I grew up racing bmx and riding motorcycle enduro so I am well aware of how to handle a bike offroad. With this I realize that you can not stay in an aero position at all times while riding say the Dirty Kanza.
But with 206 miles, half of which is into headwinds why wouldn’t you want all the advantage you can get?
Cervelo and 3T have put out aero frames and some guys use aero bars but it just seems like there are so many gains to be had
Same reason most triathletes don’t care about aero (based on what the average ironman participant looks like on the bike) - they don’t think it matters enough to put the effort or money into optimizing it.
I care! A lot. Here’s my Gravel Worlds setup.
with DK 200 as an example, I’d be curious what the potential time gains would be between lets say and average gravel position (not cruiser bike fit but not particularly aero) vs a pretty aero position. If somebody is out there for 16-17+ hours is shaving off 30 minutes a priority?
Its kind of like saying why do road cyclist worry about aero when they can draft? Its it important enough to even worry about?
with DK 200 as an example, I’d be curious what the potential time gains would be between lets say and average gravel position (not cruiser bike fit but not particularly aero) vs a pretty aero position. If somebody is out there for 16-17+ hours is shaving off 30 minutes a priority?
I would think being out there for 16 hours it would matter even more as you will be more fatigued into a headwind and want to have to put out fewer watts
Id be curious on Slowmans take on this
I’ve got an old pair of Hed carbon rims…can’t remember the model…that I use on my CX and Gravel bikes, mostly because at the time I got the bike, I didn’t have a tubular rim set and found it cheap on Ebay. It’s aero as hell, but I doubt I ever go fast enough to make use of it on gravel.
It might. idk. It certainly would if you’re going to save hours of time. But say you went from 16 hours to 15:30. At least in my mind that’s not very meaningful when a) I’m nowhere near podium b) I’m out there for 2/3 of a full day.
I think dpd touched on a point that not many people think about, in order for the aero equipment to pay dividends you need to be going at a fairly high speed, which you are not hitting for very long on gravel, plus comfort and bike control are very important.
You wont be going very fast if your back is balking at you or you are afraid to blast the downhills because you are too stretched out or over the front wheel.
Speaking from my Dirty Kanza experience, I’m torn. For over half the race, between STRONG tailwinds and extremely rough roads, aero is pretty low on the list of priorities. And the presence of aero bars could be, at best, a hindrance and, at worst, dangerous.
But I will never ever forget the 80+ relentless miles, on relatively civilized roads, I rode into a 25 to 30 mph wind at DK. That year, I rode over 8 straight hours in the drops. For that stretch, aero bars would have saved a ton of time and energy.
Maybe the answer is a set of “quick release” bars that you could mount quickly at the checkpoint that occurs just prior to turning into the wind. For the rest of the race, I wouldn’t want them on the bike.
I can certainly see aero bars as beneficial not only for an aero benefit but for a change in position which can be nice with gravel. I certainly would not use them in a pack, downhill, or very rough sections but on less rough sections, windy or not, I can see them being nice.
I think dpd touched on a point that not many people think about, in order for the aero equipment to pay dividends you need to be going at a fairly high speed, which you are not hitting for very long on gravel, plus comfort and bike control are very important.
You wont be going very fast if your back is balking at you or you are afraid to blast the downhills because you are too stretched out or over the front wheel.
Slower riders tend to benefit more. I don’t think there’s an either/or situation on downhills. Nothing says you can’t use drops or hoods there.
Bike control could be a possible issue for some.
Same reason most triathletes don’t care about aero (based on what the average ironman participant looks like on the bike) - they don’t think it matters enough to put the effort or money into optimizing it.
I think this sums it up.
This is a super valid point regarding the ability to safely spend time in aero bars in DK, but in my experience DK is an outlier. To me DK isn’t really gravel. It’s rocks.
I had 6 flats and led to a DNF at DK. Therefore I was almost exclusively chasing…solo. I still RARELY used aero bars at DK. I remember 2 distinct longish real gravel sections that I used them and went very fast. Other than that it’s not really gravel at DK…LOL…and I didn’t hardly use the bars. I didn’t dare put my nose to the ground fearing flatting even more.
If racing in a group I think if anything the bars might be slower. See my pic above. That bottle is always in the wind if not down riding in the bars. Same with the bars them self. If I can spend 50% of the time in the bars what are they doing the other 50% of the time? They certainly aren’t making me faster when they are being unused.
The DAMn is a 240 mile hero gravel race. I bet I was in the bars close to 50%, but I was leading / pulling a ton. Gravel Worlds was better gravel yet, but group tactics up front made my bars invalid until I got popped around 100 miles and rode in solo using the bars maybe 50% of the time.
Colin showcased the perfect scenario for aero bars last year at DK. Solo break away forever. That’s the one time I can really think of that the aero bars might really make you faster. Riding solo out front in clean air 100% of the time trying to get every second you can. As soon as you introduce more riders to the equation the benefit of aero bars is questionable…IMO. And that’s not because of danger, but the lack of using them.
Don’t forget a slow guy like myself riding solo off the back. 
I certainly think part of the appeal of gravel is that many races have drastically different road conditions. Often within a course itself.
After this thread, I’m considering aero bars but I would certainly be thoughtful of when to safely use them or not use them. I almost feel like I’d like them just for an additional riding position.
Absolutely. There are certainly many beneficial situations and it absolutely gives you another riding position option for long course. That alone was great for me at Gravel Worlds. Big tailwinds the last many miles and long straights. I just laid down in the bars and soft pedaled at 30mph over and over Wonderful.
My perspective is that for cycling only events (gravel, endurance MTB, gran fondos, etc.) I plan on being in a group and sharing the workload and being more efficient (not to mention way more fun) of riding in a pack or paceline as much as possible. For triathlon, especially the longer distance events, the community and camaraderie on event day is dictated by the rules to the pre-swim chatter and, of course, the run. So on the bike there is an expectation I will be alone and need to be the most efficient as a solo rider that does not exist for the other sports.
But with 206 miles, half of which is into headwinds why wouldn’t you want all the *advantage *you can get?
“Advantage” and “Benefit” are two words that pop up in this thread.
However, they are relative.
E.g. More suspension is likely an “Advantage”… to downhill mountain bike racers looking to complete a course as fast as possible, but not to gravel racing
Eating at Burger King is a “benefit” if you want to reduce the time spent on preparing meals, but not to general health.
What’s important is the goal or experience each rider is after.
Experience: Get from the start to the finish as fast as possible
Aerobars: Maybe an advantage if the combination of terrain and skill allow them to be beneficial to average speed.
If that experience changes:
Experience: Enjoy an event in a fun and safe manner while avoiding mechanical issues
Then an “advantage” becomes: High Volume, knobby tires, with puncture protection strips.
But with 206 miles, half of which is into headwinds why wouldn’t you want all the advantage you can get?
Cervelo and 3T have put out aero frames and some guys use aero bars but it just seems like there are so many gains to be had
The first reason is that aero is typically less impactful in gravel rides than in road rides. Average speeds are lower, surfaces are rougher, and in many regions there’s also a ton more elevation gain. So as a fraction of total energy expenditure, rolling resistance and gravity are much more prevalent and aero less so than usual. Out on the flats it might still be quite dominant, especially in windy regions, but even then it’s less so than on road rides. In the mountains it’s sometimes borderline irrelevant: there’s not a lot of aero drag when you’re climbing at 4mph, and finding adequate power isn’t much of a concern on twisty -14% double-track.
The second reason is that there’s less opportunity for aero. For example, nobody makes deep-section aero rims optimized for 40mm tires, so aero gains at the wheel are going to be smaller at a given price point than for a bike used on smooth roads. Or, consider that a lot of people like to carry extra stuff with them on gravel rides: a handlebar bag will interfere with aero benefits of aero handlebars, a frame bag will interfere with aero benefits of aero frames, etc.
Finally, aero shaping tends to increase component costs, and most people don’t want to spend top dollar for stuff on a bike that they routinely put through brutal conditions.
I grew up racing bmx and riding motorcycle enduro so I am well aware of how to handle a bike offroad. With this I realize that you can not stay in an aero position at all times while riding say the Dirty Kanza.
But with 206 miles, half of which is into headwinds why wouldn’t you want all the advantage you can get?
Cervelo and 3T have put out aero frames and some guys use aero bars but it just seems like there are so many gains to be had
Because it hasn’t got there yet. You could have said the same thing when aerobikes started on the road. It didn’t matter until it started mattering and then everyone started caring.