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 you who already
02:00have some mechanical know-how that will be the ones that actually have some 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
02:26areas.
02:27Generally, 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.
03:07As 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.
03:33For some, this won't be an issue and if you have good flexibility, then contorting yourself
03:39into a more racy position will actually come quite naturally.
03:43The flip side to this, though, is that if you don't possess the flexibility needed and
03:48you aren'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
04:18that can crop up.
04:19In the same way that deep section wheels are susceptible to crosswinds, the flat, aerodynamically
04:24optimised tube shapes of an aero bike are as well.
04:28And since aero bikes are generally paired with deep section wheels, this can lead to a pretty
04:34sketchy setup.
04:35I've lost count of the number of times that I've been blown across the road when riding
04:40aero bikes with deep wheels, even aero bikes with shallow wheels.
04:45It's something a minority of people need to be aware of because if you aren't expecting
04:50it or are a slightly nervous rider, then you can end up in a pretty precarious situation.
04:56So to all my fellow lightweight riders, rather than an out-and-out aero bike, I'd instead
05:01consider an all-rounder road bike with mid-section wheels somewhere between 40 and 50 millimetres
05:08deep 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?
05:31Well, for starters, just look at them.
05:37They look fantastic.
05:39The deep sculpted tube profiles in alien shapes just scream speed.
05:45Aero bikes are mesmerising to look at, and I feel like they do carry a bit of a placebo
05:50effect that when you're on one, you just want to push that little bit harder and really
05:54lean into their ethos.
05:57Placebo or not, one thing is for sure, they really are fast.
06:06Despite not being the most comfortable bikes in the world, the compromise is worth it if
06:10you 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 and then feeling the power transfer between
06:21your legs and the resulting acceleration.
06:23What's more, when you tuck up and really start to push down the road, you'll find that the
06:28speeds you're able to hold will be a couple of miles an hour higher than you might otherwise
06:34be 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.
06:49It's this weird combination of a whooshing and whirring sound that then echoes through the
06:53frame and the wheels.
06:55If you've ever watched a race go by or had a rider whizz past you, then you'll know
06:59exactly what I'm talking about.
07:02But it's this sound that just really adds to the experience of riding one of these rocket
07:07ships.
07:14Even though I previously referenced the direct steering as a potential negative for those who
07:18may be a little bit more timid or just want a more relaxed riding experience, the effect
07:23of such fast steering is really something to behold.
07:28When accustomed to the feeling and how the bike can react underneath you, you learn to
07:32slow down your inputs and just let the bike do the work.
07:37Then when you're in scenarios when you really do need to react, you can be less frantic with
07:41your 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
07:51than others.
07:53The feeling can also be impacted by the width of the handlebars fitted.
07:57So for example, the Trek Madone's handlebar width has actually been really well thought
08:01out, meaning that the smaller sizes do have narrower bars fitted from stock.
08:07And then this does result in much less aerodynamic drag.
08:11And it also means that the speed of the steering can be amplified compared to a bike of the same
08:16size with wider bars.
08:19It's not just the width of the bars, but the feeling tends to stem from the head tube
08:23height, 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.
08:33And it could mean that you find your own sweet spot.
08:37It's an acquired taste, but if you do start riding bikes with fast steering, they are really
08:42hard to move away from because the feeling is fantastic.
08:52As mentioned, one of the flagship features of any aero bike is a pretty large bottom bracket
08:57shell.
08:58The manufacturers do this to introduce stiffness around what is a pretty high stress area.
09:05This stiffness and any lack of give means that the power transfer between your legs and the
09:09wheels is second to none.
09:12Pair that with the characteristically short chainstays that most aero bikes have, and it's
09:17a recipe which results in a bike that feels really snappy and eager to respond.
09:21I 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
09:32absorb the cost of running such machines, and you're confident in your ability to ride in
09:36the 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, then I think
09:47it's best that you steer clear and opt for something which is a little bit better suited
09:52to 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
10:03content, and I will see you again very soon.
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