The growing popularity of ultra endurance bikepacking has resulted in a massive amount of custom gear and bike setups. One of the more popular pieces of gear and in my opinion a necessity for a ride like the Tour Divide, is a pair of aero-bars. However, one of the biggest challenges in installing and using them on a regular mountain bike setup is that they are generally too low down and too far forward resulting in a far from perfect riding position to benefit 100% from their intended use.

During my Tour Divide ride in 2013 the most I could spend on them was about 10 minutes before getting 'pain' in my lower back. After looking around at the different options (spacer's, adjustable aero-bars etc) I came across a simple, yet effective piece of gear that solves that problem and provides a solution to another - space in the cockpit.

Enter the Fred bar by Siren Bicycles. This simple, quality piece of gear has been one of my most exciting pieces of gear I have bought for my bike recently. It simply installs on the headset with a couple of clamp bolts. The Fred bar then allows the aero-bars to be installed closer down the stem in a position that is more normal and considerably easier to ride in.  The other benefit of this setup is that is also raises the aero-bars a few centimeters higher than the previous position on the handlebars. My one concern with this setup was that I was going to knock my knees on them in certain riding positions - but to date I have not made contact with them.

I ordered the part directly from Siren Bicycles who were an absolute pleasure to deal with - It is great dealing with folk who are truly passionate about bikes and it shows in the quality of their products. Sure, there may be cheaper options out there but I would not want to trust them on a Tour Divide type route.  This is a light, but quality made piece of gear that I would argue is a necessity if installing aero-bars on a mountain bike.

On testing the setup, I have found that I get down in the aeros a lot more often, the riding position is super comfortable and I can be in the position for as long as I want. Being comfortable and confident on the bars also means I can ride them through all kinds of terrain and even on some inclines!  The other benefit of the Fred bar is that is frees up a whole lot of space to mount things on your handlebars  which is a bonus for all the bit and pieces when kitting out a Tour Divide rig.