Make your bike suitable for triathlon: #1 handlebar attachments

Handlebar attachments (aerobars) are the most important accessories to upgrade a road bike specifically for triathlon and to ride significantly faster - with the same performance on the pedal. Due to the strong weighting of cycling in triathlon, the added value is expressed in several minutes of time gained. In addition to improved aerodynamics, there are a number of other benefits that result from adding a triathlon attachment:

• improved & more comfortable sitting position on longer distances
• quick and easy to assemble / remove
• enables the attachment of drinking systems to the handlebar attachment

In the following we will show you how much a handlebar attachment affects your bike performance, what you should definitely pay attention to with the systems and how you can attach an attachment to your racing bike yourself in just a few steps.

Aerodynamics - alone against the wind

Air resistance accounts for up to 70% of total resistance in cycling, meaning the rider invests most of his or her effort working "upwind". For example, if you drive at 30 km/h and there is absolutely no wind, this corresponds to a headwind of 30 km/h. What's more, the force-velocity function is quadratic: that means it would take four times as much force to go twice as fast. Accordingly, every single km/h beyond "30" is associated with a significant increase in wattage.

Image: Felt Bicycles

This is exactly where the aerodynamics of the overall system come into play. Time trial bikes are of course optimized for maximum aero efficiency: frame design, geometry, seating position and the specific power transmission in the aero position ensure that in such a time trial setup you are on average approx. 3 - 4 km/h faster with the same performance as on the road bike in a classic posture. However, it is not the bike that has the greatest share of this added value, but the rider, and above all his sitting position: this determines how much surface area (i.e. resistance) is offered to the inflowing air.

This is the great advantage of a racing bike equipped with a handlebar attachment: compared to the classic racing bike position, the rider reduces his frontal area by 10-15% due to the lower lying position. Aerodynamically they are worlds!

Photos: triathlon.de

On the other hand, the position of the arms has an even greater effect on the air flow: the shoulder-width grip position in the normal racing bike position (but also in the lower handlebar position) keeps the entire upper body "open" as a surface for the wind to attack. With a triathlon handlebar attachment, on the other hand, the elbows are aerodynamically brought together by the support in front of the body. This posture ensures that the upper body is much better "closed" and the air flow can now be directed around the driver much better.

This means: Even in the configuration of a racing bike with handlebars, you have significant advantages compared to the pure racing bike position and can achieve a higher speed with the same performance (on average approx. 1.5 - 2 km/h), which is also due to the "more relaxed" lying position can be maintained longer.

You should pay attention to this with triathlon attachments

However, in order to make this posture as efficient and comfortable as possible, it is important to adapt a handlebar attachment to the individual sitting posture as well as possible. Above all, you should pay attention to a high degree of adjustability of the handlebar attachment: Can the length of the aerobars be adjusted? Can the armrests be adjusted separately for the correct support of the elbows? Can the support surface be changed in width and height? Since every rider has his individual basic position on the racing bike and racing bikes can also have different geometries, the handlebar attachment should also meet these requirements in order to be able to really "experience" the added value. Profile Design is the leader in this category - it's not for nothing that Profile Design has been at the top of the "Kona Bike Count" for handlebar systems and triathlon accessories for years.

Photos: triathlon.de

The countless adjustment options of the Profile Design aerobars are particularly important for our bike fitting experts, because they allow the aero position to be biomechanically optimized and adjusted to the needs of the rider: the length and inclination of the extensions can be adjusted as desired, the arm pads can be brought into many different positions and with so-called bracket risers, the height of the aerobars can be individually adjusted.

The Profile Design Sonic Ergo Aerobars are available in different versions:

The Profile Design aerobars shown differ in the curvature of the extensions, which affects the grip position. However, there is no right or wrong choice when it comes to the degree of bending. It just comes down to individual preference.

Profile Design Sonic Ergo 35a

> View here

Profile Design Sonic Ergo 50a

> View here

Profile Design Sonic Ergo 4525a

> View here

Profile Design Sonic Ergo T5+

> View here

arm pads

A great strength of the Profile Design Sonic Ergo Aerobars are the arm pads. Because these can be placed in up to 100 different positions. By swapping the sides or turning the armrests, very small movement steps are also possible, which makes "fine tuning" pleasant.

Bracket risers

With the bracket risers, the height of the triathlon attachment can be varied so that more comfort can be achieved if the basic posture is too low. Profile Design offers various kits that are compatible with all Profile Design aero attachments. These are available as optional accessories.

> to the risers

Mount the handlebars - it's that easy

A big advantage of triathlon attachments is that you can mount them on the handlebars in a few simple steps and remove them just as quickly. The aerobars can be attached to all common 31.8mm handlebar models ("standard road bike handlebars"). Be careful with aero racing handlebars: some racing bikes are equipped with aerodynamically shaped racing handlebars. However, triathlon attachments can only be attached to round handlebar shapes.

All you need for assembly is a size 5 Allen key. The aerobars are attached independently of each other and these are the steps: