Wich basebar on TT setup on road frame ?

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LouisN
Posts: 3510
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2007 3:44 am
Location: Canada

by LouisN

I'm using my road bike for one or two TT per year. I'm installing extensions on the handlebars and swapping my saddle/topper for a TT one. PLus, I put an adjustable stem and shove it all the way down.

Here's what it looks like:

From this:
Image

To this:
Image

Now I want to buid a complete TT cockpit, with TT shifters and aero brakes. I'm already changing the extensions for some Profile Design ones, because they allow for a lower position.
Now for the basebar. There seems to be more and more even, flat bars, compared to a few years ago where basebars were lower at both ends.
What are the advantages of even bars ? Is it because the positions are so low now that one doesn't have to get lower to reach the brakes ? The ends are completely horizontal now instead of looking like the bullhorns, I guess for better aerodynamics ?

Louis :)

Machinenoise
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Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:39 pm

by Machinenoise

Re: dropped basebars, its a personal thing, but the idea of even ones is all aero not fit. dropped bars have more frontal surface area for the same width than an even one. The thinking is that if you are on the brakes then you should be slowing down for a corner so aero inefficiency is not an issue, other wise you should be in the tuck. Some people find the dropped base bar gives a better weight distribution for cornering. (difference is 2-4w range)

Best of both worlds is to get a flat base bar which allows the extensions/pads to be stacked higher, but practically this gets a bit dangerous over about 50mm rise due to flex in the system.

I understand the restrictions of bike numbers and cost, but is swapping out the whole front end and recabling really feasible for one or two TTs? Old P2/P3s are going pretty cheap these days 2nd hand. Might have some USE Tulas for sale soon if you are interested. (UK based though)

Off topic: I know the Aspide is marketed as a TT saddle but there are much comfier options around!

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User avatar
LouisN
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by LouisN

Thanks for the reply,

I'm thinking of eventually building a second bike out of a cheap TT frame ( with BB30 so I can swap the Powermeter ). But it's out of the question for the moment (read a few years here...). Since I have all the parts but the basebar, I just want to have the right part, with budget in mind.

Installing the whole cockpit would require less fiddling than adding the extensions (wich takes 5-10 minutes). A few cables, four screws to fix/unfix. The worst part is the rear brake cable but it's easy to run through the top tube. All others are outside de frame :D.

Cheapest now would be Deda crononero. Looking for something in the likes of the Zipp Vuka alumina too...

LOuis :)

mattr
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by mattr

LouisN wrote:Installing the whole cockpit would require less fiddling than adding the extensions (wich takes 5-10 minutes). A few cables, four screws to fix/unfix. The worst part is the rear brake cable but it's easy to run through the top tube. All others are outside de frame :D.
I fail to see how you can fit a new cockpit in less than 10 minutes? Even in a fully kitted workshop with all the tools and suchlike ready to go (and all new and shiny, no slightly used stuff) it takes me about 15-20 minutes just to set up all four cables properly.

You've got to think about re indexing front and rear gears, adjusting the headset (as you are unlikely to need the same length stem going from TT to road) and sorting the brake cables.
Not to mention the rate you'll go through cables, three or four cycles of removing and refitting inners tends to leave them looking a bit, um, cacky. You'll probably end up with problems there (spare strands getting jammed and so on).

I'd just stick with extensions until you've got the cash for a TT frame.

Or have a look at this. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=118073 which you actually posted on!
It's not like you need an expensive super aero frame, just one that gives you a good fit.

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Kraaf
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by Kraaf

This may well be purely personal, but I really don't see any point in the up-turned brake ends. Whether long or short TT's, rain, technical courses, or on the track (kilo and pursuit) I've never once felt I'd needed, or could've benefited from, having brake ends (or base bar grips) that are not straight. And as they always stick into the 'clean' airflow, they should be slick.
FWIW, I've got a set of USE Tula bars, too. Those are about the lowest stack bars you can get, with the pads at the same height as the base bar. A low stack means you don't have to drop your (adjustable) stem that much. Looks better, if anything, but also allows you to go lower. But I guess any alu base bar should do. Not all are UCI-legal, so if that matters for you; measure them first. Profile Design makes several, so you get a match with your extensions. I'd get some solid brake levers. I liked the Tula flight pods, but found them lacking braking power (even more so combined with Omega brakes). Luckily, USE also makes 'normal' straight brake extensions. I fitted these with Dura Ace TT brake levers, clear improvement in braking. In your case, the added advantage of having a setup that brakes well, is that you won't have to re-cable until the next road race. Brings up another thing; if you can check first, pick a base bar that makes cable routing easy.

edit: if you go to the thread Mattr linked to above, read cyclenutnz's post. Position is what it's about. Take your time to get dialled in on the road bike and either find the right position that you can then use to pick the right TT-bike/frame in the future, or find where the roadbike limits you and do the same. The only issue is that you'll have to ride the TT setup a lot more than twice a year. So once you make the setup change; train and test on it, the powermeter is your best friend.
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LouisN
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by LouisN

Thanks guys :thumbup: !!

I'm pretty happy with the actual TT setup. I won't be able to change things much without being illegal for saddle position. Maybe cut the saddle nose, ore use an Adamo type saddle can bring me forward a little, but then I'll have to rise the saddle, I'd have to buy a longer ISP topper, and probably longer adjustable stem...

My main concern: I'd like to be able to shift gears without having to move too much on the cockpit to reach for the right lever.
Our TT's are all on rolling terrain, so we change gears many, many times.
Maybe keep the road bars, just put the right TT shifter on the right extension and swap only the rear shifter cable/housing ?

What do you think ?

Louis :)

Machinenoise
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Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:39 pm

by Machinenoise

Certainly feasible, but i agree with MattR it may take a little longer to do things properly but 20mins twice a season isn't too bad. Just requires a bit of forward thinking.

Easiest swap would be with electronic shifting, but thats a whole world of money extra!

Road bikes can be fast even without extensions! I've got a local course record on a Hilly tt, (read 5miles downhill u turn and come back up again! 70m climb) on my road bike with borrowed 808s, rather than my tt bike, as i felt able to attack the descent more and benefit from a kilo or so less to accelerate on the way back up. It probably helps my bars are 13cm below my saddle as is, so riding in the drops gives a pretty flat backed position.

@ graaf USE Tulas awesome, for both stack height and aero, but i find mine in 38cm width a bit more of a handful on technical courses, which are the majority of what i have to race on in my new area. Nokons made the braking much better with the Tulas.

Buffalo
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Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 5:13 am

by Buffalo

I happened to be wondering too about the aerodynamics of drop base bar vs no drop base bar when I was tinkering with my TT bike on the weekend. I couldn't stand the look of the cervelo base bar so I switched it out to a nitto-rb-021 I had laying around from my fixed gear days. I chopped the ends off the nitto bars and saved 44g bring it to exactly the same weight as the cervelo bar at 230g. I also swapped out the levers and saved 24g, but I wondered if the new set up is less aero because of the drop. I am going to try an adjustable stem too as can't seem to get low enough on this 58 cm frame.
I suppose the cervelo bar could look better if I just chopped the ends off too, as I think this is what was bothering me most...
with Nitto RB-021
Image
P2sl new bar by dissemination47, on Flickrfrontal
Image
Untitled by dissemination47, on Flickr
cervelo bar vs nitto
Image
photo by dissemination47, on Flickr

ultyguy
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Location: Geneva

by ultyguy

I just got a set of these for a similar project...
http://www.felt-stuff.com/clearance/bay ... lebar.html

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Kraaf
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Location: Netherlands

by Kraaf

> Maybe keep the road bars, just put the right TT shifter on the right extension and swap only the rear shifter cable/housing ?

Considering you're happy with the current TT setup, don't want to fork out a lot of cash and would want to keep the change easy, that sounds like an excellent idea. Also keeping the nature of your courses in mind.

I don't quite understand why getting an Adamo would require that much adjustment, unless you believe every cm more forward will require a move up (saddle) and forward (bars) as well. The Adamo's have about the same stack as your current saddle, and being _able_ to just move a little more forward, in comfort(!!) on its own can make quite a difference. If you need any adjusting, it'll likely be enough to move the extensions out a bit, that's easy.
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LouisN
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by LouisN

I finally bought a Profile Design AirWing basebar for $25., cut both ends and that'll be my first try for now :D .

Image

Image

MIssing the shifters...

Louis :)

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