one your hands are on them, there is no significant difference. whether one or the other was more aero would probably depend on the details of your position, hands, and particular bend of bars.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

I was just fitted on my new P5, which came with ski bends. My LBS offered to switch them out for me, but since I have had some wrist/hand numbness on occassion, I decided to give the ski bends a try. Are there any other reasons for me to reconsider this decision or should comfort be the final determinant?

In general, ski bends put your hands in a more aero position.

Data to support this?

Since the aerodynamics are a tiny detail that can't really be determined for sure without time in a wind tunnel, comfort should really be the priority.

So there is no reason to reconsider in my opinion.

Ski bends are only unpopular because they look less aero when nobody is actually using them =)

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Although I'm not sure where the info came from I had heard that many rider generate more power with ski bends.

I do not wish to share this data.

The best bars are the ones that make you feel the most comfortable. Don't worry about any other data piece.

I recall a thread a while back, perhaps one of Jordan's *ask me anything about IMxx* threads, where he was asked why he switched over to ski-bends from s-bends, and the answer was that Tom A. convinced him that ski-bends are more aero. How's that for science :)

I guess I was looking for some hard core data, but it's really comfort/personal preference. Since I went with the ski bends, I'll just go with the idea that they're more areo... until I switch back to s bends.

fixed it for you

Your data, though kept in secret, are still plural.

TheBeek wrote:

Your data, though kept in secret, are still plural.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/data

"Usage Discussion of DATA
Data leads a life of its own quite independent of datum, of which it was originally the plural. It occurs in two constructions: as a plural noun (like earnings), taking a plural verb and plural modifiers (as these, many, a few) but not cardinal numbers, and serving as a referent for plural pronouns (as they, them); and as an abstract mass noun (like information), taking a singular verb and singular modifiers (as this, much, little), and being referred to by a singular pronoun (it). Both constructions are standard."

yeah, well....
webster can suck it (and them)

it also depends on what field of engineering you fall under, I know chemE's tend to block data as a singular entity while mechE's tend to treat them as plural. six of one... half dozen of the other...

The most aero are the ones you are going to stay in. Fidgeting around or sitting up because your wrists hurt is not aero.

And just because Webster says "data" used in the singular is standard doesn't mean it is correct. The singular is datum. Anybody knows that. Anyone arguing the contrary just looks worse in my eyes. I am a scientist by trade and just fake it as a triathlete.

I'm a biologist.

I remember an article by Tom Demerly about different bend options. His was more about hand position and comfort than about aerodynamics. He felt the ski bend extentions put your wrist at a more natural/comfortable position.

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Triple Threat Triathlon

I've been thinking of switching to ski bends a lot lately for this very reason. I have some tendon issues that make S bends rather uncomfortable, especially at effort, and I first was concerned that I'd be losing a lot of aerodynamics.

But it seems to me like truly MOST aero thing is whatever lets you STAY in aero position for most of the ride. So if ski bends offer comfort that lets you do this while s bends don't, it seems like ski bends are both more comfortable AND more aero, at least for you and no mater what ideal wind tunnel data suggests.

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If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
If at first you DO succeed, try to hide your astonishment!

The article by Demerly also showed an x-ray of the hand positions on the different bars. The hand position he showed in his pictures looks nothing like the hand position I have in my S-bends though.

I agree, comfort is key. One issue I've seen with ski bends is that you don't get much room to move around (forward and back). The S-bends give you that option.

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assuming both are comfy for you, and if you wanted to get semi-scientific about it, you could take head on photos of each and see if you can eyeball or photoshop the frontal area of each option.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

This partly depends on the event. For a TT or 40km or less, I don't care much about comfort, I can suffer through a little wrist discomfort if it more powerful or more aero, or both. For a a half or IM than comfort is way more imortant than a few seconds of aero.

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Styrrell

[quote vikingmd

Although I'm not sure where the info came from I had heard that many rider generate more power with ski bends.[/quote]
I find it the other way around... more power with s bends than ski bends. I just switched to s bends and I "feel" I can generate more power and get more leverage. I haven't done any kind of tests to back this theory up though.

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blog

I am really interested in this thread, since I just purchased my first Tri bike. It came with Vision's Trimax Carbon clip-on CSI F.A.S.T. system (over a Trimax base bar)... Anyways the extensions are the R-bend (their name for the S-bend). I find to be hard on the wrists, and plan to do HIM's.

I would like to try the Vision J-bend (again, their name for the ski bend), but am unclear on where you can order just the replacement exension???

I'd agree in principle, except you still have to train on them also. I could put up with 40km worth, but found that the s-bends were making my wrists sore while training.