We would like to tell you that every product we ever put on our bikes is there because it makes us faster, and that speed and winning is all we care about. But we have to admit that even we like a little bike bling now and then. And that is how we ended up with a Profile Design F-25c Armrest kit.

We would like to say that it was for the claimed 10g difference (though we measured only 4g in difference). But the reality was that when we realized our F-25 pads on our Quintana Roo test bike were in need of replacement, we gave in to the bike bling temptation and upgraded our trusty F-25’s to its carbon fiber brethren.

Sure, we could have gone the easy route and just ordered a new set of pads. Or maybe the more adventurous route and swapped out to a new style of armrest (F-35 anyone?). But we have to tell you, these look fantastic. The carbon weave that PD used looks amazing, especially when mounted next to our Vision Trimax Carbon Base Bar. As one would expect, they fit and feel identical to the plastic versions that came stock with our frame, and we think that’s a good thing. While the F-25 is an older model, it has gotten us through many a race and is a pad we have come to rely on.

So yes, even the AeroGeeks are human. Not every part we ride is for the love of Aero; sometimes it’s just for the love of our bike. And to be fair, is that really so wrong?