hitting the bars

I put the aeorbars on the bike for today’s ride. It’s the first time I’ve used them since last year’s Tokyo ~ Itoigawa. When you use areobars, the first thing that comes to mind is, “Why don’t I use these all the time?” The difference in speed is immediately noticeable. Likewise when you take them off, the bike feels slow and your position lazy.

Most races don’t allow the use of aerobars for safety reasons. The exceptions are time trials, team time trials and (unofficially) Tokyo ~ Itoigawa.

For a short TT, you want the bars down low to maximize the aero effect. Speed is more important than comfort.

For a 300km race like Tokyo ~ Itoigawa, I want to stay on the bars for long periods. Comfort is more important, so I set the bars slightly higher. Even with the bars set up higher than this, there is a good aero benefit as has been seen with the “praying mantis” TT position.

Each year I set the bars up at the same initial angle. As I get used to riding them again, I’ll tweak the position, lowering the bars gradually, trying to get that perfect balance of comfort and speed.

In 2008 Tokyo ~ Itoigawa, I did a solo TT from start to finish. I stayed on the bars pretty much all the way. That year there was a strong headwind, so the aerobars helped me to set a good time.

In 2009, a week after the early arrival of Luke, I wasn’t as strong as in 2008. The aerobars gave me an extra edge that I needed to set a good time again.

In 2010, I had the pleasure of riding with Nishitani san. I used the aerobars when on the front to keep the pace high. Their biggest benefit however was getting back up to Nishitani san on the flats around Lake Suwa after he had dropped me on the rolling terrain before Fujimi Pass.

Today, I just wanted to get back into the swing of using them. The flat coast road with few cars and a bit of wind is the perfect training terrain.

Riding out to Teradomari, there was a strong head wind. They say that aerobars give you about a 10% increase in speed. I was driving into the wind at around 33 kmph, perhaps when I would usually be knocking out around 30.

Once you find the sweet spot on the saddle and the bars, you feel like all your power is being transferred to the road. You want to hold this position. Rises in the road offer a chance to stretch the legs and body, often opting to stand rather than spin through the gears.

At the foot of Mount Yahiko, I remembered something Andrew often says “If you ride all the way out to Yahiko, you may as well climb it!”. I rode up at tempo pace, pushing a heavier gear (and a heavier bike) and enjoying the views.

On the return to Kashiwazaki, the wind was on my back. This is where the fun is in aerobars. The back of your body catches the wind behind. Your aerodynamic position cuts through the air up front. 40 kmph plus, 90 cadence, 130 HR, this is probably how Fabian Cancellara feels on a Sunday ride....

Thursday’s training: coast road ~ Mt. Yahiko ~ coast road ( 108 km, 800 m climbing, 31 kmph)