DIY Aero Improvements

akp

Hi, I have my first time trial this weekend. I have a pretty standard bike with aero bars.

I was wondering if anyone had any tips for small DIY things I could do which might give me a slight aero benefit.

For example, someone recently mentioned to me that you can tape over the holes on the inside of a standard helmet and this would gain a slight aero benefit-no idea if it's true.

Cheers

Pokerface

akp wrote:

I was wondering if anyone had any tips for small DIY things I could do which might give me a slight aero benefit.

Ride naked - no wind resistance from your clothing! :oops:

Tom Butcher

Make a couple of Chinese coolie style hats out of card and fix them to your wheel - instant disc.

Instead of skinsuit wrap yourself in cling film.

will3

I have visions of wheels being converted to 'discs' using cornflake packets

Pokerface

And don't forget to wear a pair of socks OVER your shoes!

James_London

- Don't wear gloves
- Tape over the vents on the *outside* of a standard helmet. Depending on length of TT and temperature on the day you may not want to cover all of them to avoid overheating!
- Wear lycra overshoes
- Take an empty water bottle (whether this is beneficial will depend on the specific bottle and your bike but some bottles on some bikes in the seat-tube cage reduce drag a little)
- Pump up your tyres 10 PSI higher than normal (aerodynamic benefit is miniscule but rolling resistance will be slightly reduced)
- Wear a tight jersey AND ZIP IT UP!
- Don't drink if you can avoid it (moving from position will increase drag)

Your position on the bike is obviously a lot more important than the cumulative benefit of all the items above!

Gav888

Aero bars?

16simon

try pedalling harder :?

Pokerface

In all seriousness (because you asked and this IS the beginner forum), you aren't going to gain any significant advantages with DIY methods.

And if you have to ask - you probably aren't going to be competing on any kind of even level with the more experienced (and kitted-out) riders in the TT.

So - concentrate on doing the best you can, enjoy yourself - and work on improving your times week on week.

Fitness is the BEST DIY improvement you can make without changing your bike, wheels or clothing.

wolleur

Don't forget to have a shave.

Visiting the throne before the tt could save a few grams.

Tape over all bodily orifices.

Seriously, though you got me thinking, card and gaffer tape could be used to aero your frame? I feel a Blue Peter experiment coming on.

Apart from that, grit and pain count for a lot in my very recent experience.

Rest on the hoods but have your forearms horizontal, I read somewhere that being in the drops can increase drag (sorry no reference)

Good luck, go for it

Bhima

I have a front-disc-wheel made of thin sheets of plastic, cut into circles. Makes a massive difference in a headwind but you've got to be careful in a crosswind. You can make your own design for it too. It's quite popular in Bike Polo, where protecting your wheels from balls/sticks flying around is key.

Make sure you cut out a hole for valve access too.

JC.152

Bhima wrote:

I have a front-disc-wheel made of thin sheets of plastic, cut into circles. Makes a massive difference in a headwind but you've got to be careful in a crosswind. You can make your own design for it too. It's quite popular in Bike Polo, where protecting your wheels from balls/sticks flying around is key.

Make sure you cut out a hole for valve access too.

if you're riding TTs with a front disc wheel you should be DQed. It's in the rulebook, there has to be 45% open area in the front wheel.

Bhima

I've not entered any TTs yet. So when training on my regular TT stretch, I have kept it on, just to see the scale of the aero-advantage.

If I were to enter a proper TT, I would remove the plastic discs and stick em on the back wheel!

But sometimes I leave it on the front for general riding because it's trained me to get better at controlling the bike in wind. Had a mental encounter with a crosswind last week but managed to control the bike nicely, as opposed to getting blown off, which is what happened when I first started using it.

oldwelshman

Unless your very quick forget it, you will not notice the difference, you body position and how fast you turn the wheels is more important.
As for increasing tyre pressure, that has no effect on aero or rolling resistance, unless they are flat of course

jamiecurry

leave the DIY stuff off it looks as DIY as much as the improvements it makes.

cheapest and most effictive options

aerobars a must!

skinsuit, will save you around 30 seconds to 1 minute in a 10TT

leave off the bottle and cage smooths things over nicely

aero helmet, evans have some great deals on the bell meteor now, over a cotton cap will save you again 1 minute in a 10TT

oversocks, cheap and can be had for around a tenner

anything else really is a bonus, if you want to start spending megga bucks do the wheels next and put on some decent tyres that roll fast. if your TT-ing then weight of the wheels is not so much an issue as once you wind it up you should keep them rolling unless on a hilly course, campagnolo and shimano do good budget aero wheels or if you wnt to spend zipp 404's are a good choice as you can also road race on them