I have never been comfortable in my aero bars (cramped gut, shortened hip extension, shoulder/ neck annoyance) for long and it has been a long time since I had a fitting on my TT bike. In an attempt to get more comfortable in the bars I made a fairly drastic change and changed my risers going from about 25mm to a noticeable 70mm.
I am going to get a ride in later today (either Zwift or around the neighborhood) and a long ride (100+ miles on Saturday).
My question is what can I expect? Is this too drastic of a change? Will my elbows and forearms take on too much weight? I know I am going to lose some aero but I am ok with that.
FWIW, I do not think that is that big of a change depending on your history/fit. I just started riding my TT bike this year and as I do every year I raised the aero bar position ~2cm (20mm). As my riding goes more towards TT in the summer and my back and legs accommodate I lower the position to my “fitted” ideal specs.
If you can’t hold it it is not ideal, so others are correct to get fitted, but I also advocate some conditioning, especially if you have some frost on the pumpkin;)
I’ve gone from a pad stack of 490mm to 515mm and feel better. I’m capable of going lower but I appear to be the same speed vs power as I had been before.
Hey Guys, just an observation from a metric Canadian, so other readers aren’t confused. 1cm = 10mm, not 100mm.
If your pad stack height is 500mm that’s over a foot and a half. Don’t try that at home.
Hey Guys, just an observation from a metric Canadian, so other readers aren’t confused. 1cm = 10mm, not 100mm.
If your pad stack height is 500mm that’s over a foot and a half. Don’t try that at home.
I know I am going to lose some aero but I am ok with that.
**Pad stack and saddle to pad drop do not dictate your position… **or your aero drag. There is a huge amount of positional range based on how you hold your shoulders, neck, and head. I raised mine 80mm and it was better in every way. 45mm isn’t a lot.
Can you ride with your head below your shoulders and nearly kiss your forearms?
You likely have other positional and equipment options you should look at as well.