al-gorithm wrote:
Just curious what ST thinks about each of these aerobar sets and everyone thinks would be faster. I'll be building my bike finally this weekend and would like to hear what people think before I choose which one to install.
I have a 2014 Speed Concept 7.0 and it came with an aluminum bullhorn and clip ons. The bars I have as options are:
Stock Speed Concept Non UCI
TriRig Alpha X
Zipp Vuka Aero Integrated
Enve SES
Rank in aeroness? Just thought someone would have had experience testing or read somewhere comparing them.
Thanks!
I have a SC with the non-UCI legal integrated setup. I think it's generally regarded as very aero and it's pretty comfortable. There are two drawbacks, one is that many of us have trouble getting enough reach out of the stock extensions. You can use other extensions with the mono plug in adapter, but that's pretty much impossible to find right now. The other is that making adjustments in your fit is a really really major PITA, especially if you still use mechanical shifting. I had a very dialed in fit prior to getting my current SC, and there are still times I wish I could change things easier.
Some of the parts for swapping to the SC integrated setup are readily available on the secondary market (such as stems, mono spacers and extensions), but others aren't, (such as the base bar and some of the smaller parts such as the tilt kit). If you get the whole integrated setup from a Trek dealer, it's going to be pretty pricey. You could cobble it together with a mix of second hand parts and new ordered from Trek, and save some money but it's not going to be a budget option.
With my previous bike I had a Zipp Vuka bar setup. Frankly, I wouldn't purchase it again, very pricey and not even that aero. I don't have any experience with the Enve bar.
The Alpha X has been discontinued, if you purchase on the secondary market I'd be very careful and inspect for damage. Aero bars are nothing to mess with from a safety standpoint.
While I don't have any personal experience with it, the ease of fit with the Alpha One is really just a huge plus. Being able to experiment with your position so easily could really make a big difference. It's also very aero, hard to say how it compares with the SC setup but I seriously doubt you'd be at any disadvantage and the ease of fit would trump any tiny difference. It's extremely pricey but is on sale right now, and may not end up being that much more in price than swapping to the SC integrated setup if purchased new from a Trek dealer.