There has been speculation about the problematic aerobars that were pulled from the Australian Cycling Team’s bikes before the ‘kilo’ event at the Commonwealth Games. While details remain scant, we can confirm that the manufacturer was not Bastion Cycles.

 


– By Rob Arnold


 

Earlier this week AusCycling issued a media release explaining some issues with the aerobars that were to be used by the Australian Cycling Team for the ‘kilo’ TT at the Commonwealth Games. Assumptions have been made about the manufacturer of the handlebars in question, but the national federation hasn’t explained what company wasn’t responsible for the faulty “pursuit bars”.

RIDE Media can confirm that Australian company Bastion Cycles, which has had dealing with the Australian Cycling Team in recent years, was not responsible for the product in question.

“Following extensive testing and an exhaustive investigation of alternatives, it has been determined that the pursuit bars due to be used in today’s men’s 1000m time trial at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games cannot be used safely,” begins the media statement.

“As a result, our riders will use drop bars which can tolerate the loads generated during the competition but will likely result in marginally slower times.”

Australian ‘kilo’ riders had to use drop handlebars instead of aerobars at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Australian riders Matt Glaetzer, Tom Cornish and Matt Richardson placed first, second and fourth in the event, with the gold medallist posting a sub-minute kilometre despite using the drop bars that are on his sprint bike for sprint events.

There’s been little commentary since 11.00pm on Monday when AusCycling issued its media release but Ben Schultz from Bastion has contacted RIDE Media to explain that the aerobars that had been on the TT bikes – the ones that “cannot be used safely” – are NOT from his company.

“I can confirm that AusCycling are not using our Pursuit Base Bars,” said Schultz when contacted by RIDE Media earlier today. “All four units were removed from service immediately after the incident in Tokyo and have not been re-instated.”

– By Rob Arnold