s-bends OUCH
Indeed. Ever since this style of aero bar extension came out I have never found them comfortable. They seem to cause, excessive wrist strain and require a wider elbow position. However, this is just me, but I know that some top fitters are in agreement with me on this, so I know that I am not alone. For me, the most comfortable position is a shallow r bend of the kind you see on the Vision and Easton aero bars. This allows for a much more natural wrist position when riding.
Personally, I hardly ever actually grab the bar ends while riding. I simply rest my hands on the top of them in a more natural position.
I actually love mine. Find them very comfortable and neutral. Maybe I have freakish wrists…
Jodi
Put some ski-tip bars on and make your wrists more comfortable and really not lose any “aero” benefit vs. the S-bends.
Tom D. from Bikesport did a real nice write up/article on this a while back.
Personally I find the S-bends much more comfortable and have experienced no problems with them or any discomfort/wrist issues. I had ski bends and don’t think I’d go back to them as I just really like the S bends, and have used them for long rides/Ironman length events.
Like M~ said, when I am out just ‘cruising’ I tend to let my hands rest on top of the ends of the bars.
If your elbow pads were intended for single-bend bars, perhaps they just aren’t in the right place to be paired with s-bends?
You mention the aero bars clipping on below the base bars, how elevated are your elbow pads from the base bars?
I recommend changing to the blackwell research wrist reliefs. The change worked wonders for me…
-David
do you know where can we get the replacement blackwell bars?
I have a couple extra sets of the extensions which I bought before they closed. PM me if you are interested. It is just the metal extension though.
Personally, I hardly ever actually grab the bar ends while riding. I simply rest my hands on the top of them in a more natural position.
I used to do that until I hit a frost heave in the shade at the Muskoka Chase last year and had one hand get bounced off the extension and went flying into a ditch while removing what felt like 10% of my skin. I went back to ski bend extensions and now feel safer, more in control and my wrists don’t hurt.
Ken
Personally, I hardly ever actually grab the bar ends while riding. I simply rest my hands on the top of them in a more natural position.
I used to do that until I hit a frost heave in the shade at the Muskoka Chase last year and had one hand get bounced off the extension and went flying into a ditch while removing what felt like 10% of my skin. I went back to ski bend extensions and now feel safer, more in control and my wrists don’t hurt.
Ken
I don’t do that going downhill, or on a course like the Muskoka Chase. I was white-knuckled for a good portion of that course. 
There were some NASTY potholes.
Personally, I hardly ever actually grab the bar ends while riding. I simply rest my hands on the top of them in a more natural position.
Mark,
Now you are really scaring me. Based on the bike handling skills of many triathletes( which are terrible) I am not sure this is something I would be promoting. I guess, the good news is that many end up riding long stretches of the bike leg on their super aero bikes, on the base bars, which are, perhaps a safer bet!!
This is a common problem with S-bends. S-bends were invented for short distance time trials where huge power was needed, not long distance rides where survival is key.
My wife was supplied with these bars by her sponsor. we rode a century, instant tendinitis so bad she couldnt hold a pencil. The orthepedic surgeon had her switch back to ski bends, no problem.
You will NOT “push through” or get used to them- the sooner you get rid of them, the faster you will recover from the tendinitis you are developing.
I don’t do that going downhill, or on a course like the Muskoka Chase. I was white-knuckled for a good portion of that course. There were some NASTY potholes.
Since the Chase I don’t go down steep hills in aero at all and when I do the Chase again this year I will probably be white knucking it through most of it too. I really hope someone spends $10 on orange marking paint this year and marks some of the bumps and pot holes that are those ULTRA CRAPPY roads.
I do them same as ~M, rest the hands on the bars, with the pinky finger off to the side to supply some control and support. Grip the bar in more technical sections. I found S bends to be far more comfortable than ski bends. Unfortunately for me, as non tri related wrist injury has forced me back onto ski bends, as I cant turn my wrist that way yet.
I will probably be white knucking it through most of it too. I really hope someone spends $10 on orange marking paint this year and marks some of the bumps and pot holes that are those ULTRA CRAPPY roads.
They may need A LOT of that spray paint. I have been out riding a few times locally in my area( Aurora) and I can tell you that the roads are in rough shape. We seemed to have had a bad winter for the roads.
Here’s a better bet - learn how to ride your bike in/on rough pavement. It amazes me how panicked triathletes get about this. There was less than 100m stretch of that pre-final paving roughened pavement at IMH last fall at about the 15 mile mark on the bike and, I am not kidding, that subject took up a big portion of the time at both the pre-race meeting for the Pros and the AG’ers. I heard that some AG’ers were so concerned about this that they thought they may have to get off their bikes and walk that section!!!
****Here’s a better bet - learn how to ride your bike in/on rough pavement.
I know you’ve covered this topic in the past but what would you suggest for a course like the Muskoka Chase? I expect to average close to 38kph riding the course this year (so long as I don’t crash again), and it seems to me that when the course goes into the side roads where there is the constant shade to bright transitions where my eyes can’t keep up with them the only real solution is to get out of aero until that section is done. I’m not sure what impact this will have on my speed but I’m sure it will be noticable.
When you’re coming down a slight down grade and doing 50kph and a pot hole or sometimes two comes up on you VERY quickly I’m not sure what to do if I can’t avoid it in time. I had always thought of myself as a pretty decent bike handler but after crashing at Muskoka last year I have reevaluated. My other thought is that everyone crashes in biking and it was just my turn.
Ken
Especially with the shadows from the trees hiding the potholes and then multiple it by having sun glasses on and they were really tough to see sometimes. Most of the time it was too late to avoid it so I ended up bunny hopping most of them.
I won’t be going back this year. I don’t want to chance anything happening before Placid.
I won’t be going back this year. I don’t want to chance anything happening before Placid.
I’m doing Placid also but I want to exercise the deamons from that crash last year and so long as I don’t break myself and take it REALLY easy in the side roads I will have plenty of time to heal from some road rash.
The Chase was the nicest swim I’ve ever done and I’d like to do the run without blood pouring from me so I’ll be there. Hopefully it will be cloudy! 
Ken
I know you’ve covered this topic in the past but what would you suggest for a course like the Muskoka Chase?
Ken,
I did not mean to single you out. Sorry about the crash last year. But it is what it is. Given the current state of the economy, my guess is that road conditions in this and other races will be worse this year - so, I guess we all do what we want to do about this. And again, my comments were about the tri population in general, which when it comes to this sort of thing, let’s be frank - they are lousy bike handlers. Now that is something that can be worked on. People can work on bike handling skills. They can strap less crap all over their bikes that tends to come flying off in the rough stuff. They can, “Hello”, slow down etc . . . Just complaining about the state of the roads is not going solve anything.