Decending in aerobars- just need practice???

[SBR]

Hi ladies,
This is my first time posting here...just a little background- I'm a 30-something mom of 2 (3yr old & 15mo old) living in AZ and just bought my 1st tri bike. I did mountain bike racing and road racing for about 10-years and started doing tri's about 3-4 years ago. I was racing on a Trek OCLV with clip-on aerobars but recently bought a Felt S22. It's an awesome bike, but decending in those aerobars FREAKS me out. I'm just so used to descending in the drops of my road bike with my hands right next to the trusty brakes! Any advice on how to decend without this look on my face when I get over 30-35mph?: I'm training for a 1/2 IM that has some serious decents and would love to be able to figure out how to ride this bike!
TIA!

[Running Mommy]

First of all welcome. I'm also a "Zonie" so always nice to have another desert dweller on the board...
As for your question... For me it just took many miles on the bike and getting used to it. I found my Quintana Roo to be super squirrely at first, but once I got used to it I was fine. In fact now I actually feel safer being down in the a-bars on descents. Of course my descents aren't usually THAT steep, but I can still get going.
I also have my arm pads adjusted so that I feel really stable down in the a-bars. So perhaps that might help?
I know I'm not being very helpful. Hopefully someone on here will have a better answer. Sorry....
Stay safe!
Denise

[Lise]

Welcome, as Running Mommy said. I'm from the flatland of Illinois, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. I did a tri this past Sunday in which I hit 30 mph going down an overpass. I felt perfectly comfortable in the aerobars because I knew I was on a race course. I'm only worried in that position when I may need to stop suddenly for a car or people in the road. The aerobars just take getting used to, in general. I felt great using them in this race--first time I've raced with them, but I've trained as much as possible in them. My bike time was much faster. Enjoy, and again, welcome to the boards.

[RoadRaven]

Aerobars are great downhill, uphill (as long as its not too steep) and of course on the flats...

The problem for me comes when you come to a corner when going downhill on the aerobars... no brakes and little ability to steer because of the change in your centre of gravity and hand position.

I tend to resort to the drops (I TT on a road race bike with aerobars - I have yet to get a TT specific bike) on downhills in a TT, I can still get very aero while having access to the brakes and more steering control on the corners.

My partner says to think of steering on aero bars as if you were riding a motorbike - that is rather than steering around corners, you lean your way around corners.

Me though... I stay on the aeros for as much of a TT as I can - but when I head down hill round corners, I go back to the drops. Your centre of gravity tends to be lower on the drops, and your weight distribution is different so it is a matter of getting used to the different position as much as the different way of steering.

Also remember while you are getting used aeros that in a cross wind, forget trying to use them... even experieced "seasoned atheletes" will tend to leave their aeros alone when there is a gusty cross wind.

[Lise]

Oh, yeah, corners in aerobars? Rarely. Like RR, I'm generally in the drops. Also, I learned that it's a bad idea to attempt to reach back for your Gatorade bottle with one arm still in the aerobars Whoa! NO control!

In general, though, I love the feeling in the aerobars. I feel much more like I'm "one" with the bike. It moves with my body, not just with my hands and arms.

[Running Mommy]

Lise you must have spaghetti arms!! I could never reach my rear bottles while in the a-bars!! You are talking about the bottle launchers behind the seat aren't you??! WOW!! sigh.. or maybe I'm just a squat thing!! ha ha

Hey Road Raven- HED is making a brake lever on their aerobar extensions now. I think it's on the right extension. It looks kinda cool. But yeah, whenever I may have to make a sudden manuever or a tight turn I always pull up out of my aerobars. Tho I have a true TT base bar so I have no drops.

[Lise]

No, I mean the bottle cages on the frame. I've got one facing forward, and one facing back. I always put the Gatorade in the back facing one. So there I am, trying to reach down under my seat, and grab a bottle that's facing away from me! Uh, no. Bad idea!

[SBR]

I kind of wish I got a "hybrid" tri bike that has drops, I've seen some of those, seems like the best of both worlds, but I imagine there are some negatives to that design.

RunningMommy- just scanned the board and saw you did IM AZ, huge congrats- that's awesome! That's my goal for 2008, once my kiddos are a bit older and I have more training time. Also, since you're from AZ, maybe you'd know some of the hills I'm referring to- I do a lot of rides to/from Saguaro Lake and Canyon Lake- are those crazy to be descending in aerobars in your opinion? I can see being in them on the IM AZ course (coming down the 87), but IMO these other descents are pretty nuts in aerobars, or am I just being a wuss?

[Running Mommy]

Hey SBR-
You know I'm a westside girl, and I've never ventured that far out north- east.. But I have heard that it's quite a ride!!
You know whatever you do, be sure you are comfortable! I don't care what others say, if you don't feel safe then you shouldn't be in the bars.
The other day I was riding with a crazy crosswind so even though I was going straight on a small descent I stayed out of my aerobars. Well this guy came zooming past me tucked in his aerobars and looked at me like I was a rookie. He wasn't much past me when a gust of wind about knocked him over. I SOO wanted to catch up to him and say "now do you see why I was on my hoods?/!!" - Cause I just KNOW what he was thinking "whats the point of riding a tri bike if your not going to be aero?"... He had that look!
Well, whatever you do- stay safe!!
maybe one day we can ride together. There seems to be a growing "zonie" contigent on the board.
Take care!
Densie

[KSH]

Well this guy came zooming past me tucked in his aerobars and looked at me like I was a rookie. He wasn't much past me when a gust of wind about knocked him over. I SOO wanted to catch up to him and say "now do you see why I was on my hoods?/!!" - Cause I just KNOW what he was thinking "whats the point of riding a tri bike if your not going to be aero?"... He had that look!

Now, that's FUNNY!!!!!

Guys... and their stupid egos.