First in my series of real world tests comparing my tt and road bikes.
Road bike with aero bars vs tt bike.
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Testing the air aero road bike at 40km h with a 7 5 degree yaw angle we began by assessing my coefficient of drag cda and resultant watt saving in an assortment of positions.
Road bikes are more versatile than dedicated triathlon or time trial bikes and adding quick release aero bars lets you take full advantage of a single bike.
So are you really losing anything to a tt bike with your road bike s handlebars and such.
Ok so i put aero bars on my bike.
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The bars themselves are made from double butted and tapered 7050 aluminium and feature a 120mm clamping area so there is plenty of room for clip on aero bars lights and mounts for cycling computers.
Clip on aero bars the key difference between a tt bike and a road bike is in the angles of the frame and components.
You only really start getting significant gains when you make all the radical adjustments seen in the super bikes.
Tri tt frames generally make poor handling road bikes since they are optimized for a low forward position in the aero bars.
As with everything there will be a balance between quality and price.
Hidden cables integrated stems recessed brakes and aero shaped handlebars.
To emulate the benefits those angles provide a pair of clip on aero bars is an inexpensive modification to achieve a lower more aerodynamic position.
On the tops on.
Flexibility and strength will determine which bike you use as the relative fatigue of a tt bike is higher than a road bike.
Though of course movements such as cornering should come largely from shifts in body weight your handlebars are pretty crucial too and if they re the weak link.
Stay tuned for our next post in this series where we ll explain why you need to change up your saddle position.