The use of aerobars in gravel races emerged as the latest debate in the increasingly popular off-road discipline ahead of Unbound Gravel. Leading competitors ahead of the men's race attempted to agree that those scheduled to run in the lead pack would not use aerobars.

The issue was not raised or discussed to the same extent among the women gravel racers. However, Amanda Nauman and Sofia Gomez Villafane agreed that safety is paramount. They also concluded that a "gentlemen's agreement" on this issue is not sufficient and that promoters need to make clear rules on the use (or non-use) of aerobars in gravel races. [Naumann, a two-time winner of the Unbound Gravel 200, told Cycling News that

"I'm not going to be able to do that," Naumann, a two-time winner of the Unbound Gravel 200, told Cycling News, "and I'm not going to be able to do that.

Nauman said he did not use aerobars at the Unbound 200, but did use them at last year's 350-mile XL Solo Pursuit.

"I used the aerobars in the XL, but not in the 200. I figured it would be fine for the long distance because I would be running mostly alone," Naumann said.

"I think most people argue about safety, but it's interesting that it hasn't been talked about on the women's side yet.

"Hopefully it's not being used in a crowd, but that seems to be a concern, and those who use it should only use it when they are alone, but I have seen pictures of women wearing aerobars in a group.

Peter Stetina, Ian Boswell, and Kiel Reijnen discussed not using aerobars and tried to reach a consensus on this issue prior to the unbound. Naumann said that their concerns were understandable, but that it was a decision that the gravel race organizers would have to address.

"The onus is on the promoter," Naumann said. 'I've been doing gravel for years and learned that. Unbound has authority and a lot is at stake.

"It has to come from someone who is an authority on that particular event. One of the reasons event promoters stay away from that kind of talk is because the other 90% of the public riders end up on their own, and they like riding in aerobars and they don't want to take that away from them."

Sofia Gomez Villafane became the first woman to finish the Unbound Gravel 200 in June, finishing in 10 hours and 24 minutes. She and the fastest male finisher, Ivar Slik, used aerobars in the event.

Gomez-Villafane said she did not think the use of aerobars was an issue among women racing in the field. She said she agrees that safety is the primary concern when using aerobars. However, she believes she used the aerobars safely during the race, especially after heavy use of the aerobars during training.

"For the first hour or hour and a half, when I was running with the elite men, I didn't use TT bars because there was a big group. Having a draft is a big advantage. Once they drop you off, you either have to run in a group of four or less or run alone. In a small group like that, it's easier to use the TT bars and it's safer because there are fewer people around; in a big group with 10 to 20 people in front of you, you never know what's coming," Gomez-Villafane said.

"I did six full weeks of practice with the TT bars and a lot of practice and skill work. I figured out how fast I was comfortable riding, how fast I could react from being on the TT bar to raising my arms, and how safely I could ride over the hood. I did my homework to make sure my riding style was safe.

"For the men, when there are 10 or 15 people in a group and several of them are wearing TT bars, it is a bit difficult."

Gomez Villafane said he would reconsider using aero bars in gravel races if organizers add clear rules to the event.

"It can't be a gentlemen's agreement or a pro men's only agreement. If [organizers] don't want us to run TT bars, then make it a rule," Gomez Villafane said.

Gomez Villafane said the new gravel world series organized by the UCI has clear rules.

"I struggle with gravel racing because they want to make it open and spiritual. In a way, with the UCI coming in, their series actually has a good rule book and rider safety is the first rule," she said.

Gomez-Villafane believes that the use of aerobars is a relatively low priority when it comes to regulations needed to improve the fairness and safety of gravel racing outside of the new series.

"I'd rather talk about our own women's start, drafting rules, and unique races than talk about aerobars. Unbound, it might take 12 hours, but it will be a different race," Gomez-Villafane said.

"At some point it will have to be changed so that the pro races have specific rules and the amateur races have different rules. Many organizers don't want to create regulations, but rules create equality and fairness in racing.

"The field is so thick and the talent is so high that even the smallest difference can have a huge impact on the race. So if we don't want this to happen now, it needs to be clearly stated in the rules and followed. I think there should be basic gravel rules for all events where fairness is clear and makes sense, and the rest of the regulations can probably be decided by the promoter.

"My main point is that for women, having aero clip-on bars is a very small problem compared to the fact that we don't get to race each other. I think there are much bigger issues on the list."

There are no clear rules regarding the use of aero bars in racing, and some professionals and many amateur and recreational riders use them in races such as Unbound Gravel.

"Be smart. In technical areas or in a group where you have to slow down quickly, you are often on the hood. You need to be able to slow down quickly," Nauman said.

"There are so many people at these events that if your reaction time is slowed because you are in a position where you can't brake fast enough, you could endanger a lot of people behind you. [Being safe, smart, and having quick access to the brakes is probably the most important thing. However, it is probably safest to use mostly aero bars when soloing."