now that aero bars have been with us for 20 years, has anything emerged about the relationship between a “typical” fit rider’s road / tri or TT top tube length?
On a somewhat related note, how does an older and somewhat less nimble individual (um a friend of mine) get the shoulders lower, through a steeper ST angle or lengthening the top tube or something else?
In regard to your 2nd question…the ‘less nimble’ rider is probably hard pressed to increase the tightness of their hip angle (so reaching further forward is bad). So the answer is they get there through a steeper STA which as you move the seat forward is accompanied by a corresponding movement forward and downward of the arm rests.
A tri bike’s top tube is generally shorter