Aero bars have come a long way since Greg Lemond most famously used them to win his second Tour de France in 1989. Though early incarnations of various aero bars were sometimes crude, Zipp have made aerodynamics through comfort their holy grail. The Zipp VukaExtensions are an integral part of the Zipp aero bar system which is intended to give you the perfect balance between comfort, control, and efficient aerodynamics.

The comfort comes with the three shape options Zipp offers as well as the wide range of length possibilities the extensions can accommodate. The Straight shape gives you the best low-down take-no-prisoners aerodynamic position. However, it might not be the most comfortable option for some, especially if the majority of your time trialing revolves around the sort of long distances you’ll face in triathlon events. For such cases, Zipp designed two alternative ...three shapes to allow a perfect balance of comfort, control, and aero efficiency... shapes. The Chicane is ideal for those mid-range distances you’ll find in half-triathlons or smaller regional stage races. Then there is the Ski Tip shape which is really intended to give you the sort of long haul comfort you’ll need if you have aspirations to ride the sorts of distances that will tune you up for the Race Across America, for instance.

All Vuka extensions fit both the VukaAero and the VukaClip. At full length they measure 335mm and can be shortened by upwards of 100mm. That means that they can accommodate any bike configuration including ITU-legal racing requirements. They have been designed so that internal cable routing will be possible to increase the aerodynamic benefits while keeping the bars comfortable and cool-looking.

Of course the cutting of the bar is a big part of getting the fit right. Zipp is very specific when giving the instructions on how to cut the bar while keeping it safe. They have taken the precaution of marking the underside of the bars in 1cm increments along with smaller half centimeters marks separating each centimeter. The extension bar has to have at least 3cm of extension inserted into the Vuka body to avoid damaging the extensions by putting too much stress on them. You will find that this translates into at least six marks must be inserted into the Vuka body.

Once you know what length you want the bars to be, you can start cutting them to your desired extension. However, Zipp cautions that if you wish to take off more than 4cm in total, it would be wise to cut in 2-3cm increments to avoid overcutting, since once it’s off, there’s no putting it back on again! They also suggest wrapping the section you plan to cut in masking tape and to use a composite or FRP specific hacksaw to do the deed. That way you will get a nice clean cut without any jagged fibers lifting off the tube.

Since they are designed exclusively with the Zipp VukaAero, VukaBull, and VukaClip in mind, The Zip VukaExtensions are only compatible with these systems. Their 22.0 diameter means that they will be the perfect fit.