TT Equipment, Data, Tests??

Ptrckzq

I imagine parts of this have been, asked and answered many a time but I cant for the life of me find what I'm after!
Alright, I'm looking at investing in new wheels and some other TT equipment, and I've been trying to find information on a few things:
1; Are there any sites or whatnot with independent testing data on TT equipment(besides aeroweenie) like frames and wheels?
2: Does anyone have or know of testing tubs vs clincher/tubeless wheels? It's my understanding that tubeless rolls faster(and weight means very little in a TT) but is there an aerodynamic difference between clincher and tubular versions of the same wheel with the same tyre on them? Is it even worth mentioning? EG a HED GT3 vs a HED H3 PLUS?
3: Any site or such with info and comparisons on TT booties vs those Striped aero socks, or TT helmets with and without visors? Also anywhere that discusses general time trialing positions and their effects? ie overlapping hands or tucking your head and whatnot? Really just anywhere with more technical information? Or is this whole thread just a lost cause?

Thanks in advance!
And apologies if this is the wrong place for this thread

58585

Good questions. There is loads of good info on slow twitch and timetriallingforum, some very knowledgeable folks on there.

You’ll see there are many variables involved, so “fastest wheel” depends on which frame you use, and how fast you ride/wind yaw. Helmet choice will be very much dependant on your position on the bike. Hand position is also something you can’t generalise on, so you can look forward to learning how to do your own aero testing :-)

cougie

Yes. You'd need to test kit as you ride. There are people who will help you do this.

sungod

1 - increasingly rare, it costs money, most 'reviews' seem little more than adverts/clickbait, as paid for content there's tour magazine, though results have a curious tendency to place german stuff at/near the top (but perhaps it's just because it's better), even then the number of variables and interactions between components, rider etc. make isolated/generic testing unreliable

2 - as above really, and "tubeless rolls faster" is not correct, it depends on the specific tyres etc. being compared and pressure they're run at, there can be big differences in design of clincher vs. tubular wheelsets, for instance some zipp ons differ in width by several mm - for tyres there's https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/ but differing road surfaces, pressure, clincher rim width etc. can all change results

3 - individual rider size/shape/position variations mean these things will vary in performance between individuals, position x may be better than position y for one person, but not another, and a 'good' position that reduces power output more than it reduces power loss due to drag is not much use

it's not a lost cause, but you need to treat isolated/generic results with care - if there were accurate generic answers to what is best' then everyone at a given price point would be riding/wearing the same stuff

as above, those tt oriented sites, and if you can afford it there're people who will take your money in return for testing/analysis/optimization

mfin

58585 wrote:

Good questions. There is loads of good info on slow twitch and timetriallingforum, some very knowledgeable folks on there.

You’ll see there are many variables involved, so “fastest wheel” depends on which frame you use, and how fast you ride/wind yaw. Helmet choice will be very much dependant on your position on the bike. Hand position is also something you can’t generalise on, so you can look forward to learning how to do your own aero testing :-)

+1

To be clear, choice of some equipment like wheels might be swung by how fast you are as a rider. More gear is designed now for people who are a bit slower, working better at higher yaw angles. Yaw angles being higher are more likely the slower you go.

You need to test because you'll find some positions you might not be able to sustain good power output, making a less aero position that's higher faster for you even though it's less aerodynamic. The best accepted way to test is in wind tunnel, but of course it is expensive to do.

A lot of gear suits higher positions nowadays, suiting the triathlete market where they aren't as quick cos of the multi-discipline and that the distances can be much higher.

The body position/fit things that extend to arm position, shrug, helmet are different rider to rider, for example, a helmet might be the best for one person but another helmet best for another, then if you fidget about you might also immediately be benefitting more from a Bambino style helmet than a tailed one.

Loads of things to consider, and very difficult to shop for if you expect to just find the fastest wheel, fastest frame, fastest bars, etc, because it is not that simple, in fact it's not simple at all.

Ptrckzq

Thanks for the links and the suggestions.
What you're saying makes good sense, I'm not really after the generic "fastest equipment", given just how variably equipment can work for different people in different conditions. Also I do plan to do some velodrome testing. I'm just looking to find the best options to try and get my hands on to test out and trial as well as the best ways to go about improving my TT position, and to learn from others experiences in the general do's and don'ts.