What is an aero road bike?
The aero racing bike is a sub-category of the competition racing bike and is uncompromisingly sporty. The bikes are aimed at sprinters and powerful breakaways because the aerodynamic advantage of the material over lighter racing bikes can be best utilised in these racing situations. In tight situations, better aerodynamics can make the difference between victory and defeat. But amateur riders also benefit from being streamlined, even more than the pros in terms of riding time.
However, the extra speed also has disadvantages: Aero racing bikes are heavier, half a kilogramme more than lightweight models. The suspension comfort is also usually less than that of lightweight road bikes. Only a few models manage a very good balancing act and are competitive in most racing situations. Compared to classic road bikes, you often sit a little more stretched out on aero bikes.
What makes the frames of aero racers special?
Without exception, the frames and forks are made of carbon and shaped to be as streamlined as possible; low weight and high comfort are secondary development goals. This also means a lot of integration and many special components. Most aero racers can only be ridden with electronic gears. Handlebars, seatposts and seat clamps are usually not interchangeable, cable routing and therefore position adjustment is complicated. If you want to change the stem length or handlebar shape, you are often limited to a few expensive options. The flat top handlebars often have no handlebar tape and offer a lot of support, but no good grip.
You won't find options such as mudguard eyelets on aero racers, and the tyre clearance is usually low. However, current models allow tyres up to 32 millimetres wide. The lower bottle cage can often be mounted in two positions: A lower, more aerodynamic position and a higher position so that a second holder can be fitted.
How is the driving behaviour?
Aero racers are relatively agile and can be steered directly round bends. With a large cant and long stems, a lot of weight rests on the front wheel. The wheelbase is around 1000 millimetres, so the aero specialists tend to be somewhat smoother, and in some cases also more sluggish than lightweight bikes.
Which tyres fit an aero road bike?
The current standard is 28 millimetres. Tyres of this size offer the best compromise between comfort and rolling resistance - and compensate for the small aero disadvantage compared to narrower tyres. The frame and fork now also allow space for up to 32 millimetre tyres on race models. Depending on the width of the carbon rim, the tyres can be slightly wider in reality. Most competition racing bikes roll on modern TLR tyres (Tubeless-Ready), which can be ridden either with a tube or with sealant. The latter option is also favoured by the majority of the World Tour peloton.
What do I need to bear in mind when translating?
While the framesets of the competition bikes are also ridden by professionals, the gears of the commercially available bikes are usually a little lighter. The most common is the semi-compact crank with 52/36 teeth. Paired with a relatively small sprocket set (10-30 teeth), it takes a few kilometres of training to be able to turn the crank even on steep terrain. Bad news for fans of mechanical shifting technology: the frames hardly allow Bowden cables any more. New models are almost exclusively equipped with electronic groupsets from Shimano or SRAM. Many models have a power meter in the crank as standard. Campagnolo drivetrains are rarely found on specialist dealer bikes.
What do aero road bikes cost?
Unfortunately, the manufacturers have to pay for the technical expertise that goes into the race models. An aero racing bike costs at least 5000 euros. There is almost no upper limit to the prices. The professional bikes from the best-known manufacturers are usually well into the five-figure range.
What do aero bolides weigh?
Due to the aerodynamic measures, aero racing bikes weigh slightly more than carbon racing bikes trimmed for low weight. The frames are 100 to 200 grams heavier, in addition to heavier add-on parts and wheels with high, aerodynamic rim profiles.
What are typical representatives of the aero road bike?
Currently (as of October 2023), the Simplon Pride II holds the record for the fastest production bike in the TOUR test: at a speed of 45 km/h, the rider needs 199 watts to overcome the air resistance of the flat aero bike. However, almost all well-known manufacturers also have a fast aero bike in their programme.
The fastest production bikes in the TOUR test
Jens Klötzer
Editor
