How To Fit Clip On Aero Bars | Upgrade Your Road Bike To A Triathlon Machine

[@gtn]

Have you clipped on Aero Bars to your bike? Let us know!

[@Prince-ir9qg]

Yeah I clipped it to my Fuji roadbike in my opinion using aerobars are better and more comfortable than a drop on a roadbike hope you will make a video If which is better to use the drop or the aerobars

[@gregoryvassilakos9972]

@@Prince-ir9qg I agree regarding aerobars being more comfortable than drop bars. With the aerobars, much of your weight is carried on the elbow pads, so less of your weight is carried on the saddle, so saddle soreness is less of a problem. The only disadvantage of the aerobars in terms of comfort is that you have to bend your neck further to look where you are going.

[@Prince-ir9qg]

@@gregoryvassilakos9972 yeah i agree with your decision using aerobars and I love your explanation

[@diogoalmeida8211]

Yes, I have both types, for draft legal and non draft races. Still, no mach for a real TT...

[@ramxespabuaya1671]

Please make video. clip on aero bars vs tt bike

[@diogoalmeida8211]

nice video. some extra suggestions: 1 - check for the type of aerobars (draft legal, vs non legal); 2 - use some fiber-grip, even if you ride Alu bars. It reduces the amount of tightening needed (less stress on the materials), increases the stiffness of your cockpit (more confidence to really grab hold of the bars and smash those pedals on low cadences - remember, your gears are really far away and changing will take you off of the TT position, so sometimes, on short soft climbs you won't change gear... you will have to use more force to maintain the power on lower cadences) and will make it easier to remove the aerobars later on (better than the electrical tape hack); 3 - use some thread lock anaerobic glue for the bolts (if your screws are blue, they should have glue...); 4 - remember to get a bike fit for the TT position; 5 - rember to practice A LOT riding on that position and work on your stretching, otherwise it may block your back and you won't able to run after a flying bike segment. Also the TT position will cram your diafragm making it harder to breathe if you're not used to it. And yes, it will give you an extra 3/4 km/h easily. More if you work on it well (point 5). But make no mistake, almost anyone with a minimum bike training will fly past you on a real TT bike.

[@stephenlewthwaite4084]

Yep did exactly this when I did my first Ironman ( age grouper ), finished the bike leg inside the top 20 times including the pros's times. (Road S works Venge with Clip on areo bars 2013) The simple answer for me is the faster you are on the bike the more advantage the aero position is ( wind speed and resistance etc. ) Clip on's are great.

[@82powpow]

were your bikes handle bars carbon? i have a specialized tarmac and the handle bars are carbon. looking for info if it’s ok to add clip on aero bars to a carbon handle bar

[@toddtillinghast5926]

I’ve used clip on aero bars on single speed bikes. Each time I’ve done this has been for extra hand positions when riding track or single speed bikes for long distances or multi-day rides. Even with the weight of the frame and seat bag, it’s totally worth relieving your hands. The aero position is another bonus.

[@JackofNothingess]

I have been using the Redshift System on my CAAD8. The clip on aero bars, once installed and dialed in, can be attached and detached in 45 seconds, without fussing with a re-fit. As to the seat, the Redshift System I have been using the past few years allow me to switch to the TT forward/upward position from the road position on-the-fly while on the road. It's a great Frankenstein of a bike, but it works great for switching between group rides when I can't use aero-bars and solo training rides with the aero-bars. Amazing stuff, gets me faster by 1.7 mph for the same effort!

[@mrd691]

I replaced my seatpost with a forward offset seatpost to help open up my hip angle. I used the profile design fast forward one but there are others around. Swapping my saddle for a short nose (Spesh Power) helped get comfy in that position. This gave me a more TT bike geometry.

[@tonyking1832]

Interesting to change to another seat post forward one and the tri saddle, sounds good.

[@yishaithegift9953]

Did you adjust the tilt angle before swapping saddles? I tilted mine a few millimeters and it changed my whole life! My hips had less stress, smoother cadence. And getting on and off felt so much more natural.

[@r3dbullbbs]

@@yishaithegift9953 Thanks for the advice. Just did it!

[@ramxespabuaya1671]

Please do a time trial video between time trial bike and clip on aero bars in road bike

[@MrBJPitt]

Already done on gcn. Emma Pooley. I'll find it Edit, sorry it's a road bike vs road bike with clip on kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYGVh6WeaLadeNk

[@NicholasWoodley]

Done. Added aero bars to a Specialized Roubaix. Love them. Best cheap upgrade yet.

[@robday3968]

Which aero bars did you opt for? I'm looking for some on my Roubaix too...

[@hans6304]

Rob Day I’d like to know too please

[@hans6304]

Can you post a quick video please :D would love to have them on my ole roubaix for long distance rides

[@NicholasWoodley]

I bought these and there are rods too. They definitely weren't over £100. But this is the component www.specialized.com/gb/en/clip-on-clamp-w-pads/p/132985?color=220018-132985

[@MrBJPitt]

Can you do a test, an old TT bike (10 years old?) vs new? Some cheap used TT bikes out there.

[@xelseartheonlyone1267]

I want to fit them on my road bike just cause they look fun and give you a chance to go faster. Also i might try Triathlon someday. For some reason i see even endurance riders use them on flat bar and gravel bikes. So they might be useful for many things.

[@brianharris706]

I’m about to get these profile design ones. Great video for real help adjusting them. Please keep making them with all the excellent riders with efficiency points.

[@ozseppo]

After 2 hip replacements, a fractured pelvis, broken collarbones, ribs (Aussie rules, hockey, bikes), the T T bike is looking a little weird with more spacers added than you’ve had hot dinners. Without aero bars , my new road bike was able to hit 46.5 on the Turri downhill, with a cross wind. 45.0 on the TT bike! I’m thinking if I get the TT bars, I can sell the TT bike, and buy a new mtb, to break some more bones. Thanks, mate.

[@BobTheCratchit]

The manual for these made it seem way more complex than it was! Thanks for the video!

[@mrmatthewking]

Here's my experience: 1) you can't just do aero bars on their own on a road-bike-to-TT conversion and expect a good result. To do it properly, you need to also get a proper tri saddle, or you can't rotate forwards comfortably and you'll end up sitting no lower than just using drop bars, or be very uncomfortable. 2) to get the TT saddle (I use an ISM) in a good place, a straight or forward offset post is needed. 3) the stack height of road bikes means you'll typically want to set the bars and aero bars as low as possible. I use a really steep stem pointed down to get in a good position, as well as low-stack aero bars. I also got a base bar, brake levers and bar end shifters so I can swap the entier cockpit without needing to readjust everything (just need to re-do the cables which is easy). My bike (sorry about the average photo): forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=20583

[@211farissaputra7]

nice hack

[@rogerlahaye1948]

I totally agree. But for TT which is way shorter in duration as an ironman distance I would prefer the aero bars pads to go higher. Comfort vs. Aero. A too deep position will be brutal and Watts will not be maintainable for the average Joe like me:). Furthermore a steeper stem downwards is only usable for people with a normal ratio of upper/lower body or longer upper body with shorter legs. I e.g. am 1.83m and have relatively long legs with an inseam of 90 cm. Using a Large frame which suit my legs gives me a way to big reach. To compensate I installed a 30 degrees 50 mm downhill stem:) pointing upwards with as many spacers as possible. Bike fitting can be a pain;)

[@mrmatthewking]

@@rogerlahaye1948 where/how did you mount your saddle, and what sort of saddle was it? See my point 2, and point 1. Basically, you should be taking your road bike position and rotating it forwards around the bottom bracket. You shouldn't end up any more scrunched up or stretched out. I find my position decently comfortable - admittedly not doing IM's but it measures consistently with ideal recommendations (see slowtwitch). (FYI I am 185cm with 90cm inseam, 57cm frame with 180mm head tube)

[@rogerlahaye1948]

@@mrmatthewking Hi Mathew. I only wanted to say that everyones fysique is unique:). My saddle is a Fizik Tritone with rotated seatpost. Frame is a 58 cm. Madone with headtube length of 19cm. I added 6 cm. of spacers. So we just have totally different preferences:)). Another possibility is that your elbow pads sit higher. Mine are 3,5 cm above handlebars.

[@thejoyofheidi]

I’m fitting mine tomorrow with help from this video!

[@marlonm396]

Your video is pot on as i am looking to convert my vintage Bianchi Brava to a TT equivalent. Thank you for the detailed illustration. Cheers and happy riding..

[@peterjervis4358]

Just done this, the video was very helpful thanks. Felt some knee pain on the first ride so will move the seat forward too, hopefully will help.

[@tonyking1832]

I like the aero bars, in fact I have the same model profile bars shown in the video. I don’t have a TT bike and have used a lot of clip ons over the years. Last year I had my bike set up for road… I had left it set up in triathlon mode… the seat I hadn’t changed too much. Pro tip here (as I am training for another half Ironman), buy another seat and seat post to use for triathlon setup. And the road bike set up can be put back on later, as long as I measure the seat post height. Great video awesome advise. I also will need to adjust the stem height via spacers.. so noting what it was at before to change back is necessary. Thank you.

[@juliansedor7101]

You hav to be aerodynamic on that indoor trainer.

[@peterhomann2140]

And if you now find me the / a clip on compatible with the Canyon CP0018 (oval shape handlebar) cockpit without exchanging the entire set... well then you are THE MAN.

[@johngrant3010]

Do you have suggestions for neck fatigue from flexing upward to see periodically? Curious if there are yoga positions or other suggestions related to seeing the road ahead.

[@LoveatFirstHike]

I'm a roadie dipping my toes into triathlon and had no idea that clip ons were tri race legal (as they are not in road races)

[@marekholub8668]

No draft triathlons are essentially TT.

[@KM-pg1dd]

I have some PD T3+ set up on my Pinarello Gan and they give about 3-4km/h extra which is significant.

[@MrBJPitt]

Is that compared to when riding in an aero position on the road bike, or simply on the hoods in a comfortable position?

[@markrandio5462]

Very helpful! I always enjoy the GTN videos. I’m just torn between getting aero bars first or a cycle trainer first. I can only afford one or the other at the moment.

[@jamiefuhrman403]

Hi Fraser, I was recently told that putting electrical tape around the handlebars is actually a bad idea because it can cause slipping and instability. How do you reconcile that with the tradeoff of protection? Appreciate the advice!

[@tonyking1832]

Why no answers here from the video guy?

[@barakgooroo5082]

Priorities are elsewhere :* hehehehe

[@jeffreycamphens2191]

Are there some clip on aero bars avalible for aero steers, like the full integrated ones?

[@tknowlton100]

Added to my Cervelo S3 fitted with eTap. Added blip switches to the ends. Like everyone else, I am curious on the difference between clip on bars and a TT bike for a normalized power.

[@robertbotta6536]

So well done! Thanks mate.

[@jonathanzappala]

I found since arm pads already stick wel above the bar, on my rod bike I could take out all of the spacers below the stem. Unless your already on the wrong size bike most everyone should be able to do this. It’s a matter ch more supported position so you don’t need a lot of strength to hold it.

[@79devo]

Just bought a set for $20. Time to set them up and try out..

[@raihanrafi3665]

Need this on my MTB bike😆

[@inferno4001]

Interesting stuff. But what about clipping these extensions onto those wide aero handlebars??? Is this possible??

[@DANJONPEARCE]

great vid, what about putting the sadde up?

[@paulullmann6359]

please note that u might put some carbon grease underneath when u work with that material!

[@SimplicityForGood]

How to tell if the brand or model is right for you? There are so many types of wing bars plus even more aero bars on top of them with different shapes and length. Some go upward really high, others are flat, some professionals in their races seem to use really high risers on flat bars and so on.. I got input over-flood now 🤣 What do I need? How to know?

[@phlipphe3539]

Hi GTN Team, I startet Triathlon short ago. I own a Roadbike Merida Scultura Endurance with integrated handlebars (Merida Teams SL-1P). Do you know a solution for clip on tri bars for such integrated handlebars? Thanks and go on, Philipp

[@darit86]

When I put electrical tape on the original bar it was slightly moving and i think Profile Design also recommends no tape between base bar and extensions.

[@evanmacdougall9715]

I have had this issue, as well. I have the bolts tightened pretty tight, but will still notice that during/after a ride that sometime the bars will have rotated up or down a bit.

[@beaub650]

Your channel is fantastic content! Thank you so much. PS- more Lucy Charles please. :-)

[@indysbike3014]

I have some cheap 30€ carbon aerobars from ebay China and they are amazing. The vibrations are better controlled than aluminum aerobars and they weigh 295gr.

[@GlennGabrielMedia]

Which ones did you get, I'm interested!

[@hans6304]

Can you post a link to the product please, cheers!

[@josejoakingallastegivilanu9475]

Go for it

[@rudradevraman]

You hadn't mentioned flat top handlebars in the video. How would you add clip-on extensions to flat handlebars?

[@KM-pg1dd]

Rudradev Raman, in this case sadly you probably can’t.

[@jonathanzappala]

It’s really the same, you just have to have them in the fat prt of the handlebar, like he talked about in the beginning. Just make sure you buy ones that fit the size of your handlebar, 31.8 or 25.4.

[@jonathanzappala]

Oh and flat bars are farther away than drop bars, so err on the closest to you pad position

[@rudradevraman]

@@jonathanzappala I'm sorry, I miss worded my question. I meant flat top drop bars I have the ENVE SES Carbon aero bars and the round part is only where is the handlebar attached to the stem

[@jonathanzappala]

Rudradev Raman some brands make them for it but I don’t think enve is one. Giant does for propel aero handlebars. Lots of carbon bars say no aero bar use, even if they are round. I’d really like to see somebody invent one that clamps around the stem for these situations.

[@dannyiudici8895]

Hey guys...what do you think of the Redshift dual position seatpost and aerobars? Any experiences? A video maybe? Thanks

[@pandreoni85]

what models of aero bars can be added to an aero handle bar (also called wing bar - where is no possible to clip them on but it has a section for the aerobars)? Handle bars model is Vision Metro 4D flat. THANKS for your reply!

[@Seba-or9bn]

Can you tell me which air clip on bars these are? Or are there better ones now? Which? I have clip on bot they can’t be adjusted much and I can’t hold the position (too low) with neckpain etc after a minute.

[@diegolange6500]

Great video Marc! I wanted to race my first 2 triathlons this year with clip on bars but Covid didn’t allow it. One adjustment you didn’t mention is the saddle height. Compared to my road cycling position I had to lower the saddle slightly because of the different hip position. Any one doing the same?

[@nevilleprice726]

Looking to pop some on my Specialized Roubaix, any tips?

[@hans6304]

Neville Price did you pop em on your Roubaix? I have a roubaix too and having tt bars would add to the comfort of riding long distances I think.

[@SimplicityForGood]

can one install a front brake lever on the aero bike as a security brake?

[@marcogabrielperia790]

Can you react on tt mtb setup of HC MavErick?

Thanks! Hi in İstanbul.

[@regmen9677]

Can you please explain how to install a tri-bar on a aero handelbar ( i.e. metro vision 5D )

[@harrisonlaporta9007]

My handlebars are oval and not round at the connection to the bike. I can’t seem to find bars that would attach to that shape. Any suggestions?

[@janwedig7283]

Help! Ich bought the t2+ handlebars bit now i figgured out that my bar is to small, so i got room between the bar and the handlebar. Should i put some lyers of tape around the bar or is this to unsafe? Do you have some ideas? Thanks!

[@sammy8270]

Loved your review of heather Jackson's bike. Does anyone know of any brands that make extensions with holes pre drilled in them ?

[@zemeco]

profile desing or Redshift?

[@puplife9651]

When adding Aero Bars to my road bike and also adjusting the seat like you have, aren’t you concerned about getting it all adjusted back when you are just riding around or whatever ? Newbie question so don’t bash me if there is an obvious answer!

[@JackofNothingess]

That's a valid concern. You'd have to move the seat upwards and forward to compensate for the position change to keep your hip angle open. In order to switch back to road riding, you'd have to readjust them back.

[@tonyking1832]

See my comment earlier about that as I had some advise from a bike fit technician.

[@mediacriminal1]

What bars are the ones you mounted in video ?

[@gregoryvassilakos9972]

When adjusting my aerobars, I was told that my upper arms should be vertical. This is different from the advice given here that the upper arms should be parallel to the steerer tube. I am not sure it makes much difference in practice.

[@evanmacdougall9715]

I think more teams and bike fitters are realizing that comfort matters more than the actual angle. If you can't hold the position, you won't get all of the benefits of being aero. So, it's better to be a little more vertical if that feels better to you.

[@gregoryseverin4872]

What model of bars are these??

[@krishnansrinivasan830]

Nice & Thanks :)

[@rakeshbhatia1433]

Can we add the aero bars on a hybrid bike?

[@evanmacdougall9715]

This is timely. I just re-added my aerobars to my bike, this morning, for my 90 minute bike trainer workout. My question about the aero bars is how much space apart the bars should be. Should they be really close together near the stem, or can you have them wider apart? Do you get better control over the balance of your bike with the aerobars wider apart, but less aerodynamic benefits?

[@fabianstephan3368]

Almost 2years later but i was Wondering the same as I put Bars on my gravel bike for more comfort on longer distances. I would need to move them a little big because of the handlebar bags...

[@doggovision8765]

Did he mention torque values for alloy bars? I might have missed that.

[@STOMzA07]

where as these handlebars from?

[@lilkrayzie55]

What clip on bars do you use?

[@uneCENT]

I'd love to add clip-on but can't find the specs for the width of the clip on to know if it will fit my bars.

[@KarlHaupt]

I can't get my clip-ons to hold their angle. Any advice? I've used electrical tape; and even tried non-slip flooring; rubber wrapping etc. Anyone have a fool-proof method?

[@gregoryvassilakos9972]

I had a similar problem wit the carbon seatpost on my Kestrel. I cut a shim from a Budweiser can and glued it to the side of the seatpost that bears against the clamp. It stopped the slipping.

[@franklin0223]

Hi - I just got a Venge ViaS and purchased the specialized arrobarse to add on. However my Venge is not the one with the integrated stem and therefore the aero bars won’t fit it. Is there a work around/another set of aero bars I can get? Is it possible to change my stem to the integrated stem?

[@tylerpruett5675]

I'm pretty sure the viaS has a set of custom aero bars that can be purchased for that bar, but they are short in length designed for draft legal racing rules.

[@Jaaskelainen1993]

Anybody know if you can use clip ons on a ribble ultra slr ?

[@davidbrito9529]

I added clip on aero bars, actually profile design as well. But I found that tilting the saddle a little bit down to the front helped me put a lot more power in aero position. I did not have to move the saddle forward, but I did adjust the length of the aero bars much short so I would not be to stretched to the front. That has seemed to work out so far but I am getting a little pain in my lower back and I don't know why. Any suggestions?

[@peroperic3692]

Get a shorter stem. Your elbows should be placed on the pads, not behind them like on this video shown. Get a decent tt saddle to free up your hips.

[@nathaliesamyn3876]

I heard that the top (front) of your clip-ons should stay within a certain distance from your brakes. Is that correct?

[@tylerpruett5675]

For draft legal racing, the bar can not extend longer than the brake hood

[@jamesolson7415]

How far apart should your aero bars be

[@tonyking1832]

Whatever is comfortable and also you may not have too much width to adjust anyway as handle bars may change shape ie taper a bit etc. I find they can be quite close to the mid point of handle bars.. but not too close.

[@sjarouge]

buen video!!

[@brianbidelman9579]

is this bike a 21 speed

[@gingerdaniel]

How about how far apart should they be? Should my hands be touching when using them, is there any benefit in leaving a larger gap in between for comfort reasons? (achey shoulders etc)

[@gregoryvassilakos9972]

Mark and Fraser seem to have just enough space between their aerobars to get their fingers around them. The spacing between my aerobars is based on an aerobar bottle mount.

[@montojoleah5542]

Who among you here has aero bars on their Mountain Bike? Does it feel comfortable on long rides? Tyy

[@williesurvives1]

that's the worst thing you want to do is add tape to clamp area to avoid scratches

[@karenr.349]

I am overwhelmed with everything I have to do 😅😢

[@DeepEyes27]

I thought you need a special kind of rubber for protection and to seal the deal... ...glad an electrical tape is more than enough to save the day. 🤔

[@basv8456]

Yeah I was too late with the tape dammit :/

[@HannesFoulds]

As I was watching this video I started wondering if somebody is so mechanically challenged that you need a tutorial video to explain to you how to put on clip on bars perhaps you'd best be not working on your own bike. I was really expecting some great insight here that you can't derived by just looking at the damned bars.

[@peroperic3692]

Not to mention that this bike is obviously too long for him, his elbows are behind the pads, and not on them, his wrists will be stretched because those extensions are badly shaped, he tilts the aerobars on the naked aluminum clamp, hearing those creaks made me shiver, he brings the seat forward without tilting it e.g. he wants to ride on his scrotum, does not explain how to mount bar end shifters, I could go for days about on how many levels this video is wrong.

[@Nessunego]

Gained 10km/h speed compared to riding without aerobars.

[@zeez4178]

Not good camera angles

[@jearwood85]

I cant understand this dude