Having trouble getting comfortable in the aero position? A new aerobar trend may be the answer.
To “pedestal” an aerobar means to prop the elbow pads and extensions high above the basebar. This offers the ability to create a more conservative aero fit by raising the bars much higher than what is otherwise possible. It can be used to ride a conservative position on a more aggressive bike or to replace the steerer tube spacers commonly used to lift the bars. Since the pads and extensions are raised in unison, grip ergonomics doesn’t change, yet several other characteristics can be improved by pedestalling. Only some aerobars offer this great adjustment option, but that number is rising.
An aerobar that can pedestal opens up two fit possibilities. If your bike’s fit scheme is simply too aggressive to comfortably accommodate your position, pedestalling the bar upward can rescue the fit of a bike that would otherwise be unridable. Alternatively, some athletes, such as two-time Ironman 70.3 world champion Sebastian Kienle, elect to pedestal their aerobars even though they could achieve an ideal fit by lifting the bars with steerer tube spacers.
Pedestalling instead of using steerer spacers helps maximize responsiveness when gripping the brake levers to corner hard or ride out of the saddle. It also keeps the rider in a more aggressive position while on the brake grips.
Exposing a long section steerer tube creates a lot of aero drag, but, according to testing conducted by Specialized aerodynamicists, pedestalling to the same height creates less wind resistance.