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Aero clip-ons for Giant Propel Advanced 1 Disc

  • This topic has 26 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 6 years ago by Grringo6.
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  • September 19, 2019 at 8:32 pm #30131
    Grringo6

    With SUCH a convoluted bike name (and hefty price tag) you’d think there’d be a comprehensive aero  bars setup . . . well, no.

    Giant have gone to the no doubt expensive trouble of designing quite fancy clip-ons for the uniquely profiled aero composite drop bars BUT, while reasonably facilitating height and left/right elbow rest adjystment have criminally neglected to allow for forward/aft adjustment of their (£79) clip-ons.

    What’s a poor (read – can’t afford TT bike as well!) endurance triathlete to do to get that proper bikefitted elbow position instead of a rubbish and sore-after-45-mins fixed reach?

    I’m having to talk to engineers at the moment for a mod/hack that will transform these clip-ons into a properly adjustable form.

    If there’s anyone out there who knows of any fixes for this please post. Any wonky solution considered as it seems wrong for the proprietary clip-ons to fit only the tiny minority of perfect medium or perfect large body types. 

    Massive thanks in optomistic anticipation. 

    G

     

    This is 

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Viewing 11 replies - 16 through 26 (of 26 total)
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  • September 24, 2019 at 6:10 pm #950049
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    Boatsie

    Grringo6, I’m with you.
    Grringo6, I’m with you.
    I’m even more budget (less).
    But when engineering modification please be careful. I wouldn’t want to steer like a forklift at high speeds. I think I’ll drill though my round cross bar, bolt and be done with it. A comfortable commuter.

    September 22, 2019 at 2:35 pm #950047
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    Boatsie

    I don’t think Giant are
    I don’t think Giant are criminally neglect because the Time Trials Track bars were made to use on a fixed gear no brakes machine in a stable environment .
    On road is variables. Biggest hassle I had was suicide shifts when speeds were up above 60 kmph ish. Some days due to the flow I’d have to free roll. If needed I’d speed wobble to grab brakes but without bracing near steering axle it would be near impossible.
    That’s really impressive that the turbulence is defused into slip stream via a tapered edge and also that the tapered edge is easier to lock lay bars onto. I have no idea if the wind shear is as strong on a modern setup; coefficient of force is reduced but speeds are increased and force is a triple exponential of speed with reference to wind.
    Hence encouragement to brace torque brake a speed wobble with an easy arrangement of a fixed position.
    I’m a poorer cyclist dude. I hope the high price is per accessibility restrictions of such magnificent looking bars because I don’t know how to discard post usable composite products and if they were cheaper than many more would be tomorrows landfill or stock pile to recycle if such is.

    Hoping you win many races bro.

    September 21, 2019 at 3:38 pm #950045
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    Boatsie

    I’m sort of dumb man. I
    I’m sort of dumb man. I remembered why I didn’t TT bar the aero fixie. 2 reasons.
    It has sort of aero alloy bars, not a tapered edge such as carbon can produce but efficient and I target my purchases at materials that can be recycled and didn’t want to ruin a good thing.
    Main reason was that all grips are fore of front axle and when she’s street screaming I get bucked a bit and adore having brake levers just in case.
    The amount of fore weight is incredible. I like Podc reasoning.
    I never raced, my opinion is via commuting but I found TT bars fantastic on long-haul and note that some fancy new cyclists often past me. But I found best comfort firm with grip far forward and where forearm/elbow saddles are meant to be use merely used to stabilize when changing position into brake grip positions. Ridden on a soft touch. She was fast enough and using descent often passing cars in an 80kmph zone but not race speed. You guys walk on tree trunks. 🙂 I don’t understand muscle tense preferences of racers.
    Eg whether saddles should brace high pressure arms or guide as a steering fulcrum brake and allow body to maximize pressure.
    Yet we human. Riding will discover preferences.
    As human, typical rule of thumb is strength.
    60% legs, 30% torso, 10% arms

    September 21, 2019 at 6:24 am #950043
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    Podc

    Not sure what your position

    Not sure what your position is at the moment, but it might be worth looking at your saddle fore/aft position. Moving the saddle forward so that you are further forward and in effect rotated around the bb, might help as your upper body will be further forward and lower. 

    September 21, 2019 at 2:12 am #950041
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    Boatsie

    Thanks..
    Thanks..
    I’m corrected too.
    I remember my elbows touching the bar (or near enough to touching bar, just before the bone lump if memory true).

    You rock , I’m old
    Probably something missing that I was told.

    Hmm something to do with hold.?. Maybe hold on she’s going to be fast.

    September 20, 2019 at 6:50 pm #950039
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    Grringo6

    Thanks, Boatsie.

    Thanks, Boatsie.

    This is the example my pro bikefit guy gave me as a position that’s bad for my purposes. As I mentioned this is a fine aero position esp for shortish TTs etc but will be agony to maintain for me (and, I suspect, even you) for 6-8 hrs because the fulcrum is the mid forearm and so – like a seesaw – requires far more muscular tone at the shoulder and wrist to maintain than if the load-bearing point were, effectively, the tip of the humerus. Try holding a plank position with weight mostly going through your elbow Vs resting your forearms on, well, I dunno. Hopefully you get the picture : )

    Anyhoo, here are the principles that make sense to me esp in relation to elbow position. 

    Many mnfctrs do a clamp/rest that is adjustable in every plane (see above post), inc forward/aft. I’m just disappointed Giant haven’t, afaics, factored this adjustment in for this bike. Boo.

    … But happy to be corrected.

    September 20, 2019 at 6:11 pm #950037
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    Boatsie

    Just a thought..
    Just a thought..
    I don’t know your bike. I use 3 road bikes with 60 or 61cm top tubes. (I don’t remember at this moment). 1 is an aero shape bike but I won’t fit lay tri bars to it because it wouldn’t fit my suit. It’s too long and I don’t see control in doing such but perfect length to me on dropbars.
    My 4th road bike is 58 cm top tube. I’d like to use tri bars on that but doubt my leg strength would benefit the bikes suit change if done and I’m a cheapskate so it’ll take me ages to figure out how to weld or similar.

    But I think (without knowledge) if the rest was to be used as a brace aft of the shaft then with hands fore of the shaft there would be a continual counter of steerage torque rather than a brake torque and adjustment.

    Best of luck..
    Godspeed

    September 20, 2019 at 5:29 pm #950035
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    Boatsie

    The picture looks perfect man
    The picture looks perfect man. IMO.
    Wow, bars have really changed yet basic principles remains same.

    I used to commute a 2*40km on drop bars. When working during uni holidays , a work mate was an experienced cyclist and sold me an old one piece aero bar to assist my comfort. Old then and that was 25 + years ago.

    Anyway the basic principles remains same. I don’t understand the basic principles though. What I found was at first it was twitchy. You’d know that feeling; your hands extended fore and providing a greater length of lever. I didn’t have cushions, I wanted some but didn’t want more air turbulence. Learning to lightly rest instead. Maybe the rests are just rests.

    Like kayaking and bicycle riding are very very similar, eg kick the vessel forward while the blade grips: Push your leg while your hand grips. The back rest in the vessel is a back rest. Generally we lean forward to avoid resting the back while paddling; tires less as legs are much stronger than arms.

    Maybe the arm rests are forward such to maintain leverage during descents, etc.

    Nice looking rests man.. Wow

    September 20, 2019 at 1:14 pm #950033
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    Grringo6

    Thanks, Kendalred.

    Thanks, Kendalred.

    OK – so, providing this img uploads, if you look at guy on white bike he’s basically resting his forearm on the rests. The rests are way too far forward.  This is my problem. With the Giant (let’s call it) handlebar-clamp-plus-rest-on-top-ie-excluding-bars the height of the rest is adjustable and also left/right (as you look at them)(or ‘in/out’ if you prefer) BUT NOT forward or backward relative to the handlebar (which the likes of Profile Design’s T3+ and many others do). Here they are 

    https://www.giantbikespares.com/Giant-Contact-Aero-Clip-on-Clamp-for-Aerobars/product_detail/3-42067

    (and incidentally I’m the guy in the comments on the website asking the same question, to which ‘Dave’ incorrectly answers, Yes!)

    The img attached may be an OK aero position but is super-bad ergonomically and will quickly bring shoulder and wrist tension/pain. The ideal position for long haul events is as aero as poss but also as comfy as poss. And this is wherever these rests provide maximum support so you can maximally rest – ie, directly under the elbow in other words where the upper body is directly supported and the forearms/wrists can relax. 

    I think there can only be an engineering fix but before I go down that path wanted to see if there were any alternative solutions out there. Hope this helps you picture the prob and thanks again for replying

    G

    September 20, 2019 at 11:53 am #950031
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    Kendalred

    Not sure if I can picture

    Not sure if I can picture what your problem is? Is it the position of the actual elbow pads/rests that you are wanting to adjust backwards/forwards – or the extensions?

    If it’s the elbow rests, then by design they will always be directly above the handlebar tops. Surely the only way to get them closer/further away is to change the length of the stem. Or am I missing something?

    is it this?

    https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/giant-contact-aero-clip-on-bar-clamp-for-propel-handlebar

     

    September 20, 2019 at 5:21 am #950029
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    Boatsie

    I used same as welded in
    I used same as welded in place. 1 bar that was bent to form 4 horns with a tiny bar welded to bridge; headset grip).
    Eg same as aero profile welded onto existing bars, just different weld locations.
    I apologize that it doesn’t help your fit but it made a great long distance commuter. Light in middle of aero horn, no flash padding to rest on seemed to get comfortable with use.

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