Are super extensions any good?

Today I want to talk about the idea of so-called super extensions. This is the term now being used to describe any product which integrates arm cups with extensions. And this has been done in a variety of ways, for over 20 years. The first one I can remember being commercially available was the Profile Design Sonic Stryke, which was first introduced about 20 years ago and looks a lot like certain options still on the market today. These options are basically a normal arm cup that smoothly transitions into an extension, with a fixed reach, fixed roll, and fixed wrist angle. Recently, more advanced options started to be developed, custom-molded to your particular arm shape, preset to a preferred tilt angle and wrist position. This concept is the preferred solution for high Pro Tour teams and has been pushed to the extreme with custom molded carbon fiber or even 3D printed titanium products.

But as beautiful as these setups are, I always disliked this solution. And the reason for that is something I'm always harping on about bike fit. The best thing you can do as a rider is to experiment with your fit over time. Every athlete from the first-timer to the multiple world champion benefits from small tweaks to their fit over time. And if you have a custom-molded extension, that really limits if not completely eliminates your ability to make adjustments.

But on the other hand, they’re so slick! And having an extension hug your forearm both provides more control and can offer a significant aerodynamic benefit. So what’s the right choice here?

Well, for pro riders whose gear is provided to them, the answer is simple: get a custom-molded extension, then get a NEW custom molded extension any time you want to make a change to your fit. That’s what athletes like Jan Frodeno have done – over the course of his several Ironman World Championship victories he had a number of different custom-molded front end solutions. These projects were well documented and publicized by his sponsor Canyon, and each one cost tens of thousands of dollars in development costs. But of course, those dollars were returned to Canyon many fold in bike sales after Frodeno’s decisive victories.

So what about you – the non-World-Champion who still wants an integrated setup, AND the ability to change it over time, AND doesn’t have $50,000 lying around for this particular project?

That’s exactly what we at TriRig obsess over. And our solution to that problem is called Scoops Ultimate SL. This is a full carbon, integrated cup which hugs your arm from the back of the elbow to the crook of the wrist, but it terminates in a standard 22.2mm extension, so that you can adjust reach, roll, and wrist angle. Its integrated form improves aerodynamics and gives you greater control of the bicycle, but doesn’t lock you into a single spot forever.

This is the direction we really believe athletes should consider taking. And right now, Scoops Ultimate SL is the only product on the market with this particular combination of attributes. If you want that fully integrated setup, but still want the ability to make tiny tweaks, there’s really no other solution. There are aero-shaped extensions meant to accept an arm cup on top, but nothing as cleanly integrated as Scoops Ultimate SL. And for those of you who have looked at our fit guides and feel like the SL shape is too snug for your arms, don’t worry. We hear you, and we have some things in the works just for you. Stay tuned for those, we think you’ll love them.