Should we all be using clip-on aero bars?

Aero extensions were banned in all UCI road cycling competitions in 1997, the aero advantage and the reduced control were obvious reasons for their exclusion.

This ban has meant that even across wider cycling circles the uptake in aero bar use has never really taken off. Using aero extensions is one of the easiest ways to gain some free speed out on the road, just by changing your frontal area so you are punching a smaller hole through the wind.

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Aero bars became a go to bit of kit in the peloton between 1993-1997 when they were then banned

In this video Conor Dunne sets out to see just how much benefit using clip on aero bars really gives us and if they are something that we should be considering as our next upgrade.

Aero extensions rose to prominence after Greg LeMond famously used them to seal the overall victory at the 1989 Tour de France, where he reversed a 50 second deficit to Laurent Fignon finishing eight seconds ahead. At the time there was no real regulation around the use of clip on bars and the appeal saw them being used in mass start road races, with the Cinelli Spinaci bars being the most famous and widely used.

• Read more: Greg LeMond vs Laurent Fignon: Did tech win the 1989 Tour de France?

The benefit of having clip-on aero bars fitted to your bike in a road race are fairly obvious, once you have attacked the peloton and got a gap, dropping on to the aero extensions will give you an advantage that would make you hard to bring back. The use of these bars was relatively short-lived with the most prominent years being 1993-1997 when they were banned.

The leading reason that led to the ban was that of safety. Riding on aero extensions puts you in a position where you have considerably less control over the bike as well as putting your hands a long way from the brakes should you need them. When you pair this with 200 other riders all using the same position, it becomes a recipe for disaster.

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Riding on the aero bars reduces your control with no access to brakes or gears whilst on the extension

As with a lot of things in the cycling world, what the pros use influences greater trends across the community, but did this ban stunt the use of something great? Conor sets out to test them in the real world to find out just how much quicker they are, and if that makes them an attractive upgrade for road riding.

The test comprises a rolling 8km circuit that features everything you might typically expect from a road ride, including tight and twisty lanes, and roundabouts. Conor puts his Orbea road bike with regular bars up against the same bike but with clip-on extensions to see what the difference really is.

It comes as no surprise that using the aero bars was faster than using the regular position, however the magnitude of difference the aero bars made really was startling. Over an 8km course the aero bars made a 50 seconds saving when compared to riding without them.

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Using aero bars has quite a noticeable benefit out on the road, ideal for local time trials or solo efforts

There was a 14 watt difference in power between tests, with Conor putting out the higher numbers whilst on the extensions. What is interesting about this, is that for Conor, he felt that he was comfortable to push more power in that position attributing that to the extensions allowing his upper body to relax, rather than needing to support himself with his core so much.

Even with the savings as great as they are, Conor remains on the fence when it comes to fitting aero bars to his own bike. Firstly, they aren’t the most stylish addition to the bike and any bike with aero extensions is going to have a tough time to receive a super nice in the bike vault. Secondly, the unavoidable safety concerts are still present. On wider main roads, using the extensions is a great way of ramping up the speed, but on smaller roads, it just isn't worth the risk.

• Read more: Head-down TT position: Dangers back in the spotlight, despite new UCI rules

With extensions fitted, there will always be the added temptation to use them wherever you can, which is not necessarily a good thing as you might very well be tempted into taking risks in the hunt for speed.

If you do see the value and choose to use aero extensions then they should only be used for solo rides, the reduction in immediate control makes them less than useful in a group setting and you could be putting yourself and others at risk by using them. If you are going on a group ride, it is also courteous to remove them from your bike entirely as they do pose a greater hazard in the event of a crash.

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The benefits of aero bars are certainly tangible but are they worth it for the reduction in control?

With all of this being said, aero bars do offer an undeniable performance upgrade and if you spend a lot of miles riding solo or like to take part in a mid week time trial, investing in some aero bars could be the best performance upgrade at a relatively low cost.

If you use aero bars on your road bike, let us know why you use them and how you have found cycling with them in the comments below this article.