Velo Zephyr cradles your forearm w/ tapered, ergo carbon aerobar arm rests

Written by Tyler Benedict Mar 03, 2015 8:29 a.m. ET

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Aiming to make those long distance triathlons and TTs a little more bearable, Velo Zephyr is crowdfunding production of their new tapered arm supports.

Rather than using a stock arm rest that’s typically much shorter, VZ’s new design spreads your weight across a larger portion of the forearm and tapers the shape to follow the natural curve of your appendage. The result should be better comfort and less slipping forward, which builder Steven Herzfeld says lets you focus more on the pedaling.

The very modest $350 Kickstarter goal has been met, but if the campaign continues to grow it’ll allow him to have proper aluminum molds machined to streamline production. As is, he’s using 3D printed molds to form the arm rests…

The top of the page shows Velo Zephyr’s aero handlebar combo setup with the new tapered rests. Everything’s made in-house at his Boulder, CO, workshop.

The supports are offered for $70 through the campaign with standard four hole 25mm x 10mm drilling pattern, but custom drilling patterns to match whatever brand aero bar you have are available upon request. Check the Kickstarter campaign here.

VeloZephyr.com

Tyler Benedict

11,186 articles

Tyler Benedict is the Founder of Bikerumor.com. He has been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for almost two decades. Prior to that, Tyler launched and built multiple sports nutrition brands and consumer goods companies, mostly as an excuse to travel to killer riding locations throughout North America.

Based in North Carolina, Tyler loves family adventure travel and is always on the lookout for the next shiny new part to make his bikes faster and lighter.

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AlanM

9 years ago

A $350 kickstarter goal?

Veganpotter

9 years ago

Ha…already doubled his goal!!!

Best of luck. $70 is a great price, considering how he’s making these. I’ve made my own and I’d have to make a crapton of them to be willing to sell them for under $100. FSA makes the only stock arm rests I’ve ever really liked, these look even better when it comes to holding you in place

Velo Zephyr

9 years ago

AlanM, not a lofty goal, you are right. The idea of the all-or-nothing funding behind KickStarter is to make sure that the project can get off the ground. I figured that $350 was plenty for me to ensure I could create the molds, make the parts, and deliver them.

I knew from the start that I’d breeze through $350, that’s just 5 pairs. Up to nearly $1000 and we’re only just over 5 days in.

I’m really looking forward to getting these out to the backers. They are going to love them!

Velo Zephyr

9 years ago

Hi Veganpotter,

Thanks for wishing me luck. You are right, $70 is a steal when most aftermarket carbon armrests run $100-$140. Plus these are way better!

Composites are a lot of fun, but there’s a huge learning curve, no doubt. It’s cool that you’ve done your own in the past! Because of my experience with Velo Zephyr, because I’ve already got all the materials at my shop, and because of the volume I hope to sell, $70 should still be enough that I don’t loose my shirt. In the spirit of transparency, there’s probably no more than $20 in materials for each pair including the padding.

But who knows, maybe demand will be so crazy that I’ll have to adjust the price after the KickStarter has finished.

Thanks again!

Taras

9 years ago

Velo Zephyr,

No need to be so modest about the cost that goes into making these. Too many people look at something in just the way you described your armrests (“That looks to be about $20 worth of stuff. Why the hell should I pay $70?”). There is your time, which is worth a lot more than nil, your skill, the cost of buying material in bulk,the and overhead of maintaining your business. You do great work and offer great advice, so don’t sell your products short in the name of modesty. These would be a steal at $100, and a good value above that as well.

Heathcliff

9 years ago

Velo Zephyrs work is magnificent. They have a keen eye for combining aftermarket stems and handlebars into their own unique creations, which I think there is a huge market for out there. Anyone dissatisfied with their handlebar and stem ought send them directly to velo zephyr to have them permanently bonded together by a professional fabrication team. I’ve followed VZ’s work for a long time and I would trust no other company with this task. Their experience as a relatively young company trumps even the most lauded framebuilders in the industry. Consider VZ for your next carbon bike or handlebar.