Culprit showed us their CSR Carbon Speed Rest aerobar setup as a concept last summer, promising more comfort and adjustability in an aerodynamic position on time trial, triathlon and even endurance racing setups. Now those extra-long CSR arm pads are available, and they will improve your comfort on whatever aerobar cockpit setup you are already running.
Culprit CSR adjustable, extra-long aerobar arm pads
The original Carbon Speed Rest (CSR) concept that Culprit was teasing last year worked with their own complex, direct-mount stem setup that still hasn’t found the right balance of manufacturability/stiffness/weight. But no worries, the real standout is the simple CSR arm pads themselves. And Culprit has nailed these.
Whether for triathlon, road racing against the clock, or even ultra-distance racing and touring, a bike rider can only stay in an aero tuck as long as they remain comfortable. And while there are lots of adjustments in aerobars in the market, the vast majority rely on relatively small footprint armrests even from big companies like Profile who arguably offer the most different & most adjustable modular armrest options.
More adjustability means more comfort, means more aero!
Culprit’s CSR idea then was to spread the pressure on your forearms across a much greater area – up to 210mm long and 124mm wide – while adding tons of position adjustability with holes to fit most every aero cockpit setup on the market. They call CSR “pillows for your arms”, helping you stay aero, longer.
For road riders and endurance racers, the additional bolt holes in the base also help as it can be harder to fine tune the best fit with stem & bar reach varying more than on Tri or TT bikes. That should help find a position that is comfortable enough that you will actually stay in it while out on tour.
Culprit CSR arm pad – Fit, adjustability & pricing
The base Culprit CSR armrests are constructed of 5mm thick carbon, designed to be “structurally sound from any 2-bolt position”. That’s surprisingly not always the case with some designs that bend or break in their most extreme settings. The offset hole arrangement is designed to work with 5mm of adjustment around 13.8mm bolt-spacing patterns (to fit 15mm Profile & Specialized spacing, among others) and 4/5/6mm bolts – and swapping Carbon Speed Rests left-to-right extends their positioning adjustability.
The CSR arm rest cups AND pads can also be trimmed to length. Unique for the armrest base, the carbon cups are designed with cut lines in 10mm increments to get the ideal fit for riders who don’t need them so long (able to be trimmed down to 160mm). The CSR foam pads also have 20mm cut lines to trim them to match the cups. A complete uncut setup weighs 314g with pads & cups (no bolts).
The $160 Culprit CSR kit includes two pairs of pads with the cups, and standard mounting bolts, with free shipping to many countries direct from Taiwan where they are produced (or just $10 extra to the few outliers.) Import duties & VAT are paid by the buyer upon receipt.
CSR kits are available now, direct from Culprit.
