DIY Aerobridge for Bikepacking TT Bars

After mounting my Profile T3+ Aero Bars on my mountain bike for an upcoming bikepacking trip, I quickly discovered the TT bars did not leave any room for my GPS unit and my bike light. This led me to do a little Googling to see what options I had. After researching and finding a few products that I could purchase, I figured I could make my own with a piece of PVC pipe. I certainly was not the first to think of this method as I Googled and found others with similar setups. If you want to skip the text, scroll down to find the video I made highlighting the finished aerobridge and steps on how to make your own.

Options available for purchase:

• $95 Siren Fred Bars – Siren Cycles has closed shop. 
• $20 Profile Design UCM Aerobridge
• $20 The Topeak Bar Extender
• $15 Carbon Fiber Handlebar Extender
• $12 Carbon Fiber One Side Computer Mount
• $11 Profile Design Universal Computer Mount
• $10 Generic Aerobar Bar End Computer Mount

Measurements:

Once I settled on making my own, my thought process shifted to what size PVC piped I needed to fit both the TT bars and my device mounts. With the TT bars having a diameter or 0.8 inch, I knew I needed at least a 1 inch diameter PVC pipe. That would leave a little room to drill a hole through the side of the pipe for the TT bars and enough space to provide some structural integrity. 1 inch PVC pipe’s outside to outside diameter is actually closer to 1.3 inches, which is close to the max diameter on most of the mounts for my devices. Come to find out, my Wahoo Bolt’s mount was not wide enough even with a longer hex screw. I’ve ended up using the zip tie mount instead.

How to:

I went to my local Home Depot to pick up the supplies that I needed, but you could buy what you need off Amazon. Below are affiliate links to the exact items that I purchased, except for the step drill bit. I thought I had a larger drill bit than the one I ultimately ended up using… Let me tell you, it was a pain trying to drill a hole four times the size of the drill bit that I had. So I highly recommend that you purchase a step drill bit.

Home Depot had PVC pipe in two lengths, 2 feet or 10 feet. You pay a small premium for the shorter piece as it was $2.97 and the 10 foot piece was $3.97. I knew the Boss Lady would not want an extra 9 feet of PVC pipe laying around the house, so I settled for the shorter 2 foot piece.

Supplies:

• 1 inch PVC Pipe, 5′ Long
• Neiko 10194A Titanium Step Drill Bit – preferred drill bit
• Rust-Oleum Black Camouflage Spray Paint
• 3M Fine Sandpaper
• Rubber O-rings

Steps:

1. Cut the PVC pipe down to the length that you want. I cut mine down to 11 inches.

2. Measure how far apart your aero bars sit, measure from the center to the center of the other bar. This is crucial when drilling the holes in the PVC pipe. If not aligned properly, the bars will not fit and you will end up drilling one hole larger so the bars can slide in.

3. Once you have the center plotted on the PVC pipe of where the aero bars will go, using a small drill bit, drill a hole from one side to other to mark the exact center on both sides. Do this twice for both aero bars.

4. With the center drilled out, use the step drill bit to cut a 0.8″ hole into one side, then do the same on the others. You will drill 4 holes total.

5. With the holes cut, test the fit and drill more if needed.

6. Using sandpaper, smooth the edges of the holes. I also used sandpaper to rough up the outside of the pipe for spray painting.

7. Spray paint multiple layers, allowing time in between each layer for it to dry properly.

8. I used O-rings to lock the pipe into place on my bars, but you can use tape or something else.

9. Mount your devices and enjoy your new cockpit.

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-thebidon