This is a really important question, and it's one that we've spent a lot of time thinking about here at Redshift Sports, so get ready for a long answer!
Aerobars (of any brand) work by rotating your upper body forward so that it is more parallel to the ground, and therefore less exposed to air resistance (imagine sticking your hand out a moving car window with your palm facing forward vs. with your fingers facing forward). If you don't change your saddle position when moving from road to aero positions, the angle between your thigh and your torso (otherwise known as the "hip angle") becomes tighter at the top of your pedal stroke, since your knees are effectively coming closer to your chest as you lower your upper body. For most riders, the tighter hip angle is uncomfortable and can actually reduce power output because you end up fighting against your body's own range of motion to move your leg over the top of the pedal stroke. It can cause back pain and generally leads to a riding position that is unsustainable, particularly for longer distance events.
The other unintended consequence that occurs if the saddle position is not adjusted is that the aerobar armpads tend to be too far away to reach comfortably. You end up riding in a "superman" position with your arms extended too far forward, which puts a lot of stress on the supporting muscles of the arms, shoulders, and core.
We specifically designed the Quick-Release Aerobars along with the Dual-Position Seatpost specifically to address this issue. The Dual-Position Seatpost addresses the fit implications of riding with aerobars on a road bike by allowing the saddle to move forward with the rider when shifting from road to aero riding positions. This forward movement effectively rotates the rider's body around the bottom bracket (where the pedals attach), naturally lowering the upper body down onto the aerobars without compressing the rider's hip angle. The forward movement also positions your body comfortably and efficiently over the aerobar armrest pads, letting you support your upper body through your skeleton, rather than relying on muscles.
Together, the Quick-Release Aerobars and Dual-Position Seatpost provide an optimized aero riding position that allows you to ride efficiently, comfortably, and powerfully on your road bike in both road and aero positions.
Aerobars (of any brand) work by rotating your upper body forward so that it is more parallel to the ground, and therefore less exposed to air resistance (imagine sticking your hand out a moving car window with your palm facing forward vs. with your fingers facing forward). If you don't change your saddle position when moving from road to aero positions, the angle between your thigh and your torso (otherwise known as the "hip angle") becomes tighter at the top of your pedal stroke, since your knees are effectively coming closer to your chest as you lower your upper body. For most riders, the tighter hip angle is uncomfortable and can actually reduce power output because you end up fighting against your body's own range of motion to move your leg over the top of the pedal stroke. It can cause back pain and generally leads to a riding position that is unsustainable, particularly for longer distance events.
The other unintended consequence that occurs if the saddle position is not adjusted is that the aerobar armpads tend to be too far away to reach comfortably. You end up riding in a "superman" position with your arms extended too far forward, which puts a lot of stress on the supporting muscles of the arms, shoulders, and core.
We specifically designed the Quick-Release Aerobars along with the Dual-Position Seatpost specifically to address this issue. The Dual-Position Seatpost addresses the fit implications of riding with aerobars on a road bike by allowing the saddle to move forward with the rider when shifting from road to aero riding positions. This forward movement effectively rotates the rider's body around the bottom bracket (where the pedals attach), naturally lowering the upper body down onto the aerobars without compressing the rider's hip angle. The forward movement also positions your body comfortably and efficiently over the aerobar armrest pads, letting you support your upper body through your skeleton, rather than relying on muscles.
Together, the Quick-Release Aerobars and Dual-Position Seatpost provide an optimized aero riding position that allows you to ride efficiently, comfortably, and powerfully on your road bike in both road and aero positions.