Don’t know if this topic has been addressed but I’m curious about your experience(s) with Aero Drop Bars and Sprinting.
This previous season I bought a set of Bontrager Racelite Aero bars and they were a disaster. Despite the claim that they had a 4 degree flair, I had a lot of impingement on my wrists, constant bruising and actually pain, so much so that I was quite discouraged from sprinting.
Do you have recommendations for a better bar option? Position tips (I keep fairly neutral body position over top of the stem letting my bike move while trying to remain stable) or similar experiences and what you did to resolve this issue?
Keep in mind the flair on the enves is pretty extreme and their sizing is based on the drops and not the hoods. Before you drop $400, Enve is very proud of them, make sure you’re going to fit the extreme position they are going to put you in.
I know the question asked was different but i have a question about sprinting with carbon Aero drop bars and aluminum bars. Looking to upgrade a few things on my Tarmac before next season and looking into Aero bars as one possible upgrade i still have the stock Specialized Shallow Drop, alloy, 125mm drop, 70mm short-reach that came on the bike
Do the carbon Aero bars flex more and if so is this a benefit in sprinting?
Depend on the carbon bar…
My aerofly is really stiff, stiffer than any aluminum that I used.
I also have an enve road carbon bar (not aero) the bar it self is much thinner in diameter, it’s pretty stiff but it flexes slightly.
I am a fan of the flare. I would love if my aerofly comes in 2mm flare on it.
You need to be careful when discussing flex in carbon bars…specifically WHAT KIND OF FLEX are you asking about.
Some carbon bars are a lot more compliant than their aluminum comparison, but that has to do with the weave and how they can eat up road vibration. When you go to sprint however they are rock solid, again because of the way the carbon is laid.
Not all are like this, but its important to know what you are after and know that there is a difference.
Understandable about the “Flex” I was just thinking in a sprint you put a lot of torque one drop by pulling up and was not sure if an Aero bar was designed for that? Or if the were just designed for cutting thru the wind better was the main question.
I bought the Pro Vibe Aero Bars last spring for my Orca Aero. When I’m sprinting my forearms dig into the trailing edge of the tops. Annoying, yes, but not prohibitive. Especially since I don’t spend a lot of time standing and sprinting. If I’m closing a gap I will stand up for 3-5 seconds to get the cadence up then I’m back in the saddle. Sprint finish maybe out of the saddle for 30 seconds. In a race there’s enough chaos to distract me from the discomfort.
I have had both ENVE road bars and aero road bars. The flare on the road bars is 2 cm so 40cm on the drops 38cm on the hoods. The aero road bars are 40 on the drops and 35 on the hoods. It is a big difference. I love it but I would say some wouldn’t.