Here we go.
http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/Kona_14_Top_15_women_-_bike_4720.html
H
.
.
Let’s analyze their weight. 
What are the specifics on the aeroweenie index?
What are the specifics on the aeroweenie index?
1 point each for:
wheels
position
aero helmet
frame
clean bike setup
.
wow, so 4 of the top 15 were missing 3 of the 5 basic principles of tri bike setup and only 3 had all the bases covered! i can only assume that this shows the practical difficulty of a proper aero setup as surely all these women have the resources to achieve the best setup for their individual needs.
are there some hard rules for the index somewhere or is it more subjective? i’m surprised there is no score allocated for clothing but i guess that is outside of the “bike” scope (whereas position sneaks in being inherently related if not actually all about the bike).
i’m guessing the <=40mm front wheels count as a fail - no half points?;
there are a few positions that look pretty average to me but i’m no expert;
the air attack and similar hybrid helmets presumably don’t count;
all the frames are theoretically aero but perhaps some are considered a fail based on tests or features;
hard to judge cleanliness of setup from the photos but certainly a number of non-aero bottle setups
It is extremely subjective and non scientific =)
Clothing should be in there but I don’t have a very objective way to rate it. Is a smooth tank top better than a wrinkly sleeved shirt? I don’t know.
I allow shallow front wheels but when the rear is also shallow, you lose the point
There are a couple frames that I counted as no good
Front straw bottle is ok, but if the straw is huge that is going to count against you. 1 rear bottle is ok but 2 is a fail.
Kona presents all kinds of barriers to fast setups, or, should I say, changes what a fast setup is:
-
The winds on the descent from Hawi can make a front straw bottle pretty important, as you often can’t ride one handed safely.
-
The winds in general scare people off of deep rear wheels (a mistake) and deep front wheels (often a good idea)
-
the heat scares people out of aero helmets (probably a mistake)
wow, so 4 of the top 15 were missing 3 of the 5 basic principles of tri bike setup and only 3 had all the bases covered! i can only assume that this shows the practical difficulty of a proper aero setup as surely all these women have the resources to achieve the best setup for their individual needs.
are there some hard rules for the index somewhere or is it more subjective? i’m surprised there is no score allocated for clothing but i guess that is outside of the “bike” scope (whereas position sneaks in being inherently related if not actually all about the bike).
i’m guessing the <=40mm front wheels count as a fail - no half points?;
there are a few positions that look pretty average to me but i’m no expert;
the air attack and similar hybrid helmets presumably don’t count;
all the frames are theoretically aero but perhaps some are considered a fail based on tests or features;
hard to judge cleanliness of setup from the photos but certainly a number of non-aero bottle setups
From my experience, woman are also more conservative than the men. It takes some influencing to get them to take what they consider risks.
You also are dealing with success, which tends to make athletes stay their current course. I work very closely with Rinny…her position/posture (this year) & (last year) has gotten so much better over the years. However, if I were to fire off an email to her and say, “I think we can go a touch lower in the front”…she would politely tell me where to go.
Interesting, Rinny’s 2011 position (very far forward and more upright) is very reminiscent to several of her 2014 competitors like Corbin, Abraham and Gajer. Maybe they need to pay you a visit?
I would be damn interested to know how many have wind tunnel data validating their choices, how many ignored that advice and how many just barrelled ahead in ignorance. This would apply to helmet choices as well as the bottles. All 15 of them have some kind of bottle on the downtube and/or seat post. It seems only Heather W. has an “aero” option there. With all the support out there, surely it’s a sub optimal choice not to clean that up and live with between the arms and behind the seat.
While I know being a pro does not ensure any merit to equipment choices, when I see 14 of the top 15 I wonder what kind of advice they are getting that us AG schlubs either aren’t getting or are “prioritizing differently”. For example, maybe at pro levels of exertion, specific nutrition requirements are more important so sacrificing some minutes for aero in order to ensure adequate nutrition on the bike is the best optimization of risk/aero/nutrition.
. However, if I were to fire off an email to her and say, “I think we can go a touch lower in the front”…she would politely tell me where to go.
maybe you could just tell her to get a smaller helmet, and turtle her head a little. I think she’s low enough, from a purely objective perspective, not even factoring in that she won the race and was only 10min slower on bike than Ryf.
It’s the head… 10 watts I bet. Turtle and smaller profile.
Corbin is definitely on a size too small bike. Gajer did not look good either.
Interesting, Rinny’s 2011 position (very far forward and more upright) is very reminiscent to several of her 2014 competitors like Corbin, Abraham and Gajer. Maybe they need to pay you a visit?
maybe you could just tell her to get a smaller helmet, and turtle her head a little. I think she’s low enough, from a purely objective perspective, not even factoring in that she won the race and was only 10min slower on bike than Ryf.
It’s the head… 10 watts I bet. Turtle and smaller profile.
She does a fairly good job of holding her posture…I see pics where it looks good and others where it doesn’t. This was is ok…it could be better and I imagine she’ll get better with it in the next few years.
She’s been to the tunnel to validate her helmet choice.
She’s been to the tunnel to validate her helmet choice.
I’m sure she has, but seeing her head in person and seeing her helmet in person, I’m sure she could size down one and save a few watts. Hell, she’s the WC and sponsored by Catlike, they could probably make her a custom one.
More obscure point, but LOTS of Garmin 500s in there. Funny, considering there are lots of other fancier, more expensive options. I’ve always wondered what more you need though. Display the numbers I want, don’t need anything else.
I would actually swap my 800 for a 500. I just don’t need the maps etc
Looks like only about 3 of the top 15 know what to do with their head.
These pics are just moments in time. As you go by them on a Moto or they go past you as you sit in the lava field you have little control what they are going to do. Plus you just have seconds
Exactly, but more 500s than 510s even, so more of them are on the older model.