I have a set of visontech bars, stock Cervelo P2c bars, with ski bends.
I have a set of Hed aerobars as well with s-bends.
Which would be better on my P2c for IM distance riding? (Looking at sub five bike splits)
From a comfort aspect.
From a power aspect.
And from an aero aspect.
Or would the time spent switching the hed bars on be better spent on the turbo?
the better question to ask yourself is which set of bars am I more comfortable on?
“Looking at sub five bike splits”
What are you expecting your run to be? How much IM experience do you have?
chris
you are looking for a sub 5 bike split? you tell me!
You have both, switch back and forth a couple times and see which feels better?
aero wise i imagine it is a wash
usually ski bends are more comfy but not for everyone
I have a set of visontech bars, stock Cervelo P2c bars, with ski bends.
I have a set of Hed aerobars as well with s-bends.
Which would be better on my P2c for IM distance riding? (Looking at sub five bike splits)
From a comfort aspect.
From a power aspect.
And from an aero aspect.
Or would the time spent switching the hed bars on be better spent on the turbo?
“Looking at sub five bike splits”
What are you expecting your run to be? How much IM experience do you have?
chris
Run split? 3:10 - 3:20
Suppose I was wondering really peoples experiences of s-bends over longer distances, i’ve used s-bends before but only up to standard distances. Ski bends for everything longer (got new bike and never transfered the bars)
yes I could change them over and test them out for comfort but time is at a premimum and if it was generally felt that s-bends weren’t comfy for longer distances I’d not bother changing them over.
stick with the ski bends then, nothing sucks more than finding out your bar setup isn’t comfy 50 miles into a 100 mile ride. uggghhghg
“Looking at sub five bike splits”
What are you expecting your run to be? How much IM experience do you have?
chris
Run split? 3:10 - 3:20
Suppose I was wondering really peoples experiences of s-bends over longer distances, i’ve used s-bends before but only up to standard distances. Ski bends for everything longer (got new bike and never transfered the bars)
yes I could change them over and test them out for comfort but time is at a premimum and if it was generally felt that s-bends weren’t comfy for longer distances I’d not bother changing them over.
I dont buy that there is a power difference between aerobar styles, you pedal with your legs, not your forearms resting on pads, so no difference. For aerodynamics you would probably need to go to a windtunnel to tell, thats a individual thing.
Comfort-only you can determine this. The HED does have the advantage of changeable extensions, so if you dont like the S-bends your can try ski bend extensions, or my favorite Lazy-S bend extensions or Cobb’s wrist relief extensions. Plus you can adjust the extension length and even rotate them if you want which could give you more flexiblility in fine tuning, the Vision is fixed.
Kevin
I had ski tips way back when. I always found myself to be grabbing the joint at the bottom where they tipped up. My wrists were cocked more so with ski tips then S bends. With the S bends, I was able to get my forearms level with the ground and still be comfy even over 4+ hour rides.
I had ski tips way back when. I always found myself to be grabbing the joint at the bottom where they tipped up. My wrists were cocked more so with ski tips then S bends. With the S bends, I was able to get my forearms level with the ground and still be comfy even over 4+ hour rides.
Funny…I’ve had the exact same issue and have used ski bends for over 12 years. I have always ended up with my hands gripping the bend in the ski bend…often times interfacing my fingers as well.
I finally decided to try out s-bends and rode with them for the first time this weekend. Always good to try new stuff two weeks before a race, right?? 
But, in all seriousness, the s-bends feel very natural and comfortable. Instead of having to flex a muscle in my forearm to grab the bar, my hands just lie on top of the bars, with my fingers loosely wrapped around the end. Wish I had made this switch years ago.
oh, and…look for a set of 270mm Vision bar extensions to be showing up in the classifieds soon.
Use the HED’s with the Lazy S-Bends and I think you will have the best of both worlds.
I had ski tips way back when. I always found myself to be grabbing the joint at the bottom where they tipped up. My wrists were cocked more so with ski tips then S bends. With the S bends, I was able to get my forearms level with the ground and still be comfy even over 4+ hour rides.
Funny…I’ve had the exact same issue and have used ski bends for over 12 years. I have always ended up with my hands gripping the bend in the ski bend…often times interfacing my fingers as well.
Me, three… I’ll often “choke up” on the bar for a little extra leverage when the rpms start to sag on a small rise or to open the hip angle slightly on a gradual climb, and the S-bends seem to accomodate this more naturally, while still offering more length to stretch out forward/lower when descending or in a stiffer headwind. My old ski bends on the other hand really felt like they only lent themselves well to the one central grip position.