TriRig Alpha: Installation and F.A.Q.
Aug 1, 2013
article & images by Nick Salazar
The do-everything, purebred triathlon aerobar has arrived. This is Alpha, and aero starts here. It's the first thing the wind sees, and perhaps the most important part of the fit equation. Other than that, there's really nothing left to say. The Alpha Story has been described in great detail in previous articles, so please refer to them for more information on what the Alpha is all about.
But now that Alpha is finally available to purchase, it's time to let you in on all the tech specs of the bar. The purpose of this article is to provide detailed technical information on the Alpha that will make it much easier to install, adjust, and fit the bar. It also provides a lot of insight as to the significant engineering effort that went into creating a highly functional, but highly elegant and simple-looking piece of hardware.
Please enjoy the supersized image gallery (and some fairly detailed image captions), and complete installation instructions. Thanks for reading, and when you're ready, you'll find Alpha right here!
Alpha Installation
-
Please refer to the image below for part names on the Alpha, which we will use in the installation instructions below.
- Alpha is compatible with any 31.8mm OS road stem. We recommend the TriRig Sigma because that stem makes it easy to find your fit, and works well with the Alpha to preserve a low frontal area and superlative aerodynamics. However, any OS standard stem will work.
- The Alpha can accept any 22.2mm standard aerobar extension. It can be purchased with our own TriRig Gamma extensions which allow a variety of different positions to be achieved. However, it can also be purchased without any extensions so that you can use your own. Any standard extension may be used. Some older extensions use a 22.0mm diameter instead of the more common 22.2mm standard. These undersized extensions may be difficult to tighten down, and we cannot guarantee fit. However, we have successfully tested some 22.0mm extensions in the bar, and they fit well. So if you have a favorite extension in the 22.0mm standard, there's a good chance it will work in the Alpha.
- Begin by installing the Alpha's Base Bar into your stem, following the instructions of your stem manufacturer.
- Installing the remaining hardware onto the Alpha Base Bar is very simple, and revolves around the notion of a modular stacking system. At the top of your stack are the Arm Cups. At the bottom of the stack is the Clamp Nut. In between the two, the Extension Clamps, Spacers, and the Base Bar itself can be put in any order. The parts nest into one another, ensuring a good fit. Finally, you take the appropriate length Thru Bolt which runs throughout the entire stack, pulling the Arm Cups towards the Clamp Nut and locking everything into place. During this process, leave the extensions themselves aside, they will be installed last.
- Alpha comes with four sets of Thru Bolts, of varying lengths. The appropriate Thru Bolt to use will depend on how many spacers you have used. This doesn't include the Extension Clamp or the Base Bar itself, just the total height of actual Spacer pieces you are using:
- 0-5mm in Spacers: use 45mm Thru Bolts.
- 10-15mm in Spacers: use 55mm Thru Bolts.
- 20-25mm in Spacers: use 65mm Thru Bolts.
- 30-35mm in Spacers: use 75mm Thru Bolts.
- Please refer to the graphic below for a demonstration of how the parts come together.
- Finally, slip the extensions into the Extension Clamps and tighten the two M4 screws to a torque of 3 Nm. Note that this is relatively low torque compared to many other aerobars. As with the Thru Bolts, we designed the Alpha's Extension Clamps to provide a stable, secure grip without the need to resort to high torque.
Note that you can access the Extension Clamp bolts at any time. There is ZERO bolt occlusion on Alpha, meaning that all bolts are accessible at all times, and are never covered up by other pieces of hardware. All you have to do is remove the velcro pads, and you've got access to the Thru Bolts and Extension Clamp bolts. This is true no matter how you have set up your Alpha. Even if you are running very narrow arm cups, the Extension Clamp bolts remain accessible through the holes in the Arm Cups.
Compatibility Information:
Installation Procedure:
That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy the gallery below!
![]() |
Alpha One is the most important product TriRig has ever made. And with the new Monopost, it's better than ever.
|
![]() |
This slick little BTA mount is designed specifically for our Alpha aerobar, and it's the cleanest, fastest way to dial in the perfect BTA setup for your Alpha.
|
![]() |
Last month, we teased that the multiple-time champ would be riding our bike. Here now, we present his race rig.
|
![]() |
As with many products, we have made slight rolling changes to Alpha One as time goes on. Today's update is a significant improvement to the Dragonfly, making Alpha One better than ever.
|