Aero Bikes: All You Need To Know About

Cycling Weekly

Aero road bikes are some of the most futuristic, cutting edge bicycles available. Their wind cheating properties and mind bending shapes leave little to be desired for those after the fastest road bikes. However, that isn't to say they don't come with a cost. Sam Gupta explains exactly what the reality is of owning an hyper bike in todays world both good and bad.

Transcript

00:00The Tour de France always brings out the best road bikes, and quite often the most spangly

00:05and bling bikes in the peloton tend to be the aero bikes.

00:09They look incredibly striking with their otherworldly tube shapes and wind slicing profiles.

00:15They hold a great deal of intrigue over the casual observer, and they often seduce many

00:20into wanting one themselves.

00:22However, they do not come without warning, so I'm going to lay it bare for you and explain

00:28what the grim reality of owning an aero bike is really like.

00:38First off, you need to get your hands on one.

00:41And of course, this means going through the painful process of removing money from pocket.

00:47There is no doubt that these bikes are expensive.

00:50Even if you get yourself an aero bike which sits at the better value end of the spectrum,

00:54you're still going to be shelling out thousands.

00:57And then, of course, it will be no surprise that aero bikes make up the vast majority

01:03of the most expensive bikes on the market.

01:06There's no way around it.

01:07These bikes carry a premium that you have to be willing to stomach.

01:11Sadly, it's not just the purchase of the bikes that can pinch, but maintaining them

01:17can also be a bit of a drain.

01:19Now, of course, many jobs are as simple as they would be on any other bike.

01:24So changing your chain and cassette and swapping in some new brake pads are the same as they

01:29would be anywhere else.

01:30And these are all things that we can learn to do with some pretty basic tools.

01:35However, it's when you get into the realms of setting up and bleeding brakes, trying to

01:40diagnose electronic gearing issues or just adjusting your position that the headaches

01:45really start to materialise.

01:48When things of this genre go wrong, you want to ensure that you have a really good relationship

01:52with the mechanic in your local bike shop.

01:55Perhaps you might be able to fix the issue yourself, but I'm sure it will be those of

01:59you who already have some mechanical know-how that will be the ones that actually have

02:04some success.

02:05I'm sure for the majority, some pretty hefty service bills could end up being swallowed.

02:17The very point of aero bikes is that they are built to be fast.

02:21And it's this quest for speed that often means that sacrifices need to be made in other areas.

02:27And generally, that's comfort.

02:30Despite everything you hear from bike brands when they hark on about compliance, the fact

02:35is, a bicycle is made up of two triangles, which is famously the strongest shape.

02:41Also, aero bikes are built to be incredibly stiff and this results in a really large bottom

02:47bracket shell and a frame which doesn't really have much give at all.

02:52And it's all these factors which create a fairly hard ride.

02:56So if you are susceptible to back pain or you just don't want all of that feedback coming

03:00up through the road, then perhaps a slightly softer endurance bike is the way to go.

03:11As is pretty well known, the rider makes up the largest proportion of aerodynamic drag.

03:17So any good modern aero bike will feature a more extreme position to help you cut through

03:22the air as cleanly as possible.

03:25And this is done by usually adopting a low front end.

03:28And you may be a little more stretched out and the steering itself can be quite direct.

03:34For some, this won't be an issue.

03:37And if you have good flexibility, then contorting yourself into a more racy position will actually

03:42come quite naturally.

03:44The flip side of this though is that if you don't possess the flexibility needed and you

03:48aren't riding in fast paced scenarios, then an aero bike will likely make for a pretty

03:53dismal riding experience.

03:55Your back will probably ache because there are some things that not even a bike fit can save.

04:02And the fast steering could just leave you feeling a little bit out of control.

04:12If you're a smaller and lighter weight rider like myself, then there is one unique problem

04:17that can crop up.

04:19In the same way that deep section wheels are susceptible to crosswinds, the flat,

04:23aerodynamically optimised tube shapes of an aero bike are as well.

04:28And since aero bikes are generally paired with deep section wheels,

04:32this can lead to a pretty sketchy setup.

04:36I've lost count of the number of times that I've been blown across the road when riding aero bikes

04:41with deep wheels.

04:43Even aero bikes with shallow wheels.

04:45It's something a minority of people need to be aware of because if you aren't expecting it

04:50or are a slightly nervous rider, then you can end up in a pretty precarious situation.

04:55So to all my fellow lightweight riders, rather than an out and out aero bike,

05:00I'd instead consider an all rounder road bike with mid section wheels somewhere between 40 and 50

05:07millimeters deep and then just really optimise your position.

05:17So far, I've painted a pretty dark picture for aero bike ownership.

05:22But the fact is, they still sell incredibly well.

05:26So why do people keep on buying them?

05:29Well, for starters, just look at them.

05:37They look fantastic.

05:38The deep sculpted tube profiles in alien shapes just scream speed.

05:44Aero bikes are mesmerising to look at.

05:47And I feel like they do carry a bit of a placebo effect,

05:50that when you're on one, you just want to push that little bit harder

05:54and really lean into their ethos.

06:00Placebo or not, one thing is for sure.

06:03They really are fast.

06:05Despite not being the most comfortable bikes in the world,

06:08the compromise is worth it if you want to go out and beat your personal records.

06:13The speed increase is genuinely very tangible.

06:17There's nothing quite like pouncing on the pedals

06:19and then feeling the power transfer between your legs and the resulting acceleration.

06:24What's more, when you tuck up and really start to push down the road,

06:27you'll find that the speed you're able to hold will be a couple of miles an hour higher

06:32than you might otherwise be able to hold on a non-aero bike.

06:42One of the most satisfying things that you can enjoy when you're pushing down the road

06:46is the sound that the bike makes.

06:48It's this weird combination of a whooshing and whirring sound

06:52that then echoes through the frame and the wheels.

06:55If you've ever watched a race go by or had a rider whizz past you,

06:59then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

07:01But it's this sound that just really adds to the experience of riding one of these rocket ships.

07:07Even though I previously referenced the direct steering as a potential negative for those

07:18who may be a little bit more timid or just want a more relaxed riding experience,

07:22the effect of such fast steering is really something to behold.

07:28When accustomed to the feeling and how the bike can react underneath you,

07:32you learn to slow down your inputs and just let the bike do the work.

07:36Then, when you're in scenarios when you really do need to react,

07:40you can be less frantic with your movements and just trust the bike will go where you want it to.

07:46Of course, the speed of steering is on a sliding scale, with some bikes being more aggressive than others.

07:51The feeling can also be impacted by the width of the handlebars fitted.

07:56So, for example, the Trek Madone's handlebar width has actually been really well thought out,

08:02meaning that the smaller sizes do have narrower bars fitted from stock.

08:07And then, this does result in much less aerodynamic drag,

08:10but it also means that the speed of the steering can be amplified compared to a bike of the same size with wider bars.

08:18It's not just the width of the bars, but the feeling tends to stem from the head tube height, length and angle.

08:25So, perhaps if you do find a bike that feels too fast, then maybe try looking for an alternative

08:31with a slightly slacker head angle and it could mean that you find your own sweet spot.

08:36It's an acquired taste, but if you do start riding bikes with fast steering,

08:41they are really hard to move away from because the feeling is fantastic.

08:48As mentioned, one of the flagship features of any aero bike is a pretty large bottom bracket shell.

08:58The manufacturers do this to introduce stiffness around what is a pretty high stress area.

09:04This stiffness and any lack of give means that the power transfer between your legs and the wheels is second to none.

09:12Pair that with the characteristically short chainstays that most aero bikes have,

09:16and it's a recipe which results in a bike that feels really snappy and eager to respond.

09:22I believe that when you boil it down, aero bikes create a game of compromise.

09:27If you're willing to sacrifice the comfort that can be found on softer bikes, happy to absorb the cost of running such machines,

09:34and you're confident in your ability to ride in the crosswinds, then yes, go and get an aggressive aero race bike.

09:41But if you're unsure about any of the attributes that come along with going fast,

09:45then I think it's best that you steer clear and opt for something which is a little bit better suited to your riding style.

09:54Let me know down below, if you own an aero bike, how do you feel about it now?

09:59If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content,

10:03and I will see you again very soon.

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