Just extend the bars and pivot them down to be parallel with the fork (I'll post a pic later on).
  • I could actually see braking from the aero position being somewhat useful. There are plenty of races where I have to ride through a decent portion of the field and there are moments where all I need is to tap the rear brake to scrub some speed. I can't imagine I'm alone in this.
  • If you had to brake in an emergency the MORF bar is definitely quicker and more stable, no doubt in my mind.

The obvious elephant in the room is how well made and how safe these bars will be. After talking to Frank, I can say this isn't some fly-by-night inventor in a garage. He's a proper mechanical engineer with a history of designing "mission critical" parts used in extreme environments. I'll let him lay out his resume if ST is so inclined to see it as well as the testing protocols he has in mind.

Overall, I was very impressed. Actually, I was giddy after testing the bar, lol. Would I use one in a race? Hell yes! Potential aero gains aside, there are some short course races I do every year that have 10+ turns. If I can pick up 1 second per turn then it's worth it to me. Plus my initial impression is that it's a safer setup to ride.

Feel free to ask me any questions.
Last edited by: GreenPlease: Dec 28, 16 6:55
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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GreenPlease wrote:
http://www.morf-tech.com/

I figured I'd put my thoughts down while they're fresh in my mind.

Thomas Gerlach dropped Frank's (the inventor/owner) bike off last night. He rode it a bit yesterday and I'm sure he'll post his thoughts over here in due time. While fiddling with the bike last night, I have to be honest, I kept thinking "am I going to eat it the first time I use this thing?" My fears were unfounded.

Frank dropped by the house this morning and I had my Shiv out ready in anticipation of us going for a short ride through the neighborhood. Unfortunately we were beset with wet roads and fog so I just settled for riding up and down my own street (accidentally without a helmet no less in my excitement, lol).

So what was it like? It was solid. Within 100' I was getting in and out of aero like it was nothing. A few notes below:
  • The bars aren't going to accidentally "unlock" from the base bar position. You have to actuate two levers in order to get the bar to unlock. Just actuating one lever isn't enough to get the bar to unlock and just actuating one lever will not just release one side. The two sides are linked together.
  • The bars don't "lock" in the aero position. Your weight on the bars/pads is enough to hold you securely in aero. This has the added benefit of not having to "release" anything if you want to pivot back into the base bar position.
  • The bars are very adjustable from a tilt perspective as it's a round bar. Just rotate it in the stem! They are a fitter's dream in that you can use a standard stem to hit your desired stack/reach coordinates.
  • The bars make traveling super easy! Just extend the bars and pivot them down to be parallel with the fork (I'll post a pic later on).
  • I could actually see braking from the aero position being somewhat useful. There are plenty of races where I have to ride through a decent portion of the field and there are moments where all I need is to tap the rear brake to scrub some speed. I can't imagine I'm alone in this.
  • If you had to brake in an emergency the MORF bar is definitely quicker and more stable, no doubt in my mind.

The obvious elephant in the room is how well made and how safe these bars will be. After talking to Frank, I can say this isn't some fly-by-night inventor in a garage. He's a proper mechanical engineer with a history of designing "mission critical" parts used in extreme environments. I'll let him lay out his resume if ST is so inclined to see it as well as the testing protocols he has in mind.

Overall, I was very impressed. Actually, I was giddy after testing the bar, lol. Would I use one in a race? Hell yes! Potential aero gains aside, there are some short course races I do every year that have 10+ turns. If I can pick up 1 second per turn then it's worth it to me. Plus my initial impression is that it's a safer setup to ride.

Feel free to ask me any questions.

Yes I was going to write something up with some pictures but it will be a few days. Overall impressions: I would ride it.


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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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looks great, but what are the aero drag savings?
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [EnderWiggan] [ In reply to ]
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EnderWiggan wrote:
looks great, but what are the aero drag savings?

since they don't lock in the aero position, do they open when you're taking a turn and your body weight shifts a bit?

how about with climbing?

looks interesting.
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [EnderWiggan] [ In reply to ]
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I don't know as the bar hasn't been to the tunnel yet and it's also not in its final form yet. From my conversation with Frank it seems like he might have some tricks up his sleeve to make the bar + rider combo a bit more aero.

If I had to guess, in its current form vs something like a Ventus with equal cable routing between the two... maybe 1-3 watts. Keep in mind that the Ventus is a really fast bar.
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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Frank? Like Powercrank-Frank?
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [Benv] [ In reply to ]
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Different Frank
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [Staer] [ In reply to ]
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Staer wrote:
But what about the BTA?

It looks like there are some FAQ's at the bottom of the linked website. http://www.morf-tech.com/

Regarding BTA: "BTA - A small bracket mounted on the arm rest assembly with the standard bottle cage mount holes will be available. Bike computer mounts can be affixed to the same bracket."

____________________________________________
Don Larkin
Reach For More
http://www.reachformore.fit/
USAT Lvl1 Coach, NSCA-CPT, NASM-CPT, BS Exercise Science
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [Staer] [ In reply to ]
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Staer wrote:
But what about the BTA?

Bracket between the arm pads (likely what will be used) or a stem mount solution like this: https://hedcycling.com/...ries/bottle-lollipop
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [TriMyBest] [ In reply to ]
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Ah I missed that. Seems the website was updated since I last saw it.

I'm interested to see how a final design will look - something that is sharper and more polished (aesthetically) to match the styling of the typical tri bike.

Group Eleven – Websites for Athletes / mikael.racing / @mstaer
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [Staer] [ In reply to ]
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Here's the thing: modern aero bike design is characterized by large surface areas. In the case of the MORF-Tech bar... there's just not much there and that's the point of the design. Aesthetically I think the one area that might change (significantly) is the armrests. You may also see some changes in how the brake levers are integrated.

I may have one in my hands early this coming year. If I do I'll put it on my Shiv and report back with pics (or maybe my Omni assuming I have it by then).
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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In current form, it looks clunky. That could change entirely with a simple gloss black paint job.
And I assume any brake levers could be used? Or nicer, proprietary ones?

That way you can match the look and feel of the rest of the bike and retain some semblance of that sharper, sleeker form factor that many front-end setups have.

Group Eleven – Websites for Athletes / mikael.racing / @mstaer
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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I have my bars raised a bit praying mantis style. I assume the current design does not take that into account? Or the ability to adjust the tilt? Maybe it's in the FAQs, did not realize those were there
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for the post Tom and greenplease. It was great meeting both of you!!! A lot of the questions are answered on the bottom of the web site home page. We will update with good pictures and a new video of the production version. Attached is a sneak peek pic.

As a side note, this is an incredibly supportive and helpful sport, it's really refreshing, thanks for that.

I'll update my website with a bit more about us and our history of new product development in the O&G industry next week for those interested.

Thanks again, really appreciate the feedback.
Frank
http://www.morf-tech.com

Thanks,
Frank

http://www.morf-tech.com
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [Frank-S] [ In reply to ]
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Pic, let's hope I get this one right, trying to post a pic from an iPhone.

http://tinypic.com/...?pic=2h4hvs5&s=9

Thanks,
Frank

http://www.morf-tech.com
Last edited by: Frank-S: Dec 28, 16 14:09
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [Frank-S] [ In reply to ]
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Frank-S wrote:
Pic, let's hope I get this one right, trying to post a pic from an iPhone.

http://tinypic.com/...?pic=2h4hvs5&s=9
Fixed it for ya ;-)



http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [Tom A.] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks!!!

Thanks,
Frank

http://www.morf-tech.com
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [ChrisM] [ In reply to ]
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ChrisM wrote:
I have my bars raised a bit praying mantis style. I assume the current design does not take that into account? Or the ability to adjust the tilt? Maybe it's in the FAQs, did not realize those were there

When I got the bike from TG the bars were angled up at least 30 degrees! It's very very easy to run a mantis with this bar.
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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1-3 watts? I'm sorry it won't sell.

GreenPlease wrote:
I don't know as the bar hasn't been to the tunnel yet and it's also not in its final form yet. From my conversation with Frank it seems like he might have some tricks up his sleeve to make the bar + rider combo a bit more aero.

If I had to guess, in its current form vs something like a Ventus with equal cable routing between the two... maybe 1-3 watts. Keep in mind that the Ventus is a really fast bar.
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [Tom A.] [ In reply to ]
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There ya go! That's the sleeker form I was talking about.

Now what about fit? What's the pad height/stack? How low can they be set? How high?

What about shifting while sitting up? Can you do that relatively easily with mechanical shifting? I'm thinking about climbing...

Group Eleven – Websites for Athletes / mikael.racing / @mstaer
Last edited by: Staer: Dec 28, 16 15:59
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [EnderWiggan] [ In reply to ]
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EnderWiggan wrote:
1-3 watts? I'm sorry it won't sell.

GreenPlease wrote:
I don't know as the bar hasn't been to the tunnel yet and it's also not in its final form yet. From my conversation with Frank it seems like he might have some tricks up his sleeve to make the bar + rider combo a bit more aero.

If I had to guess, in its current form vs something like a Ventus with equal cable routing between the two... maybe 1-3 watts. Keep in mind that the Ventus is a really fast bar.

My experiences between a base bar setup and "aero or die" lead me to think that's a bit of a low estimate...

http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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I'm definitely interested. Getting the levers and bars out of the clear air out the sides is a stroke of genius.

'It never gets easier, you just get crazier.'
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [EnderWiggan] [ In reply to ]
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No concrete wind tunnel numbers just yet, hope to have more data by March. Will keep you posted. Would imagine that number is quite light, but we'll let the data speak for itself:)

EnderWiggan wrote:
1-3 watts? I'm sorry it won't sell.

GreenPlease wrote:
I don't know as the bar hasn't been to the tunnel yet and it's also not in its final form yet. From my conversation with Frank it seems like he might have some tricks up his sleeve to make the bar + rider combo a bit more aero.

If I had to guess, in its current form vs something like a Ventus with equal cable routing between the two... maybe 1-3 watts. Keep in mind that the Ventus is a really fast bar.

Thanks,
Frank

http://www.morf-tech.com
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Re: So I Just Rode the MORF-Tech Aerobar... [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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If you are in aero and take one arm off the pads (ex. to grab a behind-the-saddle bottle) what happens to that extension (i.e. does it flop around)?


Love the bars from a design standpoint. Two improvements I'd recommend are a lower pad stack (you can always add spacers), and the ability for more pad fore/aft adjustment. An option for upturned ends (mini ski bend) would be nice for both the basebar and aero positions. Oh, and I want a pony ;).

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