Saggy helmet straps will cost you ~4 watts

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mpulsiv
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by mpulsiv

Look at your helmet straps in a mirror before you invest into goofy aero helmet! Make sure your sunglasses arms are worn over your helmet straps.
http://www.swissside.com/about-swiss-side found baggy helmet straps to cost 4.4 watts!

On another note, helmet aero cover appear to be worthless so don't try to cover vents to yield max aero. To put this into perspective, VeloToz rain cover was put over Specialized Prevail helmet and the delta was less than 0.4 watts
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/arti ... onts-48455

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Last edited by mpulsiv on Thu Nov 03, 2016 2:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Nefarious86
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by Nefarious86

Marginal gains ;)
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mpulsiv
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by mpulsiv

Nefarious86 wrote:Marginal gains ;)


Who are you kidding?! :D That's as much ~$250 aero handlebar
~4.4 watts is huge just for tightening your helmet strap to ensure they lay flat and your sunglasses arms are worn over the helmet straps.
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tommasini
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by tommasini

Nefarious86 wrote:Marginal gains ;)


Mpulsiv -I think you took that wrong. I see the response with a "wink" to imply agreement! Marginal gains that when used in combination with others yield quantifiable improvements. :up:

Nefarious86
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by Nefarious86

^^ ding, once you get to the point of aero bars, aero frame and wheels, skin suit etc you would be mad to neglect the "free aero" from smart tricks like this.

Helmet cover I wouldn't run as I already sweat like a gypsy with a mortgage most days but in winter could be nice for training rides.

Shoe covers, kit with a suitable cut for your build, holding a tight position to decrease your frontal area are all things that add up too.
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mpulsiv
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by mpulsiv

Nefarious86 wrote:^^ ding, once you get to the point of aero bars, aero frame and wheels, skin suit etc you would be mad to neglect the "free aero" from smart tricks like this.

Helmet cover I wouldn't run as I already sweat like a gypsy with a mortgage most days but in winter could be nice for training rides.

Shoe covers, kit with a suitable cut for your build, holding a tight position to decrease your frontal area are all things that add up too.


You are listing aero equipment here. We are talking about helmet straps that riders neglect and let it flap in the wind, not to mention making noise. I frequently see riders with tangled helmet straps.
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Nefarious86
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by Nefarious86

No, I said I agree and on top of all the things we use already these marginal gains add up.
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kman
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by kman

I'm all for marginal gains, especially when they're free but did you see how loose they had the straps in the test??? Bloody hell, he may as well have had them undone and completely open!
Anyone I've ever seen with straps that loose does not care about 4.4W.





I'm off to tidy up my helmet straps now. :)
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OutOfBreath
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by OutOfBreath

I am more concerned with the annoying flapping at speed to be honest.

Also surprising is watching pro races and seeing riders with loose helmet staps, not just because of aero drag but because of safety too. I wonder if strap placement like some specialized or poc helmets use is less aero than the traditional more close to the face design.

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mpulsiv
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by mpulsiv

Anyone pays attention to helmet straps when looking at helmets? Take a look at Specialized Prevail. Engineers moved helmet straps away from the skin to eliminate skin irritation and sweat?
Not only does this create drag but also wind noise due to non-stop flapping. I have read slew of complains as to how loud it gets because helmet straps constantly flap in front of your ears.

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TwiggyTN
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by TwiggyTN

But in the Evade Specialized moved the straps back in against skin/hair. I don't really like my Prevail near as much as my Evade and this is one of the reasons.

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BRM
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by BRM

another reason not to wear a helmet

:smartass:

:wink:

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BRM
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by BRM

kman wrote:I'm all for marginal gains, especially when they're free


Don't forget to glue your flap-ears on the side of your head . . . .

gewichtweenie
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by gewichtweenie

no fred wears it as floppy as in their exaggerated setup

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dj97223
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by dj97223

Oh yeah? Saw a lady one day riding with her helmet on backwards.
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