I'VE GONE AERO WITH REDSHIFT SPORTS

Lexa and I got an upgrade! Yup, you heard it here first...we're going aero.  Or at least as "aero" as I can get on a road bike.

For the last few months I've been looking into different types aero bar systems.  Before you go there, yes I know a tri bike would have been better if I could afford one.  But right now a tri bike is not in my budget, its just a reality.  Hey, no one said triathlon was a cheap sport!

After researching online, I decided to go with RedShift Sports.  RedShift calls their system a Switch Aero System, meaning that you can easily switch back and forth between aero position or road position without the use any special tools. So, I can have a semi-aero bike or a road bike whenever I want. Remember, your limited to how aerodynamic you can really get on a road bike.

I contacted RedShift because I wasn't sure if the seat post would fit my road bike.  The owner contacted me back within a few minutes and reassured me that if it didn't fit, or if I wasn't happy I could return the system.  After our correspondence, I place my order.

I placed the order on Thursday and my system showed up on Saturday.  Man that was fast!

Lexa and I mean business

I scheduled an appointment with Halters Bicycle Shop to have my new aero bars and seat post professionally installed.  The shop owner had never seen nor heard of RedShift Sports, but he liked the concept and mentioned everything was nicely manufactured and not too heavy.  He wasn't sure why someone hadn't thought up of the switch concept sooner.

It took nearly 3 hours for him to install and adjust my bike so that I could have the best fit possible.  And here's the nice thing; if I'm riding a hilly course and I know I can't or won't be using the aero bars, I can easily remove them and put them back on.

The seat post has a mechanism where you can move the seat forward and backwards, on the fly.  So if I want to ride in aero position and I need to get closer, I can shift the seat forward. If I come to an area where I don't want to use the aero bars and I want to sit back more, I can easily shift the seat back and give myself some more room. Nice, huh?

I took Lexa out for a quick spin last night.  At first it felt really strange using aero bars. It wasn't the brand of aero bars, it was because I've never used aero bars before.  I know I'm going to have to get comfortable with them.  I also think I may need a minor tweek here or there as far as the fit goes.  I feel as though the saddle is too high for me.  But overall the aero bars felt very comfortable.  Once I get out there and use them some more, I'll be able to share a better review.

All in all, I don't know how often I'll be removing or switching between aero position and road position, but I looked at this way.  If I'm going to invest the money in aero bars, and I can easily have the option of switching between aero and road position, I'll take that option.  And with RedShift Sports so far it looks as though I have that option.