aerobars for mtn bikes

[aaron w]

I've never used aerobars before.  What should I look for when considering aerobars for a mtn bike?  It seems like there are a lot of styles out there and I'm not sure how to narrow down my choices.  Also does it matter if I'm running a flat or riser bar?  Aerodynamics isn't necessarily my primary concern...just looking for alternative riding positions and getting weight off my hands for the long haul.  Thanks.

[THE LONG RANGER]

Which actual shape of arrow-dynamik bars you use will be up to personal preference, so go ahead and try out a few.

You may have some problems with clamping them on to your MTB bar if you use risers. Probably may be that you'd have to put them outside the, "dip", making them really far apart. My straight bars also presented a problem, since they start big and wide and then taper towards the grips - it would be difficult to mount them anywhere there's a taper, so you only have so much wiggle room to work on - basically where the manufacturer has spec'd mounting the handlebar, plus a few cm on each side.

Many people seem to like having their aero bars both higher than their handlebars and have the rests further back, so look for a pair that allows a ton of optimization for whatever position you want to be in. I picked the pair I bought, as it allowed you to slide the bars themselves as far back or forward as you would like and also allowed you to mount them particularly high. If you look at the Profile Viper:

http://www.profile-design.com/profile-design/products/aerobars/carbon-aerobars/t1-plus-viper.html

You can see there are separate clamps for both the pad, and the bars themselves. That's nice.

If you look at the Stryke:

http://www.profile-design.com/profile-design/products/aerobars/carbon-aerobars/carbon-stryke.html

There's not, BUT it's probably lighter and a lot more simpler. The Viper are somewhat annoying to setup and tweak.

[RossC]

I did a bit of looking in this area a little while ago. The thing that most limits adjustability is the relationship between the bar clamp and the arm rests.

The really light weight aero bars have the bar clamp and arm rests as a single piece. This uses less material but it means you can't set the bars further back as the arm rests are locked into position.

The two that Justin linked are a good example. The first has the arm rests separated while the second has them integrated.

I ended up going with profile design T1 as they were the best compromised between adjustability and price i.e no fancy carbon bits.

The other thing to consider is a 'fred bar' which lets you shorten up your cockpit to get a better fit. See here:http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,1975.0.html
(see reply 18 for a pic)

The siren version is no longer being produced but I have heard that someone else is now making them. Anyone got a link to that? I had my fred bars custom made (and then managed to snap them in half about 700k's into the last ride )

[aaron w]

Thanks to you both for the advice.  I had not seen the previous thread on this topic...should have done a search.  Here's another link to that thread for those who find this one first:

http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,1975.0.html

In looking at the many offerings from Profile, one thing I noticed is that the weights of the different models are all pretty close together...all about a pound.  This seems like a lot of weight to bolt on but it sounds like lots of folks feel the weight is worth it. 

Also these things aren't cheap!  Not picking the right model the first time would be a bummer.  I really like my current carbon riser bar so I'm a bit nervous about the possibility of having to switch that out to make an aerobar work.  Maybe I shouldn't be bolting anything on to my carbon bars anyway.  I guess I'll ask around and see if any of my friends have aerobars that I could borrow and experiment with.  Wait, why would any of my friends have aerobars?!

[Rob Colliver]

I wanted to keep the Easton carbon handlebars , and found that clamping directly onto the steerer was too low a position for all-day comfort.... so I build a new alumium clamp for the front of the stem and added about 1.5 inches of height by using a small billet of aluminium, then welding it together with a short section of tube (the same diameter as the aero bar clamps) to give me a short bar above the handlebars that I was also able to secure GPS, tent and cuddly toy to.
I used the carbon Bontrager X lite clip on aerobars, and the only problem was that the pads  only lasted the race (there was so much sweat/sunscreen/mud etc, that they had to be replaced) Bontrager gave me  the part number of replacement pads, but did not rise to the challenge of replacing them after only one race---- so, pads 0, the rest of the bars 1.

I did look at the fredbar system, and build a version, but the handling of the bike with tent etc, was all to cock, and it got thrown in the bin after a weeks trial.

[Damnitman]

Thinking of giving this a go...
http://jtekengineering.com/jtek_Axe_aerobar.htm

[Rob Colliver]

That is a cracking product - see if they can offer a raiser section  and that will be a surefire winner for comfort and aero position!

[Damnitman]

They say they are only designed for a -10 rise stem, but i figure a +10 stem would only make the angle steeper, probably making the rests mostly unusable... That could probably be taken care of with some sort of h-bar bag or something...

looks like the sticks are interchangeable...so you could use something short, long, alu, Ti, carbon or even a whittled stick if something breaks in during an unplanned dismount

[sfuller]

I went through some of this on my Fargo. I too was more interested in a comfortable 3rd hand position that took some weight off my hands. I ended up with the Profile T1+. My decision points:
- I wanted my wrists in a comfortable position. The ski bend in some brands/models didn't really lend themselves to that for my wrists.
- Inexpensive.
- Able to take some abuse

As others have said, bar shape and clamp size will play a role in what works on your bike. I wouldn't suggest putting them on a carbon bar. I've had them on the Fargo for about two months now and I find myseif riding on them a lot more than I thought I would, even commuting around town. I also figure they will make a nice spot to hang a bed roll.

[mattyp]

I used profile t3 with a race face deus riser bar this last summer on a mixed dirt/ pavement tour.  the adjustability is key, because the reach on a mountain bike is so different than a road bike and especially a time trial bike.  i had the pads move back almost to the steerer tube.  the other thing, i had to make shims, because the clamp area was too narrow; so whatever bar you use, i would find something with a wide clamp area so you can get a comfortable position.  i could get a little aero but the big advantage in my opinion is the extra position where you aren't putting weight through your hands.