Tour Magazine Aero Frame Test (wind tunnel) - Anyone read it

[drewb]

As per the subject - Has anyone read the Tour Magazine's Aero Frame Windtunnel test? It was due in newsstands on the 25th in Germany.

In Particular I want to know how the Foil did relative to the other bikes. (I don't speak German so would need a quick summary rather than a pdf). I am about to pull the trigger on one, and I am a sucker for the marketing. I want to know how it held up in real life compared to the Venge and a regular non-aero bike?

Thanks for a prompt reply!

Drew

[djconnel]

You don't need to speak German to understand Tour articles: numbers is numbers.

Google Translate is enough for the axis labels.

[BrianAllan]

Oh interesting. I'm hoping to aero frames relative to "non-aero":

FOIL
Venge
Canyon Aero CF
S5
Madone
Tarmac
BMC Team Machine
Cannondale Super 6 EVO C++ AFK

[djconnel]

Also, all wind tunnel tests done for publication should be required to include the following control:

[Mikmik]

Also, all wind tunnel tests done for publication should be required to include the following control:

+1 Yes to that. Would be really nice to know how much (in real world) has technology really moved things along from that era. Imagine all the time, marketing, effort, money et etc was spent to 'only' save 20 watts at 40km/hr . They probably won't do it though as that would expose all these marketing stunts as being just that....stunts.

[djconnel]

You're optimistic: I wonder if the Huffy is less drag than most modern bikes.

[justkeepedaling]

It might or might not. And I own 4-5 old 1" steel bikes. Non Integrated headset/fork already is quite a bit of drag. Exposed downtube shifters.

[djconnel]

But smaller handlebar levers, 1-inch tubes throughout as opposed to Tour-test-friendly monster tubes

[Mikmik]

It's not the technology as much as what's in your legs anyway. As I have said it before in different threads we have a rider locally who is deliberately riding a mid 80's Alu Dale to show it's not the equipment that gets you your wins. He got Gold in the State RR and silver in the National RR (beaten by 2 on 1 tactics).

[2011]

Non Integrated headset/fork already is quite a bit of drag. Exposed downtube shifters.

Actually, Parlee did quite abit of wind tunnel testing on the front headtubes of their frames and found that integrated headset vs. standard 1 1/8" King Headset... there is no difference, in terms of it's "aero-ness".

I will try to find the article to share that stated this.

[Ypsylon]

The Foil did ok.

Tour somehow weighed the yaws and at 45 km/h you need 7 Watts more compared to the Venge and 6 more than the S5, so between those two it's basically a wash.

The Venge is like 20W ahead of the round tubed control at 45 km/h.

[Zigmeister]

The Foil did ok.

Tour somehow weighed the yaws and at 45 km/h you need 7 Watts more compared to the Venge and 6 more than the S5, so between those two it's basically a wash.

The Venge is like 20W ahead of the round tubed control at 45 km/h.

Is there an online link for this?

Thx

[Kulzv]

Found the following link in the Chat section of the forum:

http://www.tour-magazin.de/services/qtr ... 67.html#/4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good stuff

[neomoz]

Posted on slowtwitch forums.



Looks like the venge edged out the S5 surprisingly. Could explain why Cavendish liked the bike, appears to very aero. Foil as expected is good but the compromise made for weight/stiffness means it losses a few watts compared to the other true foil shaped road bikes.

[djconnel]

Very cool -- thanks for posting!

Did they test with a water bottle? Foil and Archon are optimized for a water bottle.

BTW, "edged out" in this context is almost meaningless, as it's impossible to match geometry across lines. However, it's clear that Specialized, Cervelo, and Felt all did a good job.