Does anyone use tri bars on a normal road bike. I'm thinking of getting some for my commuter as I have a couple of miles over open heathland and the prevailing wind means that I often have a head wind and when it picks up you can really feel it drag. I'm not looking to spend a fortune and have seen some clip on type ones for less than £40 or are these really rubbish.
Thanks
Bike Forum
Tri bars
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Posted 11 months ago #
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I have used them and they make a noticable difference but your control is markedly reduced
Posted 11 months ago # -
Yep you can, but be prepared to,
- be shunned by roadies as a triathlete who knows nothing about bikes
- be shunned by triatheltes as they don't do groupsOr save £40 and think of the extra resistance as training.
Ohh and the brakes aren't far out enough on normal bars so holding onto the hoods is uncomfortable/impossible depending on the design.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Many years ago I had a cheap set, they were fine once I got used to them. As said control is reduced & time to grab the brakes is increased. They do make a difference if you are fast enough to get the benefit.
Posted 11 months ago # -
dirty.
Posted 11 months ago # -
The only things I will need to slow for are the ponies or cows if the cross as the road is straight and there are no junctions. With out a head wind I normal sit at around 20 mph (30 is possible with a tail wind) where as I have been as slow as 12 with a really strong one and it starts to grind day after day as it's completely exposed.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Tossing the "shunning" reasons above, the cheap ones on wiggle are spot on. Not the heavy, adjustable enough and make a difference to me on my road bike (although it is in Tri mode at the moment).
I dropped the bars to get a better aero position, but I imagine they'll do what you want and reduce your head wind issues. At that price it's worth a punt.
Posted 11 months ago # -
I've got the Token bars above and use them for all variety of time trialing and triathlon as well as long solo rides. They're great for the money and only lack vertical adjustment. This is only really an issue when you want to tweek your aero tuck position slightly without altering the base-bar height by adding/removing stem spacers.
Pwllheli Triathlon Bike by Surfrdan, on FlickrPosted 11 months ago # -
surely you could acheive the position above by just riding on the drops.
your back is a LONG way from flat in that pic.
looks like bars either need to be further down or further forward to me.
that looks like clip ons for the sake of it.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Hardly a flat back for Lance either and yet he was OK at TTing somehow.
It is more important to bring the arms inboard than be down on the drops or horns dragging your arms through the air.
I've got the most aggressive ROAD frame that I could find but my stem has a slight rise on it and I could lose 3mm of spacer to slam the stem right onto the headset. The tri bars as mentioned above lack any vertical adjustment so that's as good as it gets. As for the reach, I feel it's right and may become illegal if I was to move the bars further forward. Finally, I don't think the angle of the photo does any favours. I might try and film myself in perfect profile to get a better idea of my position.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Tri bars? You may look like a
Also, BRR speaks the truth:
NOTE TO ALL YOU ****TARDS OUT THERE: UPHILL TIMETRIALS IN THE ITALIAN ALPS ARE THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE PLACE TO USE TRI BARS.
FULL ****ING STOP.
And seriously, a couple of miles commuting you won't be shaving any time off at all really. It barely makes any difference, just stick your forearms on the tops sometime and try it without the bother of buying and fitting some new bars (and this way you look cool, instead of like a triathlete). Don't blame me if you fall off.
Surfr, it may be the pic, but that bike looks way too small for you, you must be almost completely upright on the hoods? Or have you got a really short stem?
Posted 11 months ago # -
I had some clip ons, but they were a bit too high really, wasn't worth the effort. If I could get them that slung under the bars, that'd be more interesting.
Posted 11 months ago # -
In the netherlands I saw loads of people using them on sit up and beg bikes for use into a headwind.
who cares what the fashionistas think - into a headwind they make a significant difference which is what the OP wants them for. Its to do with the position of your hands - you can feel the drag drop as you drop onto the bars.
Posted 11 months ago # -
surely you could acheive the position above by just riding on the drops.
Yes but then you'd be supporting your weight with your muscles rather than your skeleton. I'm sure my back isn't flat on my tri bars, but I definitely gain 2kph or so for the same effort and I can happily stay on the tri bars for an hour. I don't think I could sit and ride on the drops for that long without ruined arm muscles.
Posted 11 months ago # -
If they're set up right, they allow you to move forward on your saddle and completely change the mechanics of your pedaling style.
That probably makes as much difference as the aero advantage.
Yes, you can tuck your elbows in and grip either side of the stem (as you often see when descending) but to alter your position in relation to the BB, you need something to lean on.
I used to use them for 10s on an ordinary roadbike and they do make a difference. Not very comfy though!
Posted 11 months ago # -
If you're not bothered about the social stigma (and let's face it, you'll be in company with surfr if you start inking your arms and wearing sleevless jerseys), then go for it.
For me, I just tuck more on the hoods - it's more aero than riding in the drops - but that's because i wouldn't want tribars on my roadbike as a matter of course.
Posted 11 months ago # -
The bike is a great fit in my mind.
On the drops
Me at the front
On the drops, me at the back from the side
On the hoods
Posted 11 months ago #
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