Gored by an Aerobar End
on a relative scale "more yes than no". this is why we put bar ends on the open tubes, so we don't get a nice little triathlete core from our bars. Moral, plug your bar ends and forget about it. I don't think it's a HUGE risk, but can be so easily avoided it should be.
This is a real concern. USAT's rule covering this specifys DQ for violation. Most of the races I have done check this pretty closely. Bars must be have a solid plug designed for the size bar you are plugging ... wrapping a bunch of tape around the end is not sufficient.
Composite hockey sticks have the same issue. A kid was very seriously injured by an unplugged stick last year. The stick penetrated his chest underneath the arm and stopped just short of the lung.
Plug your bar ends!
The PA I was talking to said that on one occasion someone had been brought to the emergency room with the Aerobar still in the body. That is scary. Yes, plug those bar ends!
I wonder if there is a risk due to the velosity one might be thrown forward onto the bars, even with the bar ends plugged, or how about being gouged by the bar end shifters, if any?
Maybe that is the reason they call them bull horns?
'Nothing to it, but to do it!'
Yeah my husband has some nice scars to prove that aerobars and legs mixed in a crash can be bad. Although when they think the car's side mirror broke your pelvis you don't worry too much about the missing chunks of leg....
Miles of Life --- Powered by MarkyV
When I was younger, my brother and I were goofing off on our bikes and he got the bar end through his thigh, even with the plug.
Back in my BMX days, I was riding wheelies for distance with a buddy of mine. I was really moving down the road for about 800(ish) ft.
Then, the front end dipped and I overpedaled and lost it going backwards. When my feet hit the ground, I fell forwards on to my knees. The bike flipped back and smashed my left middle finger between the road and the bare end of the grip.
It turned purple almost instantly....Let's just say I learned how to relieve pressure with a drill bit that day.
Lost the nail 3 days later playing football. Good times!
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
— Winston Churchill
I vote this the most cringe-worthy thread on Trifuel at the moment...
Blue Skies, -Robin-
http://ironmom.blogspot.com/
I vote this the most cringe-worthy thread on Trifuel at the moment...
ya, eww! Wasn't there a thread a while back about that guy who got like a whole branch through his leg. That was worse, b/c there were pics
Taper Naked
The whole 'gored by a bar end' is one reason why roadies don't like riding with triathletes. But I still worry much, much more about the over-caffienated soccer mom texting on her brand new iPhone in her leased Escalade rushing to her waxing appointment so she looks good for Snowflake's PTA meeting.
The whole 'gored by a bar end' is one reason why roadies don't like riding with triathletes. But I still worry much, much more about the over-caffienated soccer mom texting on her brand new iPhone in her leased Escalade rushing to her waxing appointment so she looks good for Snowflake's PTA meeting.
I THOUGHT that was you I saw in the car next to mine :) just kidding, I don't have an iPhone, nor do I need one judging by my apparent addiction to computer crap
Taper Naked
TriSooner, I laughed out loud over your soccer mom description. Love it !!
And I think you are right. Drivers probably cause more serious cycling injuries in being distracted. But, if the soccer mom bumps me while I am on the bike, will I be more likely to incur injury because of having aerobars?
Also, I wonder if not having the bull horn type of aerobars would be safer or is the damage mainly done by the bar ends closest to the rider anyway?
The ends closer to the rider. As you go over, they can catch and tear.
Miles of Life --- Powered by MarkyV
As soon as we start talking about catching and tearing... Now the party's really starting...
I would guess that when body goes over the bars, anything on the handlebars has the potential to catch and tear to some extent, ex: the bike computer base. Bottom line is that going over the bars is never a good thing.















I went over the bars on my road bike and landed on my back and split my sternum once. When I went to the PA, she said I was lucky I didn't have aerobars. She said that some have come in for treatment for the aerobar ends goring the rider in coming over the bars. Anyone had any experience like that or know if that is a real safety issue with aerobars?