Tri Bars? - Triathlon Week

julian · 04-27-2005, 12:27 AM

I have just bought a new bike, but do not know weather or not to get some tri bars for it, the bike I was using was a friends, and had a set, but when I used them I never felt safe. Perhaps it was because the bike was not set up for me? Any advise please.
Cheers
Julian.

pyschosyd · 04-27-2005, 02:47 PM

What sort of riding do you do? Did the bike you tried fit you properly (toobig/toosmall)? If you are into triathlon aero bars are definetely the way too go. They can take some getting used to though, depending on your comfort level on a bike. I wouldn't suggest throwing them on and going to do a race.
There is a significant aerodynamic advantage to having aerobars.
If you have a good bike shop around, they may let you try some out, and atleast will help you set them up properly.
Good luck
Syd

crazylegs · 04-28-2005, 04:36 AM

I do a lot of riding, so I have a road bike that I put clip-on aerobars on. For the first couple of times I rode by myself just to gt used to them. It took quite a few miles for my body to adjust to the new position, but I love them. I also do some group riding on the weekend-and they frown upon using aerobars, which is why I got clip-ons. I can take them on and off in a matter of minutes depending on whether I'm riding solo or in a group. I like having that option. I've never had a tri specific bike, so I can't compare, but I like doing local crits and centuries to get endurance and speed workouts, and aerobars do not work for those events. I plan to do my first tri next month, so I have been training a lot with the aerobars and I definitely plan to use them for tri events and TT events.