The past few years I've "suffering" with a very decent low stack bar like the one shown below.
The problem is that I'm always fiddling with position, and this bar isn't good for that. It doesn't pedestal (properly) or tilt. I'd like to be able to try out a vast array of positions (high, low, flat, mantis, narrow, wide, long-short reach, saddle back-forward, UCI legal, etc), with minimal wrenching and aero penalty. IMO the ability to do this easily is super important, to optimize both comfort and aerodynamics.
Finding an inexpensive aerobar that ticks all the boxes isn't easy. And it looks like I'm going to need a new frame also, because bar stack is going to go up, and I've been riding with a 120mm -35 stem. :(
FEATURES:
Adjustable (length, rotation) standard 22.2mm extensions.
Risers/spacers available to pedestal the armpads and extensions. It's the easiest and most aero way to adjust stack.
Armrests that attach to the extensions and allow fore-aft adjustment. This feature makes bike reach nearly irrelevant, and you don't need to screw around with different stems to get the pad reach where you want it. It's also really nice when you are fiddling with tilt and trying to meet UCI extension-height restrictions. You can slide the armrests close to the ends of your extensions and simulate a mantis and still be legal.
Tilting armrests and extensions.
Low price. <$300 for everything. <$200 would be nice.
Aero. Minimal frontal area. Airfoil shapes where possible.
If you want lots of adjustablility you'll usually be looking at clip on bars with the separate basebar. The problem is all the basebars suck. A good example is what the new Felt bar looks like.
... and the Zipp Vuka.
Nice risers and clamps, ruined by a wide bulbous clamp area on the basebar. I know why they do it; so you can easily adjust the lateral position. But there are more aero ways to do that, and I personally want the pads together. At least the Zipp does not come as a unit, so you can pair it with other basebars. Unfortunately nearly all the basebars in existence look like that, with a ~120mm 31.8mm round tube in the middle, when ~60mm is all that's needed.
But I discovered that Profile Design has a 80mm center section on their 38cm Ozero and Svet basebars. 80mm is the narrowest clamp area I've found on any basebar. As you increase the bar width, the center section gets wider, not the wings. So you need to get the 38cm ones. Unfortunately the Ozero TT (the aluminum one) is hard to find in that size, and the Svet bars are carbon and not cheap. Even the Ozero is kinda pricey for aluminum at >$150, typically.
How about the clip-on part? To get the full range of adjustablility with independent pad fore/aft as well as risers, I only found one. That's Profile Designs T+ series. These have been around a long time. They are cheap and kinda heavy, and not all that aero. Plus the biggest negative for me is the inability to adjust the pads very narrow. Does anyone know of bars similar to the T+ design that allow for narrow pad spacing?
If I settle for armrests that have minimal fore-aft there are many decent clip-on bars that have a riser option. Profile T+ carbon, Zipp Vuka, Deda, 3T, USE, etc.
I also came across a complete basebar+aerobar that looks very promising. Specialized Hydroformed Alloy Aerobar.
These came on the lower end Shiv Tri bikes for a few years, although it looks like newer Shiv models have less adjustable bars. These tilt (EDIT: no they don't. The old ones that tilted were recalled). And though it looks like the armrest clamps to the bar clamp, this is not the case. The armrest can move independently like the T+ bars. And it looks like there is a way to set it up for very narrow pads. Plus they come with risers that allow for 45mm of stack adjustment! Usually you'll pay an extra $60+ to get a similar riser kit. And are only $200 complete. They look like winners, but they don't get mentioned much. Anyone here have experience with them? The only real negative for me is that even in the lowest stack configuration, they have a lot of stack. I think it's too much for me, even if I get a very low stack frame. But if you aren't needing low stack, these bars look like a great option.
Any ideas, suggestions?
Anything I missed?
The problem is that I'm always fiddling with position, and this bar isn't good for that. It doesn't pedestal (properly) or tilt. I'd like to be able to try out a vast array of positions (high, low, flat, mantis, narrow, wide, long-short reach, saddle back-forward, UCI legal, etc), with minimal wrenching and aero penalty. IMO the ability to do this easily is super important, to optimize both comfort and aerodynamics.
Finding an inexpensive aerobar that ticks all the boxes isn't easy. And it looks like I'm going to need a new frame also, because bar stack is going to go up, and I've been riding with a 120mm -35 stem. :(
FEATURES:
Adjustable (length, rotation) standard 22.2mm extensions.
Risers/spacers available to pedestal the armpads and extensions. It's the easiest and most aero way to adjust stack.
Armrests that attach to the extensions and allow fore-aft adjustment. This feature makes bike reach nearly irrelevant, and you don't need to screw around with different stems to get the pad reach where you want it. It's also really nice when you are fiddling with tilt and trying to meet UCI extension-height restrictions. You can slide the armrests close to the ends of your extensions and simulate a mantis and still be legal.
Tilting armrests and extensions.
Low price. <$300 for everything. <$200 would be nice.
Aero. Minimal frontal area. Airfoil shapes where possible.
If you want lots of adjustablility you'll usually be looking at clip on bars with the separate basebar. The problem is all the basebars suck. A good example is what the new Felt bar looks like.
... and the Zipp Vuka.
Nice risers and clamps, ruined by a wide bulbous clamp area on the basebar. I know why they do it; so you can easily adjust the lateral position. But there are more aero ways to do that, and I personally want the pads together. At least the Zipp does not come as a unit, so you can pair it with other basebars. Unfortunately nearly all the basebars in existence look like that, with a ~120mm 31.8mm round tube in the middle, when ~60mm is all that's needed.
But I discovered that Profile Design has a 80mm center section on their 38cm Ozero and Svet basebars. 80mm is the narrowest clamp area I've found on any basebar. As you increase the bar width, the center section gets wider, not the wings. So you need to get the 38cm ones. Unfortunately the Ozero TT (the aluminum one) is hard to find in that size, and the Svet bars are carbon and not cheap. Even the Ozero is kinda pricey for aluminum at >$150, typically.
How about the clip-on part? To get the full range of adjustablility with independent pad fore/aft as well as risers, I only found one. That's Profile Designs T+ series. These have been around a long time. They are cheap and kinda heavy, and not all that aero. Plus the biggest negative for me is the inability to adjust the pads very narrow. Does anyone know of bars similar to the T+ design that allow for narrow pad spacing?
If I settle for armrests that have minimal fore-aft there are many decent clip-on bars that have a riser option. Profile T+ carbon, Zipp Vuka, Deda, 3T, USE, etc.
I also came across a complete basebar+aerobar that looks very promising. Specialized Hydroformed Alloy Aerobar.
These came on the lower end Shiv Tri bikes for a few years, although it looks like newer Shiv models have less adjustable bars. These tilt (EDIT: no they don't. The old ones that tilted were recalled). And though it looks like the armrest clamps to the bar clamp, this is not the case. The armrest can move independently like the T+ bars. And it looks like there is a way to set it up for very narrow pads. Plus they come with risers that allow for 45mm of stack adjustment! Usually you'll pay an extra $60+ to get a similar riser kit. And are only $200 complete. They look like winners, but they don't get mentioned much. Anyone here have experience with them? The only real negative for me is that even in the lowest stack configuration, they have a lot of stack. I think it's too much for me, even if I get a very low stack frame. But if you aren't needing low stack, these bars look like a great option.
Any ideas, suggestions?
Anything I missed?
