Aero Bars?

[dachshund]

I'm curious about why they're undesirable in group rides. Is it that you can't control your line as well?

I'm not interested in getting them, but wondered if they had any value for the touring crowd. I'm always curious about other handlebar designs.

[Kimmyt]

I have clipons. I don't use them in group rides. Because the clip ons don't have brakes on them, so you have to switch positions to suddenly break. And the bike feels a bit more squirrely when you're in the center as opposed to steering in the drops.

It takes me 5 minutes to screw on my bars, so I usually only do it a few times before a tri to get used to the position again.

I think it's really a comfy position, personally, but don't see the need of it even for long rides. I find the drops just as comfy.

[PscyclePath]

I'm curious about why they're undesirable in group rides. Is it that you can't control your line as well?

I'm not interested in getting them, but wondered if they had any value for the touring crowd. I'm always curious about other handlebar designs.

A big reason is that you don't have quick or ready access to your brakes -- and when you need your stoppers, you usually need 'em badly ;-) Even the specialized time trial bikes that the pro rides and some triathlon folks use have the brake levers on the regular handlebars, not on the aerobars.

A lot of my female friends here buy and install aerobars on their bikes to help them cheat the wind...

Aerobars are specialty tools for special types of riding -- specifically to let you go as fast as possible in as straight a line as possible. Your balance on the aerobars as well as the way your bike steers is way different than if you're riding on the regular drops. In group rides, you need to have quick reaction and control of your bike in order to react to the actions of the riders around you, and you simply don't have that when you're on aerobars. Yes, pro riders do it in team time trials, but few of us mere mortals put in the practice that they do...

Tom

[dachshund]

A big reason is that you don't have quick or ready access to your brakes -- and when you need your stoppers, you usually need 'em badly ;-) Even the specialized time trial bikes that the pro rides and some triathlon folks use have the brake levers on the regular handlebars, not on the aerobars.

Um, yeah, I can see how that would be a problem. Thanks for the explanation.