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Re: The 3T Exploring Bike Claims To Be Aero With a Box Shaped Downtube [SuperDave]
SuperDave wrote:


Let's also ignore the wind tunnel data published at the launch of the frameset over a year ago.


Good advice since I don't think you can easily answer my questions about that data:

Steve Irwin wrote:
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the aero test data yet:

https://www.3t.bike/...O/realfast-graph.jpg

So:
They gave it 40mm wide knobbly tyres instead of 28mm mostly slick road tyres
They added 2 x750ml bottles
They added mud rather than it being clean

And it was STILL more aero than the base frame. It would be nice if they told us what the base frame was, but taken at face value it seems reasonably impressive.


There are so many problems with 3T'S claim and test that it is sad:

1- Having round bottles on blunt tubed frames is commonly known to improve aero dynamics because of the well known aspect ratio elongation. Only putting the bottles on their 3T Exploro frame instead of also on the test frame is being dishonest here.

2- What gigantic round tubed frame are they even talking about? No one makes a round down tube that big. Seems like it is their own test frame with the worse design they could build.

3- Where are the error bars on their results showing the measurement variability? And how many measurements were taken? Looks like their numbers jump up and down and the difference between the worst frame the Exploro is within the margin of error. Did 3T only show the data for a single test run where they got the numbers to make it look good? And why only up to 15 degrees yaw instead of the expected 20 degrees that Flo has shown that tests should be carried out to?

4- Mud on the Exploro but not on the test frame? WTF? Did they sculpt the mud into aerodynamic shapes or something? Have something rough like mud on blunt shaped tubes like on the Exploro is widely known to improve aerodynamics because of the dimpled golf ball effect. Again, another incredulous action by 3T.

5- And such widely different sized tires mounted between the Exploro and the test frame means that all of 3T's data from this setup is invalid.
Last edited by: Hybridlete: Sep 8, 17 11:03

Edit Log:

  • Post edited by Hybridlete (Cloudburst Summit) on Sep 8, 17 11:03