# roadies: why do you hate aerobars so much? (long)



## Snirp (Mar 14, 2002)

Back in my newbie road biking days (approx 1999) when I first started spending less time on the trail I was a big Fred that rode an ancient Schwinn with my camelback and aerobars. I didn't know or ride with any other roadies and only did what I thought worked best for me. When I started riding with other roadies I soon discovered the contempt so many of them have for this particular set up - and no, I've never used the aerobars in a paceline. When I finally bought a modern road bike I succumbed to peer pressure and made the switch to cages and no aerobars and haven't looked back - until recently. Living in Minnesota, I've been looking for ways to extend the riding season so I put my old aerobars on my mountain bike in an effort to make cold, windy rides in the country more tolerable. I've re-discovered that I really like riding on aerobars. Not only do they reduce the wind chill effect on my face when it's cold, but they're also so comfortable and add to cruising speed. So now I'm contemplating going against the roadie grain and mounting a set on my road bike for those long solo rides I like to do in the summer. I know they are illegal for road racing and inexperienced users are often wobbly, but other than that, why the disdain and scorn? Are aerobars for time trials and tri-geeks only? Saturday rides often find me riding with a group for the first 40-50 miles, and then heading off for more miles solo when the married guys need to rush home to mow their lawns and spend time with their families. 

So my question is, if I showed up for your group ride with aerobars and didn't use them in a paceline setting, would I be welcome or an outcast? If you're an aerobar fan, feel free to recommend a set that fits 31.8 size bars. Comfortable and easy to take on and off would be best. If you hate them, what is it you dislike? Is it the comfort? Do real men suck it up and let their hands go numb and their backs ache? Is the extra speed considered cheating? What gives?

Thanks for your input! The Snirp

PS My Fred comments do not reflect my personal feelings - I realy don't care what people ride or wear as long as it's not dangerous to anyone else. Let me also mention for the third time that I would not be using the aerobars in a paceline. Only for solo riding, but I may keep them mounted out of convenience when not racing.


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## Len J (Jan 28, 2004)

*Couple of thoughts.......*

First of all, good luck finding someone who will let you ride in a paceline with Aerobars......I won't, even if I know you. It's just dangerous. and i won't ride behind someone in a line with them. If I don't know them, even if they tell me they won't ride on them in line, I'm nervous.

Secondly, for me, I ride to get a good workout, what do aerobars contribute to my workout? They make it easier to go faster?. so? I'm still putting in the same effort (as measured by my HR monitor), for the same time (since I'm doing a timed ride (as opposed to distance)). Aerobars do nothing for this except give me one less comfortable hand position, on the middle tops, in exchange for the hunched over aero position. I

Thirdly.for me, it's hard to ride aero with my seat in it's normal knee 2 cm behind the pedal spindle position without crushing the boys.......so I either have to be uncomfortable, or comprimise my normal position to get comfortable on the aero bars.

I have nothing against riders who like them, I have nothing against aero bars or riders that use them.......but for me they don't work.

And keep them out of my paceline.

Len

PS, I'm a fred too....camelback on longer rides. We're all freds to somebody.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

triathletes are notoriously bad bike handlers so seeing a dude with a TT bike heading towards your paceline is usually not a good sign. of course there are many exceptions, but for the most part, triathletes are not used to pack riding like road racers and can be skittish.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*over reaction...*

I no longer use aero bars, but back when I did, I regularly rode with a group of Ironman triathletes, who, of course, all used them. No problems ever occured on those 24-25 mph average speed group rides.

If I ever came upon a group of road racers, I'd immediately be admonished not to use "those aerobars" in their presence, or to ride elsewhere. A pretty unfriendly greeting, in general. Some folks just like to be a$$holes.

Real road racers would not use aero bars, unless they were training for time trials, since they aren't legal for mass start events. A properly fit road bike will not result in numb hands and a back ache. Aerobars can increase your average speed and are valuable on extremely long rides. If you ride with a group regularly, the members of the group should know that you won't use them, then nothing should be said.


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## Snirp (Mar 14, 2002)

*That's a good point....*

...about the change in seat position. I suppose I would have to find some compromise in my position to make it work for both. 

The faster ride thing makes sense too - although you could say the same thing about riding a mountain bike with knobbies - it's the same workout with less speed. It's not that I'm hung up on going faster, but why not go farther in less time if you're able to? Covering more distance can be satisfying.

I'm nervous as well when someone is riding in a pace line with aerobars, but when it comes down to it, they are the ones taking the biggest risk. They're the ones that will do the major face plant if wheels touch - but I hear what you're saying. Still potentially very dangerous for everyone around. 

Thanks for your input!


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## Snirp (Mar 14, 2002)

C-40 said:


> I no longer use aero bars, but back when I did, I regularly rode with a group of Ironman triathletes, who, of course, all used them. No problems ever occured on those 24-25 mph average speed group rides.
> 
> Good point - roadies often do seem to admonish tri geeks as bad bike handlers, but the true tri geeks I've ridden with use them so much that they are really quite adept at riding on them. I still wouldn't do it even if I thought I was capable of doing so safely simply because I know it bothers people. I my experience though, it's the roadies that use them infrequently for TT's that are the wobbly ones and assume eveyone rides like they do. Of course there are exceptions to every rule...
> 
> Thanks again for the input!


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## Cerddwyr (Jul 26, 2004)

C-40 said:


> I no longer use aero bars, but back when I did, I regularly rode with a group of Ironman triathletes, who, of course, all used them. No problems ever occured on those 24-25 mph average speed group rides.
> 
> If I ever came upon a group of road racers, I'd immediately be admonished not to use "those aerobars" in their presence, or to ride elsewhere. A pretty unfriendly greeting, in general. Some folks just like to be a$$holes.
> 
> Real road racers would not use aero bars, unless they were training for time trials, since they aren't legal for mass start events. A properly fit road bike will not result in numb hands and a back ache. Aerobars can increase your average speed and are valuable on extremely long rides. If you ride with a group regularly, the members of the group should know that you won't use them, then nothing should be said.


Seems to me that if you are back in the train, aero bars give you no benifit because the guy up front is doing all the work, and making a hole for you. Then you get to the front on your aero bars, and not only do you work less hard than everyone else, but you do a poor job of making a hole specifically because you are more aero. Nat exactly taking your fare share of the work load, now is it? Lastly, from the hoods one can just extend the arms to sit up a little and take the wind in the chest for very fine speed control, while maintaining directional control because the hands don't leave the bars. From aeros, you have to let go of the bars to sit up at all, and when you do you are sitting up to the tops, so the speed change is too extreame. And both maneuverablity and breaking are compromised on the aeros. Sure, most often nothing happens, but when it does, the chances of safely avoiding a train wreck are much better with everyone on the hoods.
In the end, aero bars are for solo riders who's goal is to get from a to b in the least amount of time. They are not for people doing group rides, concerned with improving conditioning and bike handling skills.
Just my $0.02 anyway.

Gordon


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## BenR (Dec 14, 2001)

*roadie here who doesn't care*

Where I live, most group rides are 5 people, sometimes as big as 15. We all know each other pretty well and there's never more than one or two greenhorns. Sometimes we get a few tri geeks with their aerobars, but they also happen to be familiar with pace lines. They are way less scary than a typical cat 3 pack and are quite welcome to ride in our group.

Anyone who has ridden with aerobars for a few miles is usually accustomed to the way their bike handles with them. Our triathlon guys stay out of the aerobars when they are in the middle of the paceline or otherwise need to be near their brakes. Most of the time, they're up front hammering away in their aerobars while the rest of happily suck wheel in base mile mode. I'm much more concerned about the roadie wanna be up front who is trying to show off his newfound jacket removal skills in a gusty crosswind or people who freak when a grinning labrador comes out to watch them crash. 

It sounds like other people have had problems with people who show up with aerobars and cause problems, but I have yet to feel threatened in any way. Roadies should remember that they rarely ride in aerobars (most don't even practice time trialing, unfortunately for them) and it feels wierd, but triathletes are used to them, and they usually aren't set up as aggressively and unbalanced like typical 15 mile tt bikes. Now, many triathletes (who tend to have aerobars on their bikes) lack any sort of group riding skills, so maybe we should outlaw them and not their aerobars? Heaven forbid we give someone time to learn and maybe be humbled in the process. Anyone in a paceline had to learn at some point.

Maybe my group is small enough or experienced enough to deal with it. Our triathletes are also older and tend to show better judgement than the typical eighteen year old. If getting "stabbed" by aerobars in a wreck is a concern, give me a break. There's plenty of other dangerous things out there that can impale or kill you so get over it. I don't use them in everyday riding, but if someone wants to use aerobars and isn't acting like an idiot, it's their choice.

With regards to the original poster's question, I've heard that triathletes really like the Syntace "C2's"? They've been around for a while and aren't particularly flashy, and cost too much like all other pieces of aluminum in the bike industry, but they're supposed to be practical to use with a decent amount of adjustability. If I used aerobars often, I'd probably try to find a pair of Profile Design Streamliners, the one piece clip ons with the armrests that flip up, so you can sit up and ride on the top of your bars. If you plan on spending more time in the aerobars than normal position, I'd give the Syntaces a try. They always seem to be a bit cheaper and better made (bolts tend not to strip out as easily) than the comparative profile design model. 

If you're looking at integrated aerobars, Profile Design AeroX Carbons or whatever they are called, are expensive and carbon, but again, have very good adjustability. Things like Cinelli Angel and Vision Tech Pros are very good for time trials (stiff and aero) but are pretty aggressive and not terribly adjustable - probably not what you want for just riding along. I'm not an aerobar expert, this is just from my limited experience with bottom end clip ons and what I've seen and heard from other people. I've also been researching the vision techs and angels for my tt bike. Anyone looking to sell, feel free to let me know.


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## jbrumm (Aug 8, 2004)

Aero bars were designed for solo riding. What's the big deal? Wanna ride fast solo, then use aero bars. Wanna ride safe in a group, then ride drop bars.


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## asgelle (Apr 21, 2003)

How about this theory. We roadies show up for a group ride without aerobars and we know that to go faster, we have to work together in the group to share the effort and are dependent on each other. Now someone new shows up with aerobars and it's as if he's saying he doesn't care about working cooperatively in the group; instead of depending on other riders, he'll just bolt on some aerobars to get that extra speed.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*missed the point...*

Never said the aero bars made sense or had an advantage in a group. About 1/3 of these guys were training for the ironman. They used the aero bars because it would not make sense to train in a position different from the real event. These guys didn't care what anyone else used or didn't use. There were several riders so strong that none of them wanted to give up the front. They were there purely for the most brutal workout possible. The rest of us struggled just to stay in the draft. The only time I got revenge was on the hills. The tri guys tended to mash big gears, so I often launch a standing attack on the hills and left them behind (briefly). Of course I would later get caught on the flats, but there were two hills near the finish that made the tri guys work darn hard to get to the finish first. Consider though, that these guys had been working hard at the front for over an hour while I drafted in the back and occasionally attacked. If I wasn't in my best shape, I'd get dropped sometimes. I can remember riding for a couple of miles with my HRM at 198 and I new I was doomed.


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## filly (Feb 6, 2003)

In my neck of the woods, it's black and white. Only 2 kinds of people are on aero bars at a group ride. Non-serious, or chronically out-of-shape roadies and tri-geeks. The first category can be characterized by the fat lady at the gym. You've seen her there for 2 years, yet she hasn't lost an ounce. This guy has the aero bars, and they will almost always be higher than his saddle. A true roadie does not show up to a group ride with aero bars. The second category is the tri-geek. Simply put, I don't like tri-geeks. Triathlon is a fad, or the hip thing to do down here. How many fully spec'd Trek TT rigs do I see in the spring only to see them hanging from a ceiling in the summer. For this reason, the "trendy" factor, I don't like tri guys.


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## JTS628 (Apr 22, 2003)

filly said:


> Simply put, I don't like tri-geeks. Triathlon is a fad, or the hip thing to do down here. How many fully spec'd Trek TT rigs do I see in the spring only to see them hanging from a ceiling in the summer. For this reason, the "trendy" factor, I don't like tri guys.


Please. Due to the Lance years, road is way trendier than tri, or even mountain biking right now. I wonder how many miles all the 5XXX series bikes sold in the past 5 years have seen on average?

As for aero bars, I'm always amazed by how rigid cyclists can be about totally useless things ("too many" headset spacers, bar ends on risers, etc.). As long as you don't use them in a paceline (which the original poster said he did not 3 times), why should even "true roadies" care?


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## fiddledoc (May 28, 2003)

*it's about aethetics*

Just a few things that no one has pointed out here. Serious cyclists tend to display certain aesthetic preferences:
1. They (ok, we) prefer to be minimalists. Absolutely nothing on the bike if it's not necessary.
2. We're neurotic about things like symmetry and proportion. Be honest, now--who amongst you could stand the thought of riding a bike with two brands of wheels, or two different water bottle cages? And mixing Shimano and Campy? Oy!

Let's face it--regardless of what Lance says, it is about the bike. 

Oh, and aero-bars do look totally ridiculous.


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## Todd_Fuller (Jan 22, 2004)

In my opinion, the whole aerobar issue is one where a few rotten eggs can spoil it for everyone. I regularly do a large group ride each week with at least 50-70 riders. Of that, perhaps 10-15 have aerobars. Those riders are just as safe as all the others. In the past, though, I've ridden in the rain with some guy who wanted to coast in our paceline down in the aerobars... this is IN THE RAIN. This special guy doesn't seem to care about his or anyone elses safety even after a stern talking to by someone who leads the ride. I don't think people who use aerobars are any more dangerous than those that don't. You can get a feel for a rider that's good or not just by watching them, however, you never know if that rider with his aerobars is going to get down in them at an bad time. It really comes down to some moron doing something so dangerous that you keep an eye on anyone you think might do the same, unfortunately, it ends up being guys with aerobars. You can easily spot the newbies because they're weaving all over the road, but guys with aerobars, you can't be 100% sure they're good, responsible riders.


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## 2Fast2Furryious (Jun 11, 2004)

Look, if you like aerobars then learn to swim and run or break 50min in a 40k TT. Otherwise, take them off, train alone or lean Michele Bartoli-style on the drop bars to get into a semi-tuck. They freak people out and there is nothing you will ever be able to do about that.

Funny...makes me think of my old roommate, who had silver Marin cheapo mtn bike and had matching green decal aerobars on it. FUUUUUGLY!


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## P-Quoddy (Oct 25, 2004)

C-40 said:


> Never said the aero bars made sense or had an advantage in a group. About 1/3 of these guys were training for the ironman. They used the aero bars because it would not make sense to train in a position different from the real event. These guys didn't care what anyone else used or didn't use. There were several riders so strong that none of them wanted to give up the front. They were there purely for the most brutal workout possible. The rest of us struggled just to stay in the draft. The only time I got revenge was on the hills. The tri guys tended to mash big gears, so I often launch a standing attack on the hills and left them behind (briefly). Of course I would later get caught on the flats, but there were two hills near the finish that made the tri guys work darn hard to get to the finish first. Consider though, that these guys had been working hard at the front for over an hour while I drafted in the back and occasionally attacked. If I wasn't in my best shape, I'd get dropped sometimes. I can remember riding for a couple of miles with my HRM at 198 and I new I was doomed.


Sounds like the perfect way to disband a group ride. These guys should have been training for the Iron Man on their own instead of disrupting a group ride. If you don't want to give up the front and are there purely for the most brutal workout, why on earth would you go on a group ride? Are they there to impress people? 
If I was group ride leader, I'd ask them to train on their own. Pretty soon, you'll find the regular cyclists leaving the group. If a group ride is historically a 50 or 70 mile ride, the whole thing get's f'd up when you have people coming in who want to sprint all out for 15 miles, then head home. It's just natural for people to want to chase. Then the group gets strung out and the entire crew is now just five or eight mini-groups of three and four, who have to ride that way for another 50 miles. If you are one of the few who can stay at the front, you have no problem with it because the entire affair is an ego stroke. But pretty soon, you'll find yourself stroking your own ego riding alone.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

Aero bars or no aero bars, crashing in a group ride risks other riders, too!! Others have to avoid your fall, dude.


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## bimini (Jul 2, 2003)

*First, I keep aerobars*

permanently attached to my winter beater hybrid bike. Like you said. it does a lot to cut down on the wind chill. Second, my hands fatigue in 15 minutes on the mountain bike bars for some reason. I can ride all day on road bars. 

I do not use the aerobars on my road bike, except for TT and Timetrial specific training (and not much of that).

Would I ever show up on a fast group ride, or a racing team ride with aerobars. No, way. Roadies just don't like Trigeeks. I don't want to get labeled a Trigeek. I need to be able to ride close in with these folks and not get forced out into the wind in racing situations. If they know you, and respect you, they might let you rest in the slipstream. If they don't you find your self out in the wind, during a surge with no way to clamp back on. Someone who shows the slightest sign of being a Trigeek gets forced out into the wind. Yeah, it may not be right or politically correct, but it's just the way it is. I never hear the word Fred being used at the races around here. But the Trigeek word is used frequently, people keep their eyes open to handling skills and make mental notes as to who they can trust being in tight quarters with. Even if you had the best handling skills in the world, people would make a mental note of you if you showed up with Tri bars. It hurts going down on asphalt or concrete at 25-35 MPH so why take the chance with a TriGeek.

Now, there is a casual rider group in town. I would not hesitate showing up on one of their rides with the tribars. it is a non competitive group that could care less what you are riding or how you look. Pacelines rarely form and if they do they are very loose with a lot of space between the bikes. I've seen a lot of aerobars on those rides. Mostly with high handle bars, not very aero. they use them as another comfort position for the long 50-80 mile rides they do.



Snirp said:


> Back in my newbie road biking days (approx 1999) when I first started spending less time on the trail I was a big Fred that rode an ancient Schwinn with my camelback and aerobars. I didn't know or ride with any other roadies and only did what I thought worked best for me. When I started riding with other roadies I soon discovered the contempt so many of them have for this particular set up - and no, I've never used the aerobars in a paceline. When I finally bought a modern road bike I succumbed to peer pressure and made the switch to cages and no aerobars and haven't looked back - until recently. Living in Minnesota, I've been looking for ways to extend the riding season so I put my old aerobars on my mountain bike in an effort to make cold, windy rides in the country more tolerable. I've re-discovered that I really like riding on aerobars. Not only do they reduce the wind chill effect on my face when it's cold, but they're also so comfortable and add to cruising speed. So now I'm contemplating going against the roadie grain and mounting a set on my road bike for those long solo rides I like to do in the summer. I know they are illegal for road racing and inexperienced users are often wobbly, but other than that, why the disdain and scorn? Are aerobars for time trials and tri-geeks only? Saturday rides often find me riding with a group for the first 40-50 miles, and then heading off for more miles solo when the married guys need to rush home to mow their lawns and spend time with their families.
> 
> So my question is, if I showed up for your group ride with aerobars and didn't use them in a paceline setting, would I be welcome or an outcast? If you're an aerobar fan, feel free to recommend a set that fits 31.8 size bars. Comfortable and easy to take on and off would be best. If you hate them, what is it you dislike? Is it the comfort? Do real men suck it up and let their hands go numb and their backs ache? Is the extra speed considered cheating? What gives?
> 
> ...


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

It's a tribal thing. If you look or act different, the tribe will throw stones at you.........As it should be.


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## Keeping up with Junior (Feb 27, 2003)

*My Thoughts*



Snirp said:


> inexperienced users are often wobbly, but other than that, why the disdain and scorn?


Even experienced riders have a hard time riding a straight line when in their aerobars. Not wobbly but certainly not straight. Can you ride your aerobars on rollers for a whole session? Speeds can be inconsistent as you can't shift (assume clipons) to maintain proper cadence and you cannot adjust speed in subtle ways by sitting up and catching a little wind. In addition there are other handling concerns mentioned by others including braking, quick reactions to steer around obstacles, crashes and dogs, fields of vision. The disdain and scorn comes for the pack mentality and their goal of keeping the paceline a safe environment. 



Snirp said:


> Are aerobars for time trials and tri-geeks only?


Or solo rides. 



Snirp said:


> So my question is, if I showed up for your group ride with aerobars and didn't use them in a paceline setting, would I be welcome or an outcast?


OK for OUR group as long as you didnt use them in the paceline. But I would keep an eye on you for several miles to make sure you did not forget and to evaluate your other handling skills. Of course I rarely allow myself to end up following the wheel of a new (to our group) rider.

The thing is you need to adhere to the formal and informal rules of YOUR group. If the group you regularly want to ride with has determined that not only do they not want riders in the aerobars they also do not want riders to even have them mounted then there are some decisions to make. You need to decide if you want to remove the aerobars so you can ride with the local group. The local group needs to decide if it is willing to turn away potential riders because of a percieved safety or aesthetic issue. 

The thing about groups is their choices are not always driven by logic and are sometimes based on past biases that no longer apply. If you want to be accepted you either conform, be a free spirit or change the groups attitudes. Why do racers shave their legs? Why don't racers use Camelbaks? 



Snirp said:


> If you hate them, what is it you dislike? Is it the comfort?


While I am fit and enjoy riding fast my enjoyment of riding also comes from the social aspect. To ride in a group aerobars are not necessary and may result in you being excluded from some groups.



Snirp said:


> Do real men suck it up and let their hands go numb and their backs ache?


Real men have a properly fitting bike. Real men do exercises to enhance their core strength and stretching to allow them to ride comfortably. 



Snirp said:


> Is the extra speed considered cheating?


An organized group should be able to drop a single individual in aerobars. If you are wearing numbers there are published rules to determine if you are cheating. If you are not wearing numbers then it is not really a race so you are not cheating.



Snirp said:


> Let me also mention for the third time that I would not be using the aerobars in a paceline. Only for solo riding, but I may keep them mounted out of convenience when not racing.


This is probably the reluctance of groups to allow aerobars. You had to mention three times you dont use them in pacelines. Well often you need to remind some riders more than three times not to use them in your paceline. That means dont use them in the middle of the pack. That means dont use them when you are on the front. That means dont use them in the back when you are next to another rider. It simply means dont use them. But just like the people who could not read your three reminders there are riders who cant listen and follow rules.


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

You live in Apple Valley and you are still riding?! You are insane! (I'm in Mpls...).


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## onrhodes (Feb 19, 2004)

My 2 cents.
In my area, there are plenty of rolling hills and steep hills. Using Aerobars would just hinder more then help. Therefore it is kind of a useless to use aerobars on a group ride.
Secondly, no matter how good of a bike handler you are, there is just no reason to have your hands so far away from your brake levers in a group ride. 
Just watching the Tour Team TT and seeing those guys crash is enough to make you question the sensibility of riding with a group and being on aerobars (and they are only 9 people).
There is a group of us that meets on Tuesday nights at a local school. A group of Tri guys also meet there and do their thing too. We normally get anywhere from 4-10 guys on our ride and the Tri guys get 5-25. In 3 years our group ride has had 2 crashes. Both involving dogs.
In 3 years the Tri guys have probably had 20+ plus crashes. Is it all to blame on them using aerobars? I don't know, but when our group is small enough and we join theirs, there is plenty to see to make me believe that the tri-bars play a significant role in their crashes.


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## RedRex (Oct 24, 2004)

*Two things..*

We have people show up for our group rides with aerobars, but I've never seen anyone use them in a pack. So as long as you don't use them you should be fine. However, if it was me I would take them off before group rides.

Plus, social order will dictate that you will always be "that dude with aerobars". Some roadies won't take you as seriously, just the way it is.

I never ride my TT bike in group settings.

RR


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## plus_vite (Feb 3, 2004)

*Since you asked...*

Nobody has a stronger anti-aerobars bias than I. Linked as they are to the hideous travesty that is the Triathlon, aerobars should be seen as the device that tries to destroy cycling. They are a scourge! Their usefulness is limited to Time Trialing (all these arguments as to improved speed and comfort are justifications for their purchase after the fact). They are the perfect example of style over substance, as useful as a 100 pound hammer searching for a 6 foot nail.

For me, aerobars are inextricably linked to the Triathlon debacle. (You know the joke: what do you call a person who can't swim, can't bike, and can't run? A triathlete!) Let's face it: the triathlon was a silly idea (I hesitate to call it competition) that should have never caught on. Now many of these, um, well-rounded superathletes want to come out to organized bike rides and fight with us for space in the group. Of course, the triathlete places more emphasis on the exhibition of the bicep (another scourge: the sleeveless jersey!) than on bike handling skills, so the experenced road cyclist has the choice of educating the aerobar user or avoiding him/her. Thank God for hills!




Snirp said:


> ... I was a big Fred that rode an ancient Schwinn with my camelback and aerobars. ...Are aerobars for time trials and tri-geeks only?
> 
> So my question is, if I showed up for your group ride with aerobars and didn't use them in a paceline setting, would I be welcome or an outcast?
> Thanks for your input!


If you showed up at our local club's rides with aerobars, you would be welcomed. If I saw you in a paceline on the aerobars I would probably say something to you. Stay off of them in a paceline and there is no issue.

-PV


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## plus_vite (Feb 3, 2004)

*NOT an overreaction...*



 C-40 said:


> I no longer use aero bars, but back when I did, I regularly rode with a group of Ironman triathletes, who, of course, all used them. No problems ever occured on those 24-25 mph average speed group rides.


As a cyclist who has ridden tens of thousands of miles in club/group ride scenarios, I can assure you that the anti-aerobar bias is NOT an overreaction.

Most of the issues I've seen deal with fast club rides (pseudo races, really) held on weeknights, sicne you don't see many tri-guys doing long distance. So many times, I've witnessed the aerobar user (usually a triathlete) enter into the mix with a good deal of power and very little handling skills. The aerobars (often accompanied by the dreaded index shifters on the bar ends) just make things worse.

Too many aerobar users don't get it. They are intensely competitive (no problem) but highly individualistic (can be a problem). They just don't understand group riding dynamics. A simple concept like keeping your place in the line is alien to them.

And there's no resolution to this issue, either. Everytime I've said something to riders who were obviously dangerous, the aerobar user is *always defensive*. We become jerks and they become victims of our jerkiness.

They just don't get it.

-PV


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## Snirp (Mar 14, 2002)

*maybe slightly insane...*



filtersweep said:


> You live in Apple Valley and you are still riding?! You are insane! (I'm in Mpls...).


..but this past weekend wasn't too bad. You're right though, there aren't too many people in suburbia still riding. I think I'll be indoors Friday and this coming weekend when the temps are supposed to hit -20!


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## Utah CragHopper (May 9, 2003)

fiddledoc said:


> Serious cyclists tend to display certain aesthetic preferences:
> 1. They (ok, we) prefer to be minimalists. Absolutely nothing on the bike if it's not necessary.
> 2. We're neurotic about things like symmetry and proportion.


How do you explain the poularity of compact frames, then?

As far as aero bars go, I'll make a confession and say back in the day I used to ride with them. Not only that, I also often used a Unidisc on the rear wheel. And rode with running jerseys tucked into my shorts, or other tops that exposed a lot of flesh. I was a fred.

Now, even though some of my triathlete friends have asked me why I don't use them for things like centuries, I just don't see the need. I'm comfortable without them. For training they offer no benefit since I don't do duathlons any more. And to get a good aero bar position requires a shorter stem and it has to be set at a different height than what I like use use with a regular drop bar.


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## Snirp (Mar 14, 2002)

orange_julius said:


> Aero bars or no aero bars, crashing in a group ride risks other riders, too!! Others have to avoid your fall, dude.


That's very true and I agree - no one likes to crash - and certainly no one wants to be the cause of a crash. I was just stating that you may have a better chance of catching yourself with your hands, and hopefully avoiding more serious injury, while in normal roadie position than with your face hanging over the front wheel. Both will suck though!


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## benInMA (Jan 22, 2004)

They really have no benefit in the group ride so what is the point?

If you are using them alone as they are intended, there will be no one else to give you a hard time.

The vast majority of aerobar users I see on the road are fat & out of shape, are riding a bike that is not set up correctly (aerobars above the saddle, etc..), and are lucky to be doing 15mph. They would never have any business showing up for any of the competitive group rides in the area, and I haven't seen them do so.

BUT, if they did I am sure they would be told to remove the bars or go home. Everyone else is there to train for USCF races, and the bars are illegal for USCF mass start racing.

If you are a triathlete, why would you be going on a road training ride anyway? It is arguably not the most beneficial training for a triathlete since triathlons do not involve group riding dynamics, surges, attacks, etc..


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

Utah CragHopper said:


> How do you explain the poularity of compact frames, then?


Marketing.


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## Utah CragHopper (May 9, 2003)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> Marketing.


Good answer.


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## NTM (Jul 20, 2004)

*aero bars*

I keep the aero bars on my bike for group rides. Why? Don't feel like switching between my bullhorns and drop downs between solo and group rides. Just stay out of the aerobars for group rides and you have just as much stability as the next guy who's just riding on his top bar.


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## homebrew (Oct 28, 2004)

*depends were you ride*



NTM said:


> I keep the aero bars on my bike for group rides. Why? Don't feel like switching between my bullhorns and drop downs between solo and group rides. Just stay out of the aerobars for group rides and you have just as much stability as the next guy who's just riding on his top bar.


I suppose that I would use areo bars more if I was riding on long solo rides in the mid west. I live on the east coast with lots of hills and mountains. We also have lots of traffic. I do not feel as safe on areo bars in traffic and I don't like to carry anything up a steep mountain that I don't have to. A bit of a problem going down tight switchbacks as well. When I see someone in the high country riding areo bars it makes me wonder what advatage they provide but if its your thing, enjoy. In regards to pacelines, I see so much dumb stuff that I would not pick out areo bars, JMO


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## al0 (Jan 24, 2003)

Cerddwyr said:


> aero bars are for solo riders who's goal is to get from a to b in the least amount of time. They are not for people doing group rides, concerned with improving conditioning and bike handling skills.
> Just my $0.02 anyway.
> 
> Gordon


 So what abiut team time trials?


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## al0 (Jan 24, 2003)

P-Quoddy said:


> Sounds like the perfect way to disband a group ride. These guys should have been training for the Iron Man on their own instead of disrupting a group ride.... .


If you have read initial C-40 post before answering you would notice the he was joining a *group of thriathletes*, not few thriathletes have joined roadies group ride. So ypur comment completely miis the point. Sorry


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## Cerddwyr (Jul 26, 2004)

al0 said:


> So what abiut team time trials?


TTTs are the rare exception, rather than the rule, as far as overall time spent riding by all road cyclists. Most recreational riders, the kind that someone on a tri bike is likely to come across while riding, will never do a TTT in their lives, and a race team out training for a TTT is not going to allow anyone on the train, tri bike with aeros or not.
My understanding (very possibly a flawed understanding, I will admit) is the original post was questioning why general roadie types disdain other cyclists with aero bars, not whether aero bars had any actual value for a professional road racer contending a very specific race type.

Gordon


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