by Calnago on Mon Mar 11, 2013 3:02 am
The Cervelo S5 "whitepaper"? Yes, i've seen it. I've read it. Cervelo's marketing boys were busy on that one. And there isn't one word about a sloped top tube being more aero than a level top tube... I skimmed it again and didn't find anything. I don't believe they mention the sloping top tube even once. They talk about their dropped downtube alot, but as far as the their top tube goes... not so much.
The reason you haven't seen a headtube attached to the front of an arrow is because 1) it's not necessary, unlike a bicycle, and 2) it would be plain stupid to wreck the simple and understandable aerodynamics of the "straight as an arrow" cliche. But if someone did want to attach a headtube to the front of an arrow, the arrow would still be at its aerodynamic best if it was flying straight as opposed to sloping, despite having a big ugly head tube attached to it.
Anyway, just my random observations. Like you say, it makes no difference really. I'm not slamming Cervelo, well, I guess I kinda am, but for what it's worth I do own a P3. Doesn't mean I buy into their marketing spiels.