Shaky on the aero's with no brakes
dont use the aero bars going downhill if you dont feel safe in them ... you will be more unstable. i never saw aero bars with brakes on them. this is why i think all newbies should start on a roadie bike as tri bikes are lot more unstable ... on corners and downhilling. i had a tri bike first and my skills improved greatly on a roadie bike. as the C R700 is a traditional roadie bike you should have no probs getting down hill and around the corners :)
Chris
``It's not as if I'm going to sit around and be a fat slob,''
Lance Armstrong 2005
chris is right, aero bars take time to get used to. use them on the flats at first and practice switching back and forth from hoods to aerobars. anticipate corners and hills and place your hands accordingly. i ride an R600, modified for Tri. it is my first road bike and i can attest that it all takes some getting used to.
have fun with it and go fast
geo
"As long as theres water...Chilly, Wet, Water!"
I love my Aero bars, but beating around the neighborhood or in traffic, I'm always on the bar ends near the brakes. I save the 'Full Tuck' position for when there isn't much traffic and/or stopping to be done. I find that I really need to further down the road if I'm in the Aero position, that way I'm not too surprised.
Of course, on the downhills, if it's a winding road, I'm on the bar ends, straight shots, well I tuck those bad boys...
Darrell "Legs 'n Lungs" Lenkner
in West Chester, Oh.
Check here for Images of us.
Practice on flatter surfaces with the areobars until you feel more comfortable before tackling the hills. Just practice getting into and out of the bars making a quick controlled decelleration.
Also might want to make sure that your areobars are positioned properly. Having a slightly different angle or position very much affects the handling characteristics.
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
i ride a felt b2 and when ever i am going downhill on my bar ends (profile carbon X) i get tremendous vibration going down hill...I just finally convinced my self last weekend during the Red Hills Triathlon to stay on the aero bars going down hill...and i had no more vibration...tri bikes in my opinion are meant to be ridden on the aero bars....during most of the Central Florida Triathon Series last year in Clermont, Florida i was ridiing a road bike that i just put some aero bars on and i had no vibration and could easily hit 45 gon down hill on the bar ends....but ont he last race wen i went on the felt..i only hit 35 cuz i was vibrating so much on the bar ends...but its all about mentality...keep riding the bike u have...and try to overcome the fear of losing control...i guess what i am trying to say is...keep riding the bike that u are on..but its all in the mind...
If you get a flat, and don't have a tube, Suck it up and run it in!!!
Hey jwwceo,
welcome to trifuel!
This is interesting. Let common sense prevail.
Let safety concerns prevail!
If you feel unstable, sit up
and get your hands on the brakehoods at least. If you're going 35mph (!) why stay on the aero bars? How much faster do you need to go anyway?
Besides on a ride of only 25 miles, sitting up for a short fast downhill isn't going to make or break your race is it?
But a crash sure will!
Going uphill on aero bars makes sense only against a stiff breeze. If you're going less than 18mph you aren't getting a lot of benefit from the aero position as air resistance is not a problem at slower speeds.
For your first race you might even consider removing the aero bars. (assuming no headwinds )
Try riding 25 miles without them.
Then ride the same 25 miles (the next day :) ) and compare the times.
So what are you giving up? Is it worth it considering the risk, your speed, and so on.
If you are not a fast biker, say you average less than 18mph your benefit isn't much, only the minimal energy you save. better to be safe and confident until you are good enough and experienced enough to know what is right for you on this point.
Hey, in my first Oly tri, I didn't have aero bars, or bike shoes, or clipless pedals.
best of luck,
PoC
"Pain doesn't last, chicks dig scars, glory is forever!"
- Shane Falco.

tcrunner-
Bontrager makes endcaps for handlebars that dampen road vibrations, they seem to work very well(besides potholes). i could tell the difference not only on my hoods but on my aero bars as well. theyre cheap($10) and worth a shot for anyone that finds road vibes bothersome. the shop demo sold me and that doesnt typically happen.
geo
"As long as theres water...Chilly, Wet, Water!"
My first time out with my new bike, I was ALL over the place. Good thing I kept my first few rides to a bike/ pedestrian loop. Kept me out of trouble. Get used to them in a non race environment. My first two tris were on road bikes without aero bars. Didnt do hot, but I learned a lot.
Life is short. Play hard and get dirty doing it.



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Hello,
I've decided to do a triathlon and am signed up for the Olympic distance Wildflower triathlon on May 1. I bought a Cannondale R700 with the Profile Design Carbon Stryker aero bar. I
Despite having pretty good balance, I still feel very shaky on the aero bar, especially on hills. I've only ridden on 2 long rides with the aero bar attached, about 25 miles each time. I think II would feel better if there were brakes on the end of the aero's so I could give them a tap if I need to. I'm so unstable on the aero's that the thought of switching my grip to use the regular brakes at like 35 miles per hour is scarier than just not using the brakes at all and tearing down the hill brakeless.
Is this sort of thing normal?? Will the aero bar get more and more confortble with time??Because of work I can only on 1 -2 good rides per week and I'm worried I won't have time to get used to them by May 1. Also--so people ever put on 2 sets of brakes on their bike..one of the aeros and one on the regular handle bars?? Is this even possible...
Thanks in advance..
JW