Time Trial / Time Trialling / TT

according to XAVSCIENZE, conti's are the slipperiest, therefore BEST

Anyone have the skinny on which bar setup is 'likely' to be faster? (Yes, yes I'll need to test it)

Slam the stem and jack the pads/extensions up with spacers (seems on-trend with Sky, etc) or my current setup which has a higher stem and the base bar close to the extensions/pads?

Assuming the trendy way is faster the only disadvantages I can see are potentially slightly wobblier pads and the brakes are a bit further away (only 20mm though, I'd guess).

Lies.

The fastest bar position is the one that puts you into your optimum postion (but you already know that ;) )

Independently though, either separating the extensions from the base bar by 50+mm is probably a good thing for getting smooth flow over the base bar though, or completely integrating them both for minimal frontal area. A middle ground of 20-35?mm spacers is probably going to have the worst of both worlds.

Bottrill changed down a frame size and added stack last year and he probably didn't do it to make himself slower.

The fastest bar position is the one that puts you into your optimum postion

Do I need to troll your WW thread even more?
My position on the bike would remain the same, I'm just wondering about the bar aerodynamics.

Hmm, yes it might not be enough separation, I think it's only 20mm whereas Wiggo's and Botty's are 30m+

Bottrill's bike has a clean stem to top tube though, whereas my Shiv is going to have a lump in the form of the tower no matter where I put the bars.

But you can see on mine, I could drop the stem, get rid of the gap-filler spacer on the 'tower' behind it and then jack up the pads/exts using spacers.

I'm basically thinking of trading the spacers below the stem frontal area for the spacers under the pads front area, which in my mind should be better aerodynamically (assuming I then cut the fork down).

You might as well drop the base bar. Using a bento bag behind the stem is a solution some people use to smooth airflow off the stem, dunno if it actually works though.

Those upturned base bar ends would annoy me, dunno how much is in it but they don't look aero.

Using a bento bag behind the stem

Yeah, I thought about that but there's none that fit perfectly so I was going to custom fab a fairing err I mean bento box, that sits down into the Fuelselage to hold gels. But then I noticed Spesh do a purpose built box that goes into the frame where the bottle cage is so that would be much easier than me making something.

those upturned base bar ends would annoy me

You mean on the start bars? I never understood why they did that. I thought maybe because it means some of the brake lever is in front of the bar. I have a set of Magura hydraulic brakes to go on this thing and they have cutouts designed for horizontal base bars but unless you know where to get a Specialized base bar with flat grips, I'm unlikely to change it.

It appears they only have a single option:
http://www.specializedconceptstore.co.uk/carbon-aerobar-and-aero-stem/34307/2015equipcomponentsroadhbarsaero

ADR do it too
http://adrcarbon.com/products/adr-ultra-tt-bars

Unless: http://adrcarbon.com/collections/frontpage/products/adr-ultimate-tt-bars
"With more and more bikes on the market offering 'aggressive' positions, the best way to achieve a comfortable but aerodynamic position is to raise the armpads and tribars away from the dirty airflow caused by your hands. This means clean air flows smoothly over the base bar."

I could just cut the angled bits off! #closetweightweenie

careful if you do that - as the inside of the bars might not be fully finished/round all the way back

I never understood why they did that.

I thought it was an ergonomic thing: puts the lever in a more usable position.

For all the use they get, it does seem unnecessary and must have an aero hit.

I blame slevless.

It depends, remember it's primary aim for me was fast 24hr. I do a LOT more braking in races than your average TTer hitting 10s and 25s. Also, LEJOG, etc where comfort is important. Slevless need all the help using brakes they can get!

Saying that, the Shiv TT has flat ends:
http://chainwheeldrive.com/images/library/Zoom/spec_shiv_tt_sw_module_x2_carb_satin_blk_12_z.jpg

Where can I get them, I wonder?

Ream it. More weight gone :)

If you were fixed, you could mount a second lever on the extensions, staying tucked when braking.

#justsaying

Why do I need to be fixed to do that? There are levers available now that will give me that option. I did consider it but I like to sit up and look at traffic though. Some courses require you to get off the extensions at turns.

There are levers available now that will give me that option.

Didn't know that: clamp-on presumably? Assumed bar-end was the only option.

Not suggesting you'd never want to get off the extensions, but having the option to stay tucked more often can't be a bad thing.

Here's an option..

http://www.roadbikeaction.com/ARCHIVE-TECH--FEATURES/content/67/3826/Liquigas-Cannondale-Team-Slice.html

Do those Metron shifters (bottom pic) function as brakes/shifters or both? I found one link that implied that they're just shifters, and one where they looked like brakes (although I might be wrong)?

I had previously thought that they were just goofy looking shifters.

i think they're just shifters - pull the lever to go up the block, press the button to go down

https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=84503534&x-yt-ts=1421914688&v=u5saSxqNsO4

That's what I previously thought, but I looked on vision's website and the only shifters that I could see were these ones ( http://www.visiontechusa.com/products/groupset/trimax-tt/ ). Then I looked under brakes and found these ( http://www.visiontechusa.com/products/brake-levers/metron-aero-brake-lever/ ) which look pretty similar to those pictured above (including the little button etc) but the description only mentions braking...

Aren't FSA meant to be launching a groupset?

I thought the lever was a brake and the button on the end was the shift button. Why would you need a massive lever for shifting gears??

Wow, they're fucking dumb.

The top image is described "The left extension has a custom setup with a rear brake lever which allows the rider to use the brakes while in the aero bars."

What's stopping me sticking a Di2 combined shifter/brake in the extensions? Different diam. bung?