I have a few 3-4 day trips coming up and I’m planning to use my hardtail based on the amount of technical single-track.
I’m trying to dial in my front pack with the suspension fork without going crazy on cost. I have namebrand carbon bars on the bike now which I absolutely love for feel. I saw some used aerobar extensions pop up for a good price and I’m curious if they are a viable option to clip on to my carbon bars.
Importantly, I should note that my plan would be to fasten a drybag to these aerobars as I’m hoping they could serve as a solid 4-point mount along with being an alternate spot for hand placement. So there would be a decent amount of twisting force at the clamps as the cantilevered weight would be trying to rotate down and into the head tube as i bounce over single-track.
Is this type of force and concept generally considered a bad idea with carbon bars?
by mayonaise_plantain
1 Comment
Those are probably the least adaptable aerobars out there… There is zero chance those would work on your handlebar. You’re much better off spending $100 on a newer set of Profile Design Aerobars, something from the Sonic series, or similar. In general, clip-on aerobars on carbon flat bars are fine, although most brands won’t list it as such. Salsa is one of the few that does make many of their carbon bars easily compatible, by maintaining the 31.8mm clamp diameter for a wider portion of the handlebar, next to the stem.
A pound or two strapped to the aerobars isn’t a big issue, but as you mentioned, avoid putting too much weight on them, as you could experience that slip on rough terrain. Carbon paste will help to a point, but with aero bars getting less torque applied during install than a stem, its a possibility.