What’s up with the “Mantis” Style again??? Does have any insight or aero data to see why he has this position? You think he’ll show up to the TDF like that?? Not to mention, look at the green tights on rider #2!!
He went to the San Diego wind tunnel earlier this year. There’s probably a good reason for his position.
What’s up with the “Mantis” Style again??? Does have any insight or aero data to see why he has this position? You think he’ll show up to the TDF like that?? Not to mention, look at the green tights on rider #2!!
Remember when the 1990 Tyrrell 019 F1 car showed up with it’s raised nose? Everyone laughed. Have you seen F1 cars since then? They all have raised noses. Maybe he’s on to something.
Wow… did rider #2 get lost on his way to the WWF ring? He’s a behemoth!
I think he’s on to something. Recall how the downhill skiers are tucked in their aero positions going down mountains at 70-90 mph. Not too farfetched…
Another thing, they ride tt’s for 45, and ttt’s for 70km like this, not our required 180km…
Look Familiar?: 
Also, some of you may have read Andy Coggan’s posts here in the past:
There is nothing new under the sun. If anything, Floyd is just illustrating the individuality of optimized aerodynamics (wind-tunnel tested, of course).
Tell me about it. You want to see me on a bike…
If there’s one thing I’m learning upon recent experience there is so much to the aero position there are no hard and fast rules. Observe the massive variety between riders and even those that have been in the tunnels. landis is exercising something here that appears aero and his body could take it without power loss.
Yep, he will definitely show up at the TdF, Time Trialing like that. There’s no time now to change his “aero” position.
Anyway, he will still be riding the Time Machine aka BMC TT. DAMN HIM!!!
Ok but that was like… 15 years ago? 
Just a bit of conjecture here…
It occurs to me, spurred by the Lemond photo, and thinking on the years of evolution of aero positions…
This photo presents a good juxtaposition of what I think are the two major variants of the aero position…
Landis exemplifies the tight, almost bullet-like position that evolved early on in the use of aero bars…Look at photos of the early adopters, including the multisport guys like Tinley, Pigg, and Scott… If I recall, there was quite a bit of thought given to the idea that you wanted to CLOSE UP the chest space, and use the high hand position to start directing airflow downward…I think I recall one article even saying that the optimum hand position would be such that your chin just cleared the tops of your hands…
The other riders seem to exemplify the other major variant, and certainly the current vogue. Their front ends are open, with low hands and wider elbows. Air is allowed into the chest area, but their hips are a bit more open at the top of their stroke, allowing the air to still flow.
Floyd’s type of position obviously requires a few key rider ingredients: The ability to ride at a fairly acute hip angle while still maintaining power, the ability to close the elbows nearly together without hindering breathing OR requiring that he reach with his shoulders.
Disregarding the second rider, whose frontal area is going to bbe large no matter how he’s positioned…it seems to me that its a choice between either completely minimizing frontal area (the Landis-like positiion)…or, if you can’t adopt the necessary changes for that position…that you’ve got to focus on airflow (the hands low approach) while keeping frontal area as small as possible…
Perhaps we can lure John Cobb and/or some of the other wind tunnel experts out of lurking to comment on this admittedly layman’s observation…
Hello,
I agree, back in the early days of aerobars everyone was going narrow. To the point where some aerobars only had one forward extension, which you wrapped both hands around. It seemed to change with Chris Boardmans super low position. He had his forearms parallel to the ground and in line with his thighs. As a remember wind tunnel testing showed this to be best, but you had to be superlow and the alignment of forearms and thighs was critical.
My own opinion is that most people that are somewhat copying this may be making a mistake in that they are not as low a Boardman was. I kind of suspect they the Floyd position may be easier to achieve and more aero for the average Joe who doesn’t have a windtunnel to test.
Styrrell
I bet Coggan’s CDA with the Hooker and HED CX/Disc combo would probably still be less than a lot of riders today.
I bet Coggan’s CDA with the Hooker and HED CX/Disc combo would probably still be less than a lot of riders today.
Quoting Coggan himself, here are the stats on his Hooker position (copied from http://www.cyclingforums.com/showthread.php?t=243183&page=2&pp=15):
"W/ the equipment/positions I’ve been using in timed events most recently, my CdA is 0.22-0.23 m^2, and I need to produce 215-220 W to go 40 km/h - see, for example, the plot shown here:
http://www.biketechreview.com/aerod.../aero_frame.htm
However, I am now significantly less aero than I used to be on my old Hooker TT bike - on it, my CdA was ~0.205 m^2 and I needed only 200-205 W to go the same speed. Part of this difference was undoubtly due to the Hooker “aero-or-die” handlebars, but I don’t think that is the whole story.
Based on the few tests that I have done, I need to produce at least 235-240 W to go 40 km/h on my Cervelo Soloist equipped with semi-aero (30 mm deep) wheels and Scott Rakes.
For the record, I’m 6’0" (183 cm) and 148 lbs (67.1 kg)."
So does seem very aero, no matter how it looks!
Who ‘looks’ more aero? Floyd to me. The only real difference in his position is that his arms are angled up more than the other guys.
That position has got me wondering if the arms up style is more comfortable than the Arms level style. And if it is just as aero. I may have to try that at my next 20k TT