Ok random thought in the shower this AM:
-i used to be a very competitive skier. speed skiing (now a dead sport- hot for a while- tucking straight down really steep slopes at >100mph) used not just aero helmets and skinsuits, but also calf fairings
here is a picture- they are teardrop shapes behind the calves.
Why shouldnt we wear these on our bikes? Presumably there woudl be an issue with the “fairing” rule, but given that that rule has an out for “carrying equipment or nutrition” as long as we tape one guy into each of our “calf fairings” we can call them nutrition pockets.
I know it would be beyond dorky- but dont tell me that it wouldnt make a HUGE difference.
…“as long as we tape one guy into each of our “calf fairings” we can call them nutrition pockets.”
Two problems I can see with this. (1). I don’t like the taste of guys, and (2). It would just be too creepy having guys riding on my leg when I’m trying to race.
Now those little gu packs might work, then you’d have something…
it’s gonna rub. it’s gonna look superstupid. it adds rotational weight. it’s gonna hinder blood flow. more to come …
I can’t wait to see those on 14 mph average sprint races
I’m pretty sure this has been done. I seem to recall seeing them used at a race about 15 years ago and the guys using them smoked everyone. I think they were banned shortly thereafter. I think it was about the same time the “Black Hole” fork/wheel was being shown.
All sarcasm aside (not that I don’t enjoy a good leg-humping dog play), the most obvious issue to me is the fact that the speed skier is essentially trying to maintain a roughly fixed position, rather than having the legs spinning in 90 rpm circles which introduces a bunch of confounding factors.
I’m pretty sure this has been done.
It has. Similar fairings for the upper arm have also been tried, as well as simply having a triangular piece of windproof fabric stretching from arm to waist. I don’t know about the leg fairings, but the upper arm fairings were reported to be rather effective, and the Tailwinds skinsuit was really fast (I set my all-time 40 km TT PB wearing one).
I’m pretty sure this has been done. I seem to recall seeing them used at a race about 15 years ago
if my scanner was working i could scan the ad for these as i have some old issues of TRIATHLON TIMES back when it was a big newspaper-like periodical. they were basically arm fairings and (at the time) TRI-FED banned them.
