Mac McE wrote:
The bikes were tested with the same wheels, no saddle, same seat post height. It was comparing an Archon Ti to an Archon C3. We did several different tests comparing the two - with water bottles, without, with bars and without - but in every single instance there was a significant drag reduction. The people who were with me that day in testing knew that there would be a difference, but didn't realize how much. It was eye opening for us too.Interesting. I wonder what fraction of the advantage was the fork, and how the "significant" advantage varied in the different conditions.
The primary observation I'd make is that the seatpost aerodynamics are likely most strongly affected by the presence of the rider. For example, see [url=http://www.slowtwitch.com/...techctr/compact.html]John Cobb's discussions here[/url].
So I'd guess the magnitude of the result still may be optimistic by, say, a factor of two, even if it is clear there's substantial advantages in the aerodynamic shapes.
added: I agree that the black looks much better than the white. White frames to me look cheap, like plastic, not to mention heavy (white paint adds close to 100 grams) while with the black you can see the fiber.