This article suggests that these four things are the biggest time savers (6.5 minutes over the 40K distance):
(1) “Speed suit” instead of a road bib/jersey (saves 134 seconds)
(2) Normal tuck on aerobars instead of upright on bullhorns (saves 122 seconds)
(3) Aero helmet instead of road helmet (saves 67 seconds)
(4) A tuned wind tunnel tuck instead of normal tuck (saves 56 seconds)
Apparently these four things can save you more time than other things, such as race wheels (gets you 71 seconds at most) and a new aero bike frame (gets you 17 seconds). If you’re going from upright on the bullhorns to the most aero position and from average equipment to all of the best equipment, you can save a total of about 9 minutes over the 40K.
I guess we should all be investing in speed suits (the article mentions the Nike Swift suit) and tuned wind tunnel tucks before buying new bikes and race wheels! (Too late for me… )
Tri suits are pretty “speed suity” and riding in a normal tuck on the aerobars is a given, otherwise why even have them. “Tuned” wind tunnel positions are “idealized” and don’t take into account how long you can actually perform in that position or variable wind directions from real world winds and passing vehicles or other riders. So all you’re left with from this list is the helmet and an aero helmet will be faster if you can keep your head (and its tail) in an advantageous position. The wheels, on the other hand, work ALL of the time.
This article suggests that these four things are the biggest time savers (6.5 minutes over the 40K distance):
(1) “Speed suit” instead of a road bib/jersey (saves 134 seconds)
(2) Normal tuck on aerobars instead of upright on bullhorns (saves 122 seconds)
(3) Aero helmet instead of road helmet (saves 67 seconds)
(4) A tuned wind tunnel tuck instead of normal tuck (saves 56 seconds)
Uh, not exactly.
Let’s assume that the time saving for each of those items is correct (a big assumption). If you arithmetically add the time savings, yes, you get approx 6.5 min.
But the problem is, if you actually do all of them at the same time, you can’t just add the time savings. The actual total time savings will be way less than 6.5 minutes, probably more like around 4 to 4.5 minutes.
If I read that right, it says that a Hed H3 is faster on the rear wheel than a disc- if at 0 degrees.
I agree, there must be an error. According to the chart the 3 spoke is faster then the full disc and a deep rim 12 spoke wheel is faster than a 3 or 5 spoke wheel.
I don’t disagree that perhaps the new Firecrest or Hed Jet/Stinger wheels are faster than a H3 or Mavic IO but then why didn’t they (Active) compare the disc to a deep rim 12 spoke wheel?
This leads me to conclude you can go ahead and add time savings as a reasonable rule of thumb but you will be slightly underestimating the time saved. am I missing something?
But the problem is, if you actually do all of them at the same time, you can’t just add the time savings. The actual total time savings will be way less than 6.5 minutes, probably more like around 4 to 4.5 minutes.
The times savings from the chart are all at 30 mph (or some other set mph). When you make the first change you are going faster, the the next change you are going still faster and so on…
To see what the real world changes would be you would have to use you actual speed and then change the speed you input with each change. The faster the more air resistance and the less time you actually save.
Its picky and I mostly look at what part is faster than another and don’t really care exactly how much faster.
The times savings from the chart are all at 30 mph (or some other set mph). When you make the first change you are going faster, the the next change you are going still faster and so on…
To see what the real world changes would be you would have to use you actual speed and then change the speed you input with each change. The faster the more air resistance and the less time you actually save.
Its picky and I mostly look at what part is faster than another and don’t really care exactly how much faster.
In addition, most courses are somewhat hilly. Not sure what everything aero will do for you lugging up a hill at 10 mph. At least in the races I’ve been in, the winners seem to build their leads going up hill, and shifting correctly, not just from being more aero going downhill.
Agrred but thats a different arguement altogether. Lots of stuff needs to be accounted for. I wear a one piece skinsuit in Tris for all three, even in a IM, but if its a short race and you don’t, the time savings will be wiped out by the change in transition.
the way I modeled it on analytic cycling takes all of that into account. I set “gram reduction equivalent to X at 30mph”
The times savings from the chart are all at 30 mph (or some other set mph). When you make the first change you are going faster, the the next change you are going still faster and so on…
To see what the real world changes would be you would have to use you actual speed and then change the speed you input with each change. The faster the more air resistance and the less time you actually save.
Its picky and I mostly look at what part is faster than another and don’t really care exactly how much faster.
Thats the mistake. Say you have a helmet that saves 30 seconds at 30 mph, a jersey that saves 30s at 30mph and a aerobar that saves 30 seconds at 30 mph.
When you plug in the helmet savings at 30 mph you naturally get 30 sec savings. But now you are going 30.7 mph (just for example) so you should use 30.7 as the starting speed when you plug in data for the jersey. Then you will be going 31.2 mph, and need to use that speed for the bar.
Yep, I undertand, and what I’m doing in AC should duplicate exactly what you are saying.
I’m not setting the speed, just the power. Then test1 is a reduction in drag that would be 200g @ 30mph
then test 2 is a reduction in drag that would be 400g @ 30mph (equivalent to making 2 changes that are each 200g @ 30mph individually)
the speed is whatever the speed works out to at the given power and new cda
The only time this would break down is if the two changes interact with each other - say, a Fork and Front brake. However, an aerohelmet and front wheel, should have almost no interaction
Thats the mistake. Say you have a helmet that saves 30 seconds at 30 mph, a jersey that saves 30s at 30mph and a aerobar that saves 30 seconds at 30 mph.
When you plug in the helmet savings at 30 mph you naturally get 30 sec savings. But now you are going 30.7 mph (just for example) so you should use 30.7 as the starting speed when you plug in data for the jersey. Then you will be going 31.2 mph, and need to use that speed for the bar.
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