Home Chat General Chat

drop bars

i am new to triathlon having been a marathon runner

why can i go faster using the drops on my bars but slow down when i use my tri bars

i seem to have no power in my legs when using the aero bars

any advice please as i have an old racer and dont want to waste money on tri bike if a decent racer siuts me better ,when out today got up to 23 mph but when dropped onto aero bars speed dropped to 16mph

Comments

  • First timerFirst timer Posts: 139
    To start with are your bars set for you. You must be comfy and also when on aero bars your arms are closer together resulting in more compression around your chest.some people just dont get on with aero bars try adjusting and see how you get on,this is what training is for so dont wait till race day..[;)]
  • TommiTriTommiTri Posts: 879
    Ok, it seems to me it may be a problem with your positioning when your down on the aerobars.



    When you are down on the aerobars your upper body is lower and more folded than it is when your on the drops, causing the trunk femur angle to become more acute. This is part of the reason why tri bikes have steeper seat-tubes and altered geometry, bringing the seat forward and keeping this trunk femur angle open.

    when this angle is too compressed and the thigh is too close to the trunk at top of the stroke there is a resultant decrease in power.

    could this be your problem?



    I have a normal road bike with aerobars and I have the seat forward all the way, and have the seat quite high, to help keep this angle open and I feel very comfortable in aero and find I go much faster!



    So try moving the seat forward a bit, and maybe increase the seat height. a good measurement I like to go on is sitting on the seat, with no shoes on and heels on the pedals. When the pedal is in its lowest position the leg should be completely straight. So that when you have shoes on and the balls of your feet over the pedals there is a slight bend in the knee at the bottom of the stroke.
Sign In or Register to comment.