+1 with EDEN.

NEVER RIDE WITH AERO BARS IN A GROUP


if you want to be a TT racer wanna be with aero bars, that's your thing; but, don't have it for a group ride. Lately, there seems to be a fad of sort where people are riding TT bikes (like the Cervelo P3's and Kuota's ??) with full blown TT setup. The problem is, most are not experienced to handle the TT setup properly nor have the necessary conditioning to be riding a full TT bike. It's downright dangerous.

Having your arms rest near the head tube doesn't give you the control of your bike and unless you have a special setup, your brake is only on the horn and not on the aero so your response time to using the brake is significantly reduced. Even if you could get to the brake quickly you still don't have the control like you would with a regular setup. So I really can't see the use of aero bars except in TT's where you are willing to give up safety for seconds.

comfort factor?? If your bike is properly setup, it should be comfortable to begin with. The drop bar gives you several choices: in the drop, on the hood, on the top, And minor variations. Aero position is like riding in the drops but less safe. Your ham string and glutes need stretch more sof if they are tight, riding in aero position will give you back problems.

Now I do take my TT bike (Specialized Transition Pro) out for a ride every once in a while but its strictly business, very low traffic, very few stop signs/stops and I'm pushing for speed and endurance. No chit chatting. checking my speed, HR and gauging my exertion level.

Stay with your non-Aero bar setup.
Smilingcat