The decision to ban the use of aerobars and extensions among the male and female elite racers in the Unbound Gravel 2023 has prompted riders to look for other ways to increase comfort when taking a more aero riding position.

Aerodynamics play an important role on the 200-mile course of the elite event, and in previous years, aerobars and extensions have been the norm among top racers, with last year's winner, Ivar Slick, using custom 3D printed extensions to match his bike on his Williams Rave SLR.

Dylan Johnson headed to the wind tunnel to quantify the benefits that aero bars bring, saving 41 watts by making the bike longer and lower. This is a huge advantage that elite riders will not get in this year's race.

However, group riding often replaces soloing in gravel races; for example, according to Slick, he spent only about 15% of his time on bar extensions in last year's race.

The ban means that riders are looking for different ways to reduce frontal shape and improve aerodynamics when riding in the Flint Hills.

Several bikes are being modified for tomorrow's race to allow riders to more comfortably assume a "puppy paw" position with their forearms resting on the bar tops.

The UCI banned this riding position last year, but since gravel racing is still outside the UCI's jurisdiction, riders are not subject to UCI bans.

Here are three adaptations to the top that caught our attention.

Innokenty Zavyalov has adjusted his Vision Metron 4D bars with extra tape and padding towards the stem. Interestingly, the top outer section is not taped, despite the fact that riding with your hands on the bar top transmits extra vibration from the gravel, as has become common on aero profile bars.

Dylan Johnson goes even further, and his Factor Ostro Gravel black ink one-piece bar/stem is fully taped, even though the aero profile top will likely reduce efficiency. However, it is overtaped in the center section to provide additional padding when resting the forearms at the top.

Kelly Werner is wearing protection on her Kona Libre coefficient RR carbon bars. Although not visible in the photo, the Coefficient bars not only have a 12-degree backsweep and 7-degree flare to the drop, but also slope down 15 degrees from the top. On the underside of the top are two positions for mounting Shimano satellite shifters.

The sloping bars give the drop an aggressive aero position, but Werner also fitted rubber top grips from Cofiguration. This is primarily for holding the top grip in wet weather, but should add comfort when resting the forearms on top of the top grip.

Adaptations for riding on puppy paws are one of the more innovative hacks we have seen on bikes in recent years on unbound gravel.

Other techniques that allow riders to pull a few extra watts off the bike and maybe even win.