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Aero Bars – Do You Use Them?

07.08.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 17 Comments

I’ve got a time trial coming up next week, and I’m feeling pretty good about my chances at beating my personal best – if it doesn’t rain. And if the wind stays down. And if I don’t get a stitch from drinking too much water before my run.

A friend suggested another way for me to beat my PB. He said I should get a set of aero bars for my bike. That’s something I had never considered. I’m considering it now, but doubt that I’ll do anything about it just yet.

One guy in my club says the aero bars on his bike are good for an extra 2 mph. There’s got to be some support for that, or all the hardcore TT riders wouldn’t be using them. But what about regular riding?

The aero bars on Bob's bike.

My friend Bob, who I rode with on the MS 150, has aero bars on his bike. When he was ahead of me on straightaways, he would get down into sort of an aero tuck. Not only did he start to slowly pull away from me that way, but they also gave him another position on that long ride. Getting down on the bars from time to time helped keep him fresh.

But while it’s a different position, it’s also an unstable position. If you watched the Tour de France opening time trial, you probably noticed that the riders stayed in their aero crouch as long as possible, but when they came to turns, they had to get on the handlebars.

That’s why a lot of organized group rides prohibit aero bars. They want to prevent crashes that can happen if someone on aero bars gets too close to another bike, and accidentally bumps it, or even if they hit a bad piece of pavement and get knocked off their line. It’s not easy to get instantly from elbows on pads to hands on bars and regain control before the bike goes over.  Besides, if you’re riding in a group, you don’t even need aero bars. The peloton will pull you along.

What’s your take? Have you used them? Do you like them? Will you try them? Or have you decided they’re just not worth the bother?

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Categories // Accessories Tags // Accessories, aero bars

Who Are You? No One Will Know Without ID

07.06.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 16 Comments

Guest poster Jeff Hemmel looks at two different types of ID for cyclists to carry.

When a Tour de France rider goes down, chances are a support car is close behind. But when you or I go down, especially if we happen to be riding alone, proper ID is essential in order to get help, have our friends or family contacted, even alert first responders to any medical concerns. I used to never worry about it. Then I started stuffing a scrap of paper with my home number into the back pocket of my jersey. Now, like countless other riders, I actually wear one of the commercially available ID bracelets available.

There are two popular forms of ID on the market — Road ID and Xtreme Sports ID. Road ID comes in various forms. The standby Road ID Sport is a nylon web wristband, although a more upscale rubber wristband with watch-style closure, dog tags, and even shoe and ankle IDs are available. Xtreme Sports ID is like the ubiquitous Livestrong wristband, a molded silicone rubber band pulled over the hand.

Road ID

In classic form, Road ID allows the buyer to display virtually anything they want (the obvious name, birth year, contact telephones, and blood type are suggested) on a laser-engraved stainless steel plate. An “interactive” version allows two lines of user-selected text, and then refers first responders to a toll-free number and website, where a variety of personal information can be recorded and accessed via a personal code on the back of the plate.

Xtreme Sports ID

Xtreme Sports ID takes a simplified version of the latter approach, including a toll-free number and personal code sunk into the wristband itself, which can be used to access the wearer’s personal information in the Xtreme Sports database.

Both databases are pretty easily negotiated. Filling in your info is like filling out a simple form. Xtreme Sports adds an additional feature in that wearers can record a “where I plan to ride” note, and have it sent to three personal contacts each time it’s updated. Xtreme Sports ID’s $9.95 purchase price includes one year of service free. Renewal fees are $5 annually. Road ID’s $19.95 price for the Sport Interactive includes one year of service; subsequent years are $9.99. Road ID lets first responders call the phone number or access the website for info; Xtreme Sports keeps the website just for the user to record personal info, and furnishes info to emergency personnel by computer voice.

I have both an Xtreme Sports ID and Road ID (blog-police alert, I received both for review purposes in my so-called “real” job). And I like each ID for different reasons.

I think one of the primary advantages to Xtreme Sports ID is its simplicity. The rubber bracelet doesn’t stay damp, doesn’t need a form of closure, doesn’t take on odors, etc. Xtreme Sports ID is limited, however, in that it requires a phone call to get even the most basic information.

In contrast, the basic Road I.D. is a nylon web band. It will stay damp when wet, and as anyone who has ever owned a nylon web strap watch will attest, will begin to smell over time. A simple wash with soap will solve the problem, but it does require a little more maintenance. I like, however, that your basic info — like name, year of birth, numerous emergency contacts, and blood type — can all be immediately presented. Even the interactive version, with its accompanying website and toll-free number, allows several lines of user-selected text.

Which do I like better? I like the concept of the Xtreme Sports ID – a simple rubber band. I can put it on and literally forget about it. But I prefer how Road ID immediately offers up the basic info – who you are, and who to contact first. I also like the many options of Road ID. I can have a dog tag, an ankle bracelet, or even a fancier style rubber band and closure that won’t get damp and smell like the basic is prone to over time.

What about you, do you wear ID? And if so, which do you prefer?

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Categories // Accessories, Safety Tags // Accessories, Road ID, Safety, Xtreme Sports ID

Kneesavers

03.18.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 11 Comments

It’s fascinating what you can learn from the cycling community.

Last week, I was battling a painful bout of gout in my left knee. I couldn’t bend the knee without it hurting, and I walked with a pronounced limp.

That’s all in the past now. A steroid injection into the knee and some time on the bike has done wonders. I’m walking normally again. The more time I ride, the better the knee feels.

But while I was laid up, I got lots of interesting advice. One item didn’t apply to my gout, but it’s interesting enough that I’m going to look into it anyway. It’s called the Kneesaver.

The idea behind the Kneesaver is simple. It’s an extension to the pedal axle, just 20, 25 or 30 mm long. The company says that added width to the pedal (what it calls the “Q factor”) can reduce or eliminate pain in the hip, knee, ankle or foot.

The Kneesavers web site (www.kneesaver.net) has testimonials from satisfied users, but I put more stock in the unsolicited testimonials from riders in my club whose experience I respect.

One said he bought them to help alleviate pain in his hip that came on after a crash.  Not only did the pain go away, he said, but his knees felt younger, too (he’s in his upper 50s). When he started riding his “rain bike” during colder winter weather, the hip pain came back. He moved the Kneesavers over to his rain bike, and the pain went away. “A wider stance on the pedals will more closely approximate your ‘at rest’ standing position and that’s where you will have the most comfortable knee rotation,” he said.  “It’s an old guy thing.” He was so happy with his experience that he’s buying another set for his wife.

Lending even more credibility to the worth of Kneesavers is a comment from another club member, who happens to be a physician. He also complained of hip pain after long bike rides. “What put me onto it was I noticed that long rides on our tandem didn’t give me this problem,” he said, “so when I checked I discovered that the Q on the tandem was an estimated 30% wider–because they use a MTB crankset (MTB cranksets have a significantly wider Q). When I measured my ‘standing Q’ it was 10cm wider than my road bike, so I increased it the minimum.”

One thing to watch for if using pedal extenders is the increased possibility of “pedal strike” in corners. You can’t lean the bike as far without the pedal hitting the ground. But since we’re supposed to corner with the inside pedal up, that shouldn’t be a problem.

This post is not to be considered an endorsement for Kneesavers. I haven’t tried them yet.  But I’m not getting any younger, and anything that keeps me going in comfort is worth a look.

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Categories // Accessories, Injury Tags // Accessories, Injury, knee, pain

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