Who uses Aero-profile road bars (Aerofly, Enve Aero, Aeronova, Zipp?)

[Avincent52]

My Tarmac is pretty much, well, done.
I upgraded the Romin saddle to a slightly narrower carbon Romin and that's awesome.

The only reasonable way to take some weight off is replace the alloy seapost (Fizik R3) and alloy bars with carbon alternatives. (Actually there's plenty of room to take weight off the rider, but that's another story, and I bought some marginally tight Rapha kit to handle that.)

That said, does an *aero* profile bar make sense?
I'm happy with the slightly compact drops of the 3T Ergosums I'm riding now, and in general I like the Rotundos or Deda Newtons too.

I'm assuming that someone has tried going "aero" and I wanted to get a sense of whether this was a worthwhile upgrade or if I should just get the carbon version of what I've got.

What is there to pick and choose among these bars in terms of profile, shape, weight, cable routing and other practical considerations?

FWIW, I'm just a guy who rides. I don't race, I ride in groups and I ride alone,
I have no interest in triathlons or time trials, but I'm not above adding a couple tenths of an MPH on the flats or having the bike just *feel* little faster.
Or even just look a little cooler.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VmsWeSGcbw0/U-hPwF3DCII/AAAAAAAAA_Y/qaRRX5jcddQ/s1600/0811VengeHB.jpg
Love to hear your feedback.

[rnhood]

I owned the ENVE aero bars and hated them. The place that the cable threads through creates an unwelcome hump near the curve and its very uncomfortable. Ended up taking them off and going back to my Wing Pros.

I have tried the Specialized Aerofly and liked it but this was only one demo ride. Often it takes a couple or more rides before you really know how they will work out.

Right now, I think its best to stick with what you have if you're comfortable. If you just want to try something else, then borrow one or your dealer may let you demo a set of bars. Some find the flatter top section to be comfortable. I find it no more comfortable than round or egg shaped tops. Anyway, its too big a risk to purchase expensive bars on a gamble.

If you don't typically take long pulls in a fast group, then you are just chasing the wind for speed. It ain't there. Stick with what you find comfortable.

[OtayBW]

'Cool' is fleeting....and overrated. As stated above: 'stick with what you find comfortable'. :rolleyes:

[Gummee]

I've got 'semi-aero' Ergonova Team Stealth bars on one of my bikes now. Nice feeling bars.

Its nice not feeling the cables beneath the bar tape.

I owned a pair of Aeronovas for about a day. Forgot to ask for Stealth and got red. Red trim on a black and orange bike? No. Sold em to a co-worker for what I bought em for.

M

[John H.]

1st- they wont be light. All are 250-270 grams. Some report that they are not as stiff due to flex of the aero wing (may or may not matter to you).
2nd-do you have Di2? They are a pain to route for mechanical shifting. Shifting can suffer due to more tight bends in the housing.
3rd- Do you climb a bunch? Do you climb on the tops? Tops can get slippery if you are sweaty, or if it is wet out. These bars are not meant to be taped on top.
You can tape them- but they would be less aero.

My suggestion is to not get them unless you are mostly concerned about the slight speed increase that they will provide on flat ground and/or you just like the way that they look.

[Tickdoc]

They have been good bars, and they look tons better when not covered up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/Handgod/3102EF37-EB9E-4D99-AF66-21F4CEBF7B57_zpsfl0wlonm.jpg

[echappist]

My Tarmac is pretty much, well, done.
I upgraded the Romin saddle to a slightly narrower carbon Romin and that's awesome.

The only reasonable way to take some weight off is replace the alloy seapost (Fizik R3) and alloy bars with carbon alternatives. (Actually there's plenty of room to take weight off the rider, but that's another story, and I bought some marginally tight Rapha kit to handle that.)

That said, does an *aero* profile bar make sense?
I'm happy with the slightly compact drops of the 3T Ergosums I'm riding now, and in general I like the Rotundos or Deda Newtons too.

I'm assuming that someone has tried going "aero" and I wanted to get a sense of whether this was a worthwhile upgrade or if I should just get the carbon version of what I've got.

What is there to pick and choose among these bars in terms of profile, shape, weight, cable routing and other practical considerations?

FWIW, I'm just a guy who rides. I don't race, I ride in groups and I ride alone,
I have no interest in triathlons or time trials, but I'm not above adding a couple tenths of an MPH on the flats or having the bike just *feel* little faster.
Or even just look a little cooler.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VmsWeSGcbw0/U-hPwF3DCII/AAAAAAAAA_Y/qaRRX5jcddQ/s1600/0811VengeHB.jpg
Love to hear your feedback.

the upgrade in aerodynamics is probably on par with, if not better than, a pair of 50-60 mm deep wheels (modern ones with blunt nose)

to get further aero, you can try going a size down as well. I went from 42mm to 40mm and would have done 38mm had Zipp made a traditional round bar in that size

one caveat is that mounting space would be at a premium and you'd need to get an out-in-front style mount for lights

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-liRhTj0zuJQ/VTaY7IINCSI/AAAAAAAADpA/A9OdDSFLZKE/s720-Ic42/IMG_0220.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cxFQ_xglMmQ/VTaYCHZGoDI/AAAAAAAADoo/CWMOf0sCqiE/s640-Ic42/IMG_0221.JPG

[berserk87]

I really don't like to be a wet blanket, but if being faster is a concern, it seems like there is not a lot of bang for the buck with a handlebar change. If fast is the key, then a lot of other changes offer greater potential reward, for perhaps less or no monetary investment.

If cool factor is the driving force, then that's a different animal. And that's not a bad thing, just different.

[echappist]

I really don't like to be a wet blanket, but if being faster is a concern, it seems like there is not a lot of bang for the buck with a handlebar change. If fast is the key, then a lot of other changes offer greater potential reward, for perhaps less or no monetary investment.

If cool factor is the driving force, then that's a different animal. And that's not a bad thing, just different.

same could be said for aero wheels, which barely saves you 5-6 watts at 25 mph, yet cost a lot more than handlebars

ditto for aero frames

[berserk87]

same could be said for aero wheels, which barely saves you 5-6 watts at 25 mph, yet cost a lot more than handlebars

ditto for aero frames

Why did you bold the word "seems"? Not sure I am understanding.

[carpediemracing]

I was pretty skeptical of aero wheel benefits at the beginning but after doing a bunch of back to back tests, intentional and not, I race tall aero wheels. I'm looking for max speed, and I'm pretty sure that the aero advantages at 38-40 mph are substantial, especially when typical margins at the end of a sprint are a few feet or so.

However I haven't tried aero road bars. I don't know what the return would be on my bike, which is small, has a crap ton of stuff happening around the stem, and generally is small. I'm guessing for me aero bars won't make as much difference because a bunch of other things aren't optimized (computer hanging in front of stem, cable hanging from that, brake cable coming down off bar, etc.

I do have the semi aero looking FSA Wing compacts. I tape the tops (considering removing the tape up top), they measure 41 cm or so, and they work fine. Felt no difference in aero/speed but I like the shape.

[Spdntrxi]

I also didn't like the enve aero bars because of the routing.. It's insanely tight .

Currently using Canyon H11 aerocockpit and I'm very happy.. There is s recess on the bottom so it's not really internal .. And my di2 thingy gets to hide too.

[echappist]

Why did you bold the word "seems"? Not sure I am understanding.

it may seem inconsequential, but may actually be substantial at least compared to what is accepted to be fast

most people see deep-section wheels and think speed

fewer people appreciate that the speed gain from a kinlin xr-279 to stinger 6 (for a front wheel) is within a watt of going from non-aero handlebars to an aero handlebar

a new set of stingers set you back $2000 for gain of 9W at 30mph, which means for every watt saved, you are spending $222

a new handlebar set you back $400 for gain of 5.6W, which means for every watt saved, you are spending $71, a third the cost of wheel.

Granted, my stingers cost $1000 used, and my bar cost $200, but the handlebar is definitely a better buy than the wheels

I was pretty skeptical of aero wheel benefits at the beginning but after doing a bunch of back to back tests, intentional and not, I race tall aero wheels. I'm looking for max speed, and I'm pretty sure that the aero advantages at 38-40 mph are substantial, especially when typical margins at the end of a sprint are a few feet or so.

However I haven't tried aero road bars. I don't know what the return would be on my bike, which is small, has a crap ton of stuff happening around the stem, and generally is small. I'm guessing for me aero bars won't make as much difference because a bunch of other things aren't optimized (computer hanging in front of stem, cable hanging from that, brake cable coming down off bar, etc.

I do have the semi aero looking FSA Wing compacts. I tape the tops (considering removing the tape up top), they measure 41 cm or so, and they work fine. Felt no difference in aero/speed but I like the shape.

typical aero savings (over a decent 30mm deep wheel) is about 40 grams or 5.8 W at 30mph for front wheel alone, or ~9W for a pair of wheels. Energy saving scales with cube of speed, so (1.3)^3 is 2.4x what it is at 30mph. 2.4 * 9 = 21.6 W, which is barely more than 2% when we are talking a sprint of 800W, or about half a mph faster when you are going at 40 mph.

[Avincent52]

Interesting thoughts.
I admit it's part cool, part fast.

That said, bars are a point of contact and one that you look at constantly. So it seems to me that spending some money on bars that are cool/attractive/faster (?) makes more sense than a similar investment in, say, a seatpost.

And really the question is carbon aero bars vs carbon round bars, and there's relatively little cost difference.

[fatallightning]

I'm looking at getting either the one piece Syncros Foil setup, or trying to find a set of deadstock Vuka Sprints in the classic bend. I prefer a classic bend, less choices there. May give the Aerotundo a shot. They make an alloy version that may land on my crit bike.

[kgreene10]

I also didn't like the enve aero bars because of the routing.. It's insanely tight .

Currently using Canyon H11 aerocockpit and I'm very happy.. There is s recess on the bottom so it's not really internal .. And my di2 thingy gets to hide too.

I like the idea of hiding the di2 junction box. Will the H11 work with a standard 1-1/8" steerer on a non-Canyon bike? How did you get the product? I know that Canyon doesn't ship to the US, but I can't even see the H11 on their website for shipping anywhere.

[Spdntrxi]

I use a giant stem shim since its 1-1/2... Lots of OD giant stems are 1-1/2 and come with the shim.. Fits perfect ...

Getting the product was pure luck .. eBay

[zap]

That said, does an *aero* profile bar make sense?
.

Maybe. But if you mount a display and/or a light and/or a bell and/or a camera.......no.

[echappist]

I'm looking at getting either the one piece Syncros Foil setup, or trying to find a set of deadstock Vuka Sprints in the classic bend. I prefer a classic bend, less choices there. May give the Aerotundo a shot. They make an alloy version that may land on my crit bike.

only for Aeronova

the aerotundo also has a ridiculous reach, which was another reason why i favored the vuka sprint

[Mark McM]

However I haven't tried aero road bars. I don't know what the return would be on my bike, which is small, has a crap ton of stuff happening around the stem, and generally is small. I'm guessing for me aero bars won't make as much difference because a bunch of other things aren't optimized (computer hanging in front of stem, cable hanging from that, brake cable coming down off bar, etc.

Using that logic, then a rear aerowheel shouldn't make a difference, given all the other stuff happening around it (frame, cranks, legs, drivetrain, etc.).

Like a front aerowheel, since the aerobars are right out front, they largely hit undisturbed air, so then can make a significant difference to the aerodynamics of the bike*. If you stand directly in front of a bike, and look at the bike at head tube level, you'll see that the handlebars make a large percentage of the total frontal area of the bike. Not as much as the front wheel maybe, but a significant portion. Given the relative cost of an aero handlebar vs. an aero wheel, it gives a pretty good bang for the buck.

As has been mentioned, the main downsides of aero handlebars are hand positions and accessory mounting. I have several bikes, but the only that has aero handlebars is the one I use primarily for racing criteriums. Since I don't need to mount lights or bags or other accessories, and comfort holding the bar tops isn't particularly important in a crit., the upsides outweigh the downsides on this particular bike.

*Of course, the aerodynamic drag of the bike is much smaller than the drag on the rider, so any gains on the bike alone can only be a fraction of total rider/bike drag.

[alancw3]

i have used the easton ec90 aero bar on my last three bikes. absolutely love it. the only bar after forty five years of cycling that i can sit in the drops all day long. oh and they are measured c-t-c with somewhat of a shallow drop. quality bar, expensive at $349 but you can find on the bay for like $220 new sometimes and even less used.

[zap]

edit

uality bar, expensive at $349 but you can find on the bay for like $220 new sometimes and even less used.

I recommend that folks be extra super careful when it comes to purchasing handlebars on Ebay and the like. There are a lot of fakes out there as well as hbars that failed QC but still made it out the side door.

[Spdntrxi]

eBay has a lot of fakes.. Especially zipp ..