I'm having plastic surgery done on my face to make it more aero, they're gonna pull everything back so it's shaped like an arrow. Does anyone have Joan Rivers phone number, her surgeon seems pretty good at it.

How about some data? Here are some numbers taken from an article by Jim Martin and John Cobb titled "Bicycle Frame, Wheels, and Tires" published in High Performance Cycling, Ed. Asker E. Jeukendrup, PhD (2002). The numbers are based on a model by Martin et al. (1998) Validation of a mathematical model for road cycling power Journal of Applied Biomechanics 14: 276-91.

40K TT Times by Wheel Type, at 200 watts:
Standard: 67:43
Aero Rim: 66:46 (e.g., HED Alps)
Composite: 66:44 (e.g., HED 3)
Disk/Composite Front: 66:32

40K TT Times by Frame Type, at 200 watts:
Standard: 67:43 (double-diamond with standard sized round tubing)
Semi-aero: 66:57 (double-diamond with some airfoil-shaped tubes, typically down tube)
Full-aero: 65:39 (airfoil-shaped frame tubs and/or alternative frame configurations)

40K TT Times by Fork Type, at 200 watts:
Oval Legs: 67:43
Airfoil-Shaped: 67:11
Oversized Round: 68:12

Martin and Cobb also consider the tradeoff between weight and aerodynamics that almost inevitably has to be faced (unless you can afford the the top-shelf stuff). Interestingly, the balance depends on one's power. Here's the summary to the chapter:

"Aerodynamic and lightweight components can dramatically affect cycling velocity. For cycling over flat terrain, reductions in aerodynamic drag area will produce proportionally similar increases in cycling velocity (up to 8.9%) for all riders regardless of their power output. The absolute decrease in time for any given distance (e.g., 40K) will be greater for those who produce less power simply because the total time required to complete the distance is greater. Differences in cycling velocity related to aerodynamic wheels, forks, and frames reported in this chapter are somewhat greater than those previously reported because our modeling used drag-area values averaged over yaw angles of 0 to 15 degrees. For riders who produce less power and cycle at lower velocity, differences in bicycle mass (during uphill cycling) and rolling resistance will produce proportionately greater improvements in cycling velocity. For uphill cycling, equipment selection must balance aerodynamic drag area and weight. Riders who produce more power will perform better with aerodynamic equipment."

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Outside of my bike, my running shoes are my favorite things. Inside my bike, it's too cramped to run.

For the masses probably not. Unless you're really going to pay serious attension to your set up, keep your head still and really focus on how you use the bike, some gains will be negated.

However, if you're going to go out there and put a marker down, are willing to dictate a bike leg within your AG or race by doing what is your relatively hard pace, then go get every gain you can get. Whilst subtle, demeaning technical development is a bit like burying your head in the sand.

Atually the "industry Insider" Al talks about spends MORE time in a wind tunnel then anyone else in the industry and has done so for more years then anyone....

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Jason Goldberg
FIT Multisports

I think that the order of events makes some of the smaller time savings meaningless. A strong and motivated runner can just dig a little deeper to make up the 10 seconds or whatever that the dimples gain. I can see that in TT or heats against time each second on the bike can make a huge difference

Leading on from that, i feel that some gains over longer distances are often diluted or lost completely due to the difficulty of concentrating over 112 miles. Over 10 miles though I'm normally completely switched on to what i'm doing.

Which one is faster on the guy who looks down at his powermeter every 15 seconds putting the tail of these fancy helmuts up into the air like a shark fin?

1. Who puts their powermeter where they have to move their head to read it? (I know that I don't.)

2. Who says that "tail up" is always a slower position? (I know that John Cobb doesn't.)

"Guess which one was fastest?"


Which one is fastest?

My apologies for stating the obvious - The one being worn by the person who crossed the finishline first!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

You mean like this?

http://website.lineone.net/~a1/jocelyne/

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_________________
Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

And they wonder why there are "precious" few pics of her:

I think I may have nightmeres tonight...

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"...it should be swim, bike, run, cage fight." - el fuser
"I noticed that I am in your sig line! Wow! That's s first for me. Thanks." - Fleck

AAAAHHHHH! Damn, I could've gone the rest of my life without seeing that. Mommy, make it go away, please, make it go away.