Tri Bar Advice

TRTR ✭✭✭

I'm looking to get some clip on tri bars for my Giant SCR2 as I'm training towards my first 1/2 IM Tri.

A bit of research has shown that there are different styles and sizes (WTF ?). My bike is a cheap one (although the engine is tuning up nicely), so the Tri bars will need to be too.

Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated.

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Comments

  • M.ister WM.ister W ✭✭✭
    Profile Carbon Stryke are a popular mid-range choice.  If you can't stretch to that much cash then Profile Century are a good budget choice.  Not as adjustable as the Carbon Stryke but a good entry level tri bar.  I do have a pair that I've been lending out to people.  I would offer to lend them to you if I can remember who has them.
  • Century ZB's on my bikes, Decent cheap starter
  • popsiderpopsider ✭✭✭

    I would look to spend around £50 or so - I wouldn't pay more for light weight unless money is no object - it's all about position.

    Things that you might want :

    - adjustable rests to be fairly narrow - I hate having the arms wide apart on tri bars.

     - flip up arm rests - I haven't used these but if you are doing a lot of climbing it's nice to have the tops of the bars available - the ones that flip up mean you can use the tops for climbing.   

    - think about the height - the SCR has a relatively long head tube so you might want to think about finding some tri bars that don't add to the height.     And if you've got any spacers under your stem put them on top of it.

  • TRTR ✭✭✭

    MW - you're a good egg, helping me (again).

    DtES - thanks they llok just the job. Found em for around £40 depending upon teh dealer.

    Popsider - thanks too.  

  • What's the difference between tri bars and aero bars?**

    ** sorry if this is an idiot question!
  • TRTR ✭✭✭

    dont ask me !

    The square root of fck all hopefully.

  • LOL was thinking Pops would know....
  • M.ister WM.ister W ✭✭✭
    Tri bars are bars that fit on your handlebars and allow you to adopt an aerodynamic position on the bike.  Aero bars are chocolate bars with lots of bubbles in them.
  • popsiderpopsider ✭✭✭
    Yeah they are the same thing.
  • JjJj ✭✭✭
    Wispas are better.
  • i've got the flip up ones.  they're good like pops says if there's lots of climbing.  but tbh they're a bit of a pain in general.  it is a bit harder to get in position on them.  it's especially a bit harder to change gear, ie keep left arm on the rest, change gear with right arm, lift arm a bit higher to get it in the armrest.

    i ended up taping the arm rests down for the new forest as i knew there weren't any hills.  did the same for imde as well.  will probably do the same for switzerland given the long flatish stretches.  can easily enough fit my hands sides of the bars for the climbs.

  • LOL Mister W! That really made me laugh!!!

    Jj, I prefer wispas too image

    Do they clip onto your handlebars or is it a totally different handlebar?!
  • TRTR ✭✭✭

    Had some bars (teh Century ZBs) for a while so I though I should put em on.

    My handlebars are about the same height as my saddle, but I do indeed have spacers making up about an inch. I guess that I want my Tri bars as low as poss. The Tri bars will bolt on to the handle bars, but the elbow pads will raise me up when using them.

    Should I take the spacers out ? What height should handlebars usually be ? Lower than teh saddle I guess.

  • Its all a ver personal choice about height.  Lots of factors, type of bike, flexibility, distance of race etc etc etc, 

     Finding a position which you can produce the most amount of power without sacrificing too much on areodynamics and comfort is ideal, but there is generally a compromise somewhere when fitting tri bar extentions to a road bike.  The steeper geeometry of a tt bike allows a better set up.

  • TRTR ✭✭✭

    Cheers Doozer, I guess that its bike specfic too and mine is a road bike. I suppose I just maximise what I have. Any tri-bars has to be quicker than no tri-bars.

    Are you doing the NF Middle Distance ?

  • Yep, some tri bars will be better than none. Will be at new forest, doing Antwerp 70.3 this weekend too.

  • popsiderpopsider ✭✭✭
    Jam your seat as far forwards as it'll go and take all the spacers out - then if that's too uncomfortable work backwards putting spacers back til you find a position you can ride in.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭

    Thanks Popsider - just what I needed to hear, I knew you'd have some suitable advice.

    All the best the Doozer

  • It may sound obvious, but whatever you do make sure you get some miles in with the set-up you'll use on the day, especially if you're lowering the bars.  It may seem fine at first but things might be different after a couple of hours!  It doesn't matter how aero it is if after 56 miles your back's seized up and you can't run much.  Moving the seat forward helps, as popsider says.
  • moving the seat forward is certainly essential if you want to be lower at the front otherwise you will close up your hip angle and lose power (and comfort). as you put your seat forward you will also need to put it up a little bit.
  • can you not just get the bike shop to do you a bike fit, they don't normally charge too much.

    Anyway TR, none of this will help you to become a "proper runner" image

  • TR  velocity bikes copnor road offer a bike measure and set up
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    WH – I checked it out before and it was too pricey for me, the bike is a beginners bike and is what it is, I just need to optimise the position a bit. 

    CD/Mell – I’ll check the forwards adjustment, I think its pretty well forward anyway though.
     I’m low science so lower bars should mean more speed, lower bars with aero bars should mean ……..

    Oxy – ha ha – you been following my antics ? I don’t want to be a proper runner, or proper biker, or proper…..I’m just a fit lummox that does a bit of sport. I just jump on the thing and smack the pedals round as hard as I can for an hour or 3.

    Funnily enough the bike is in the shop cos the bottom bracket is “clunking”, they phoned and said the bike is a state and needs attention (brakes need freeing up/new brake pads/new cables etc) and it’ll all be £120 ! That’s more than the bike is worth ! They can change the bottom bracket, I’ll change the pads and read up on the net how to free up the brakes a bit.

    No one told me I’d wear so much of the thing out, I’ve only had it a year and I’ve already had new tyres (twice), chains, cogs and now a bottom bracket.Perhaps I should look at it rather than pedal it.
     

    Or perhaps I should “just” run after all

  • TR - is nottingham too far oop north for ya???

    IM distance

    I've signed up for updates...

  • set it up on your turbo until you feel right i took the shims out the stem and moved seat forward and tilted it slightly down seems alright bit of trial and error, i didnt use velocity either too much cash.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭

    WH - agreed, thats my plan

    WTG - already seen it. Depends when really, Forestman is on my Eldests B'day so may get veto'd. But it would be ace to have some others on here to train with "virtually" towards a big one.

  • being more aero only means more speed if you're putting out the same power (and can maintain it). most people have to find a compromise between the best aero and their the most powerful position they can maintain for the length of the race they do.

    stop pretending you don't take it seriously, no-one is taken in image

  • TRTR ✭✭✭

    Top advice Mel thanks - do you mean that my secret sessions in teh science lab have been rumbled, and that someone has found my spreadsheet and schedule ?

    Aug 8th - could be a sub3 thread smackdown then. 

  • image more that wondering what everyone's exact drop is is a bit like needing a heart rate monitor to run 'tempo' - you just run hard for 30minutes right? i don't have a clue what my drop is and I haven't measured anything else on my bike set up - it's been done by feel. image

    but yeah, you can get less powerful by going lower  - you'll see what i mean when you try it. moving the saddle forward helps prevent that. there is a good article here but you don't need to read it - just look at the picture - tells you everything you need to know

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