Aero...
franknowell993
Posts: 1
I see lots written about the aerodynamic features of bikes, but I'm wondering how much of a difference a more aerodynamic bike makes. Sure, if you're racing, you want every little advantage. But it seems to me (with no hard evidence to back this up) that most of the aerodynamic drag comes from the rider rather than the bike. What percentage of the drag comes from the rider rather than the bike? Any ideas? What if you had a bike with zero aerodynamic drag? How much would that reduce the total drag of bike and rider? If you went from the least aerodynamic road bike to the most aerodynamic, how much of a difference would that make in the total drag of bike + rider? You've probably seen, for example, bike manufactures advertise that lowering the seat stays makes their bike more aerodynamic. Would this really make your bike faster?
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Your position on the bike is the biggest thing. Lower your bars, make them narrower, learn to ride in a more tucked in position.
Once you've done that, if you still want/need to make tiny gains then start spending money. But anyone thinking that shiny new aero frame is going to get them to the cafe quicker is kidding themselves really. Yes, this stuff counts when you're racing and a second can be the difference between winning and being 10th. For real world riding? Not so much.
Still, there's a lot to be said for feeling faster and having that nice new lovely thing. If having one makes you happy, why not? Your money, spend it how you want.0 -
The rider is the largest contributor to drag by a large margin, but the bike is still a component. Improving one doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't aim to improve the other. You can do both.0
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The rider is definitely the biggest factor in an aero set up, it's the main reason why TT bikes are faster as you're put in an optimised position for aero benefit.
Second would be an aero helmet and properly fitting kit followed by depth of your wheels.
Frame probably comes after this. If you are looking to become more aero, for example if you race TT's then you should certainly address all the factors.
Slamming your stem won't cost any money but is one of the best things to do to put you in a more aero position. Of course this may come at the cost of discomfort whilst riding.0 -
There's a lot of reports and tests out there on t'interweb and google will find a lot.
Rider is the largest contributor - so position and clothing are critical - hence why TT bikes have a different position
Bike frame aero improvements are often quite low
Things like helmets and wheels are significant, even tyre size.
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The rider typically represents about 70% of the combined frontal area, so it follows that a mythical bike with zero aerodynamic drag would reduce drag by about 30%. But that's an absurd proposition, so not worth talking about.franknowell993 said:What percentage of the drag comes from the rider rather than the bike? Any ideas? What if you had a bike with zero aerodynamic drag? How much would that reduce the total drag of bike and rider?
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This is quite old now, but still valid for giving an idea of where to get savings:
https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/fitness-and-training/how-aero-is-aero/
More recently there's been a focus on integrating and tidying up the cockpit area - as that is thought to be an area to get decent benefits.0
