First TT of the season: the aero bar effect

Agent57
Agent57 Posts: 2,300
edited August 2014 in Amateur race
Last year I set a PR on the Salt Ayre TT "course" (12.5 laps of the circuit) of 27:17, which I was pretty pleased with.

At Christmas, wifey bought me some aero bars to stick on my road bike. Rode with them in the first club 10 of the season tonight, and clocked a new PR of 26:18. \o/

So, the question: can I claim to have got faster over winter on the strength of my "training" of 5 miles each way to work and back, or can aero bars really make that much of a difference?

And if so, can I buy that much again with an Alien helmet?! :D
MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)

Comments

  • gattocattivo
    gattocattivo Posts: 500
    Aero bars make that much of a difference. As a rule of thumb, I'd say about 1mph (or about a minute in a '10'), which is exactly what you've done.
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    Bummer! :D

    But OK, that's cool. I reckon I'll go faster this summer, so it's all good.
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • napoleond
    napoleond Posts: 5,992
    Aero bars should make a fair bit more difference than that, so basically you've gone slower :(
    Insta: ATEnduranceCoaching
    ABCC Cycling Coach
  • DiscoBoy
    DiscoBoy Posts: 905
    Take them off and try again, that way you'll know, eh?
    Red bikes are the fastest.
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    NapD smells! :(
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • napoleond
    napoleond Posts: 5,992
    :D:lol:
    Insta: ATEnduranceCoaching
    ABCC Cycling Coach
  • gazhilla
    gazhilla Posts: 48
    I knocked 3 mins off with aero bike on that course, or maybe the three bike sessions a week over winter, 25:40 so far, 24:** is the aim for this season , power sessions coming up after IMUK . You doing levens on Monday agent 57?
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    I think I need to be quite a bit faster before I can justify a whole bike just for TTs. :D

    Not planning on doing the bank holiday 10 - TBH I've only ever done a couple of TTs that weren't on Salt Ayre, and they were back in the late 80s. But maybe I should HTFU and do a Levens 10 and the club hill climbs this year.
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    I've eaten too many Aero bars over the winter and I'm now slower than ever.
  • sub55
    sub55 Posts: 1,025
    gattocattivo wrote:
    Aero bars make that much of a difference. As a rule of thumb, I'd say about 1mph (or about a minute in a '10'), which is exactly what you've done.

    pure make believe
    constantly reavalueating the situation and altering the perceived parameters accordingly
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    sub55 wrote:
    gattocattivo wrote:
    Aero bars make that much of a difference. As a rule of thumb, I'd say about 1mph (or about a minute in a '10'), which is exactly what you've done.

    pure make believe

    Its in the right ballpark... although it does depend on how fast you're going already. I saved ~1 min to 1 min 30 using clip on aero bars. But I was going faster than the OP.
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    I was going faster than the OP.

    Most people do. ;)
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    Agent57 wrote:
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    I was going faster than the OP.

    Most people do. ;)

    We've all got to start somewhere :wink:
  • sub55
    sub55 Posts: 1,025
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    sub55 wrote:
    gattocattivo wrote:
    Aero bars make that much of a difference. As a rule of thumb, I'd say about 1mph (or about a minute in a '10'), which is exactly what you've done.

    pure make believe

    Its in the right ballpark... although it does depend on how fast you're going already. I saved ~1 min to 1 min 30 using clip on aero bars. But I was going faster than the OP.

    No mate, it`s the other way round. The slower you are the more time they will save you or any other aero advantage for that matter. The quicker you are ,the greater the advantage in drag efficiency but because you're on the road for a shorter period of time , the time saved is less.
    constantly reavalueating the situation and altering the perceived parameters accordingly
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    sub55 wrote:
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    sub55 wrote:
    gattocattivo wrote:
    Aero bars make that much of a difference. As a rule of thumb, I'd say about 1mph (or about a minute in a '10'), which is exactly what you've done.

    pure make believe

    Its in the right ballpark... although it does depend on how fast you're going already. I saved ~1 min to 1 min 30 using clip on aero bars. But I was going faster than the OP.

    No mate, it`s the other way round. The slower you are the more time they will save you or any other aero advantage for that matter. The quicker you are ,the greater the advantage in drag efficiency but because you're on the road for a shorter period of time , the time saved is less.

    What do you mean 'no it's the other way round'?!? I didn't mention which way round it was... :wink:
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    It is more fun posting better times on the drops than riders with aerobars get.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    Bumping to say I did a 25:52 tonight, which is a decent chunk off my 26:18 previous best - and this time it was all me, not the addition of aero accoutrements. :D

    And according to the VTTA, the standard for a 45 year old bloke is 26:23. So if I were a member, I could claim an award. Which is nice.
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    sub55 wrote:
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    sub55 wrote:
    gattocattivo wrote:
    Aero bars make that much of a difference. As a rule of thumb, I'd say about 1mph (or about a minute in a '10'), which is exactly what you've done.

    pure make believe

    Its in the right ballpark... although it does depend on how fast you're going already. I saved ~1 min to 1 min 30 using clip on aero bars. But I was going faster than the OP.

    No mate, it`s the other way round. The slower you are the more time they will save you or any other aero advantage for that matter. The quicker you are ,the greater the advantage in drag efficiency but because you're on the road for a shorter period of time , the time saved is less.

    Correct but the original comment about saving a minute is not pure make believe, for most riders it is as has already been said in the right ballpark. Of course there are other things to consider but it answers the OPs question that the bars could easily be the difference.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • kingstonian
    kingstonian Posts: 2,847
    Agent57 wrote:
    Bumping to say I did a 25:52 tonight, which is a decent chunk off my 26:18 previous best - and this time it was all me, not the addition of aero accoutrements. :D

    And according to the VTTA, the standard for a 45 year old bloke is 26:23. So if I were a member, I could claim an award. Which is nice.

    Become a member, claim your prize, be smug and happy. Job done !!!!!
  • sub55
    sub55 Posts: 1,025
    The VTTA standard's don't work like that
    constantly reavalueating the situation and altering the perceived parameters accordingly
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    Agent57 wrote:
    Bumping to say I did a 25:52 tonight

    New PB tonight, 25:49.

    No new aero equipment in use, although I rode bare handed tonight rather than with my track mitts. Maybe that was worth a quarter of a second per lap. :D
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • kingstonian
    kingstonian Posts: 2,847
    Agent57 wrote:
    Agent57 wrote:
    Bumping to say I did a 25:52 tonight

    New PB tonight, 25:49.

    No new aero equipment in use, although I rode bare handed tonight rather than with my track mitts. Maybe that was worth a quarter of a second per lap. :D


    Ah, the aero hands technique !!!!
  • lawrences
    lawrences Posts: 1,011
    Cling film the gaps between your fingers.
  • Variance
    Variance Posts: 130
    My first go at a TT with clip on bars tonight. I'm usually 25.50 ish on the drops. hoping to go a bit quicker tonight
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    So, Variance, how'd it go? Maybe hard to tell given the circuit was a bit damp.
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • Variance
    Variance Posts: 130
    I didn't make it in the end. Left my office (Kendal) late and got stuck on the road into Carnforth. Sacked it and turned round and went home. Rode a TT course local to me at Garstang instead. Went quite well on the return leg and did like the bars. I'll try them at SA next week
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    Yeah, we had quite a few no-shows last night due to the rain and flooded road in Carnforth.

    All the kids doing 2 miles set off in the rain, but by the time the 6 and 10 milers were going it had turned into a pretty good night. Almost no wind at all, which makes a change but I wasn't riding anyway (was on assistance duty).
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)

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