radelj44 wrote:
After all your testing, is there one setup that you would suggest someone who is not able to drop coin on testing? Such as, is it safest to do BTA and one zip tied to the saddle? Is putting bottles on the top and down tube not that significant?
I'm on an SC if you want to be overly specific but generalizing is fine.
I wish it were that easy, but aero is very personal. I know it's be written over and over again, but what works for one athlete will not necessarily work for another. Typically, if I comment on a particular piece of equipment being fast, it's because it's tested well for several athletes and/or setups.
Since this is a thread about the Torpedo, I comment on how good it is because it's tested well for every athlete we've seen use it. For instance, both Crowie and Luke McKenzie have tested the bottle here at ERO and seen a reduction in CdA, which is interesting since they have very different arm positions on the bike. Crowie is pretty standard with his arms, but Luke has raised extensions (his hands are higher than his elbows). They're not as high as they used to be because we found that a slightly lower angle was better for him during his fit, but they're still quite different. It was interesting to note that it didn't matter to the Torpedo, it was about the same advantage for both of them. Pretty cool.
In the end, though, if you're going to have a bottle behind you, keep it close to the saddle. Frame mounted bottles are fairly benign, though sometimes there's a small aero penalty. Go with the setup that allows you to stay in your aero position more, and you'll be faster. Oh, and the newer airfoil shaped "bento" boxes are surprisingly good.
Jim Manton /
ERO Sports
