Slowman wrote:
also, it seems to me that the andean was tested without its top-tube storage. i have a problem with the andean's chosen aerobar, and i'm building up an andean now with a different bar that requires me to remove that storage. so i get that.
but i suspect that that top tube storage is quite aero, and maybe even more aero than having it removed. i think when you test a bike configured that way against the other bikes with some other sort of top tube storage put on there, the results might be different.
I think you're right. We talked to Kevin Quan about the most aero configuration for the storage and hydration, and they did say that long train of hydration and storage back to back like that is the fastest configuration on that bike. But that doesn't even come close to working for anyone who has narrower hand position. The train is just too long. And where you have your BTA has to be basically exactly right to run that bento thing nicely flush against the back of it, which it didn't. Basically the bike is a little misleading as to how much of that stuff will actually work for (I think) most people's configurations. Not that I care, because I'm racing for 2.5 hours -- I don't need a week's provisions.
I'm still kind of disappointed as I really thought it would be faster. Even in the bike only test, which is where that element was neutralized on all bikes, it doesn't just kill it. Which it seems like it should based on how narrow it is.
Slowman wrote:
to me, the biggest difference in
set up between the test as you did it (and i think you guys did a very nice job) and the real world is top tube storage, that is, readily accessible storage for longer distance racing. unless people aren't going to eat, you have to stick your food somewhere.
It's a far point. I just don't understand how people can eat real food during a triathlon. Most people figure out how to get liquid calories. It's so much easier to get everything you need from a concentrated round bottle and not be fooling with wrappers and trash and shit like that while you're out there making watts trying to draft the moto.