What are the general rules to become more aero?
Here’s what I’ve gathered.
How low is low enough? Is there an angle that you’re looking for with your flat back relative to the ground?
What’s more important, a flat back or getting low? I know Lance added spacers after his last wind tunnel testing to get a flatter back.
What else am I missing here?
That you’ll never know until you test it what works best.
Does water bottle position matter? Looking at the Kona pictures from October it looks like the top 10 pros put there water bottles wherever
I get the impression that water bottle position is far less important than body position.
I figured that as much, i was just wondering if there is a “standard” or a “best fit position” for water bottles
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I get the impression that water bottle position is far less important than body position.
That doesn’t mean it doesn’t “matter”…
From what I’ve read down tube is better than seat tube. That rocket sports dimpled water bottle is better than regular water bottles. John Cobb did a test that showed a bottle on the down tube was faster than no water bottle. I don’t know if that study is still relevant today with aero frames.
I think john Cobb also did a test that showed an aero drink was more aero than without one. Cervelo says their bikes are more aero without an aero drink.
For placement in the back some say its better to have it low and others high. I haven’t heard any real data saying either way.
Of course I don’t really know the correct answer to any water bottle placement.
Aren’t 2 and 4 the same? You get the front end lower so that your back is level.
Low enough? That would be ‘level’…or horizontal.
And if that’s your only fit criteria you can end up with a slower race, so don’t forget to ensure you can make good power and that you can sustain the position…
more:
I have a nice pdf file with good pictures that might help you. I have never figured out how to post a photo so if someone will put it up I will gladly forward it to you.
Hey John. Hope all is well. Shoot it to me and I’ll post it.
I figured that as much, i was just wondering if there is a “standard” or a “best fit position” for water bottles
Here are general guidelines:
-Down tube is better than seat tube
-Behind the seat is better than on the frame
-The exception to the above are aero bottles that “fill in” the frame (ex. Specialized, P4, etc.). These can be faster than no bottle at all. Some people use them as tool/spare storage and have a rear carrier for the round bottles that the aid stations will provide.
Hey titanflexr…what bottle carrier is that behind your seat? Thanks
It’s not my bike in the pic (I use the old profile Aquarack), but the rack in the pic is the new Bontrager one ( http://www.bontrager.com/model/07758/en ). I like the way the cages mount backwards (probably less likely to launch bottles), and it’s not too expensive ($35 w/cages);but it seems a bit heavy, 270g w/cages.
I figured that as much, i was just wondering if there is a “standard” or a “best fit position” for water bottles
Here are general guidelines:
-Down tube is better than seat tube
-Behind the seat is better than on the frame
-The exception to the above are aero bottles that “fill in” the frame (ex. Specialized, P4, etc.). These can be faster than no bottle at all. Some people use them as tool/spare storage and have a rear carrier for the round bottles that the aid stations will provide.
There is some Cobb data posted somewhere on here to the contrary. On the frame is better than behind the seat, and lower behind the seat like you have is one of the worst positions of all.
If low and behind the seat is so bad…then why do all these pros run it that way, esp. considering many of them have been tunnel tested.
most pros aren’t wind tunnel tested.
A. Yes they are…at least at the top of the sport they are.
B. Crowie was extensively tunnel tested before IM WC 2008 and his bottle placement did not change one bit!
then you should run your bottles where he does.