Then vs Now: Aerobars
Aerobars are easily my favorite component on a tri bike. They really are what makes a tri bike what it is, compared to a road bike, a gravel rig, a hybrid, or something else. And aerobars have evolved dramatically over the past couple of decades. Today let’s take a look back at where aerobars have been, where they’ve come to today, and where they might be headed in the future.
When triathlon was first born, it was adapted from road bikes. When the first true triathlon-geometry bikes were manufactured, with their steeper seat angles and longer front-center geometry, they were still made from round alloy tubes. Aerobars were just clipped onto basic pursuit bars, and always slammed directly on top of those bars. It took years for the industry to adapt and begin to manufacture thoughtful products with positional adjustment of the arm cups and extensions independent from the base bar itself.
In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, innovation in the triathlon space was largely driven by the time trialing space – specifically Tour de France teams during the Lance Armstrong era. But during that era, technology tended to be developed for the benefit of a very small number of riders – sometimes just one – and while that tech might eventually make its way to the general public, it was often ill-suited for the vast array of body types and ability levels found there. One of the bars I lusted after the most was a Bontrager team bar used on the early Trek Speed Concept prototypes. I loved the look of this bar, its simplicity and elegant cable routing. It looked great, and it accommodated the “just get as low as you can” position philosophy of the day. But looking at that bar with the benefit of today’s knowledge, I wouldn’t take it if someone offered it to me for free, because it’s just completely unsuitable for modern bikes and modern positions.
Slowly, starting in about 2010, manufacturers finally started to realize that extensions really needed independent adjustment from the base bar. Dual-pedestal systems started coming out. They were often horrendously complex, requiring a dozen or more bolts to make a single change to stack. Eventually, the market made clear that smart, aerodynamic, but still user-friendly bars were important. We at TriRig pride ourselves on exploiting this particular need with a range of cutting-edge products which continue to be at the cutting edge of the sport today.
So in today's video, let’s get in the time machine and take a look back at a few typical setups from yesteryear, alongside a few of the best setups today, what makes them different, and where we might be going from here.
