I’ve tried using conventional aerobars and just couldn’t find the comfort and performance I was looking for. My elbows were always too close together to be able to breathe properly and have reasonable power outputs. Starting with a broken carbon fiber ski pole and some foam sheet, a series of prototypes were developed and tested over the past year. The version outlined in this post is the one that I find most comfortable (multiple hand and arm positions), versatile, and quickly removeable without any tools. An added benefit of the DIY aerobar and secure mounting system is that the upper body and core can be recruited for more powerful pedal strokes. Based on a few hundred kilometers of observations I’m about 1.5 km/hour faster with DIY aerobar than the conventional system. I think this is because of the more open chest and upper to lower body power transfer. The system pictured weights about 200 grams installed. This DIY approach is also significantly lighter than the conventional carbon fiber aerobars used in this post.















Development notes:
The stiffening panel between the foam is critical to overall functionality. I started off using cutting sheets, which would be shredded after a hundred kilometers of riding. The addition of the removable cork ball added comfortable hand positions, likewise for the triple layer of cork tape. Finding the correct length took some trail and error. Start longer…