*Tour Aero Bike Tests*

[ryanw]

Can't find the sarcasm button on my keyboard....

[AJS914]

But please, for the love of all Weenies, don’t rationalise your choice by denying facts or physics.

Yes, exactly! Thanks for posting that. Aero denyers are like climate denyers.

I do think the interesting turn of this topic is toward bars/wheels and how much of the savings they account for.

I used to be on the fence on whether I personally needed aero gains or not. I used to think not but now I'm doing fast group rides with guys 20 years younger than me. These young guys have a better FTP then I do and they have full aero bikes/wheels. They have a tremendous wattage advantage when you add it all up and the group is moving along at 45km/hr. At that speed bike, wheels, bars, helmet, race fit jersey, shoe covers can mean an 80 watt advantage. That is easily the difference between taking a pull or not, bridging a gap in the group or not, or being fresher for the last climb. If one is actually racing, it can mean the difference between winning and losing.

If you are just out solo training then aero doesn't mean squat. It won't matter if you return home from your 3 hour ride a few minutes early.

[RocketRacing]

I admit i must have skipped the posts from aero deniers. Do they still really exist? When it comes to speed for a given effort on most grades below 4%... aero is key. End of discussion.

I am not advocating everyone straddles a tri bike... or only ride 6%+ grades, or that we throw away round tube bikes, or that comfort oriented road bikes are not a good thing... but facts are facts.

My point is to pick the low hanging aero fruit. One can get the majority of the benefits of an aero of an aero bike with some smart choices/upgrades. It is important for people to know what are the big players (hint, it is not the seat tube).

And also, people should be thinking about some of the aero marketing data... like the zipp aero bars with the rider in a winter parka: droping a size was the same benefit of going aero. More gains? Go aero bars and narrower!!!

Also, 200w vs 202w without including the top half of the rider in the equation is peanuts as far as difference in the real world. 400w vs 402w is a very small difference indeed. Not to say one bike is not faster... but we are talking small amounts (like 0.5% difference). Tuck your head more and save 5w. Perspective.

Yes, aero gains are marginal, but add multiple marginal gains for a significant gain. Same for weight weeniesm. “Who cares about 50 grams? Yup... but shave 50g off every component in your bike, climb a big grade, and get back to me. Marginal, but aero and low weight are the only speed you can buy on a bike. (And there is a lot more to get out of aero vs light if you had to trade one for the other). Well... and blood doping...

[spdntrxi]

But please, for the love of all Weenies, don’t rationalise your choice by denying facts or physics.

Yes, exactly! Thanks for posting that. Aero denyers are like climate denyers.

this site gets political... color me gone. This is a "SAFESPACE" bruh

[RocketRacing]

And p.s. my current bike build will be the ultimate... pretty light, pretty aero, and 100% carbon porn.

[themidge]

But please, for the love of all Weenies, don’t rationalise your choice by denying facts or physics.

Yes, exactly! Thanks for posting that. Aero denyers are like climate denyers.

this site gets political... color me gone. This is a "SAFESPACE" bruh

The most offensive thing is that to be a climate denier is a political position, grrrr!

[mr2scott]

I have a system six. It is much faster than my old evo, with the same position, similar wheels, same tires, aero handlebars etc.

It's winter here and I've only taken it out a handfull of times. I have crushed strava segments it. I think I had 9 kom's on the first 2 rides, in cold weather. One of them a 3 mile low grade 2-3% climb, which I destroyed my PR on.

Aero is real, most of you know that. Here is a comparion I made between two bikes. Both bikes are 51cm.

Segments comparison Flat 2.47miles 0% grade basically perfectly flat road heads S

System Six (hutchinson 11storm 25c) - Winter Dec4th wind 14mph from NNW 34F I also had on heavy winter clothing
Speed 26.8mi/h
Cadence 83
Heart Rate 160 bpm
Power 283W
Time 5:32

SuperX CX bike (40mm carbon wheels 23c pro one tubeless) bars are low very close to my road position
August 12th wind 7mph from NNE 75F
Speed 26.4mi/h
Cadence 93
Heart Rate 164 bpm
Power 319W
Time 5:37

[RocketRacing]

I also have crushed my pb’s and taken multiple top 10’s, and a few kom’s reciently.

I just trained more. Same bike.

But seriously, not to deny fast bikes are fast, and no question the system6 is fast (and much faster than your old bike) but it is hard to be scientific in anything short of a closed corse or wind tunnel.

Now, me upgrading skinny mavic rsys slr wheels (with 3 inch wide carbon spokes on 25c gt4000’s measuring 40mm wide) to gp5000 on 27mm wide 56mm deep wheels with cxray spokes should be good for a 50% reduction in aero drag and hours subtracted on the minute.

Joking aside, if snow, and months of time did not prevent a side by side comparison... i am sure the aero gains would be sensed with my new wheels. What did Josh of zipp/silca say... most riders need at least a 10% difference before they can reliably feel it (when blinded). Beyond that, it is mostly in our heads.

My buddy put mid section aero wheels on his bike this fall. He could not feel the difference. I am 110% sure they are faster, just not enough to be felt. Put him on a system 6 without knowing it... i bet he would feel it.

The biggest change i felt was riding in the persuit position with clip ons. I was flying. It took a lot of training to beat those times on the same bike. No, actually, the biggest change was my first ride this fall on my 32lbs fat bike... after a summer on a 13lbs Felt road bike. Wholy $h!tballs

[Noctiluxx]

But please, for the love of all Weenies, don’t rationalise your choice by denying facts or physics.

Yes, exactly! Thanks for posting that. Aero denyers are like climate denyers.

this site gets political... color me gone. This is a "SAFESPACE" bruh

Its only political outside a red bubble.

[tymon_tm]

my uneducated take on aero was always "if you ride like you mean it, maxing it out every time, pushing like you were going for every second, then aero is what you need" (but also: low weight, good stiffness, etc - in other words - you do need and quite possibly will appreciate a "better" bike.

but if your approach is much more relaxed, or you just don't like to get too sweaty and too tired, then it really doesn't matter what you ride. period.

I've been always chasing those minimal aero gains myself, deep wheels, aero seatposts, spinacci, etc.. back when it wasn't even a thing. why? because I kind of felt having a bit that cuts through the air easier sure as hell won't make me slower. plus I always liked how it looks, and if you like what you ride, there's a chance the placebo effect will kick in too

[TobinHatesYou]

My buddy put mid section aero wheels on his bike this fall. He could not feel the difference. I am 110% sure they are faster, just not enough to be felt. Put him on a system 6 without knowing it... i bet he would feel it.

Who cares about “feeling” 10% or 5% or 3%? All are significant deltas.

[RocketRacing]

My buddy put mid section aero wheels on his bike this fall. He could not feel the difference. I am 110% sure they are faster, just not enough to be felt. Put him on a system 6 without knowing it... i bet he would feel it.

Who cares about “feeling” 10% or 5% or 3%? All are significant deltas.

I think the people that care are pros, people racing, and anyone chasing a clock for a Segment.

Not denying the benefits of faster gear. Just saying that most can’t feel the difference with the small gains. It is all about adding many small gains... and starting with the easy/cheap/largest inpact ones if you can’t do it all.

[RocketRacing]

my uneducated take on aero was always "if you ride like you mean it, maxing it out every time, pushing like you were going for every second, then aero is what you need" (but also: low weight, good stiffness, etc - in other words - you do need and quite possibly will appreciate a "better" bike.

but if your approach is much more relaxed, or you just don't like to get too sweaty and too tired, then it really doesn't matter what you ride. period.

I've been always chasing those minimal aero gains myself, deep wheels, aero seatposts, spinacci, etc.. back when it wasn't even a thing. why? because I kind of felt having a bit that cuts through the air easier sure as hell won't make me slower. plus I always liked how it looks, and if you like what you ride, there's a chance the placebo effect will kick in too

Very logical.

I like themes in my bikes.

I was closing in on finishing my pure climbing/weight weenie build. My next was to be all out aero, forgetting weight. Wife blocked the second project, so the weight weenie bike is gaining a bit of weight to become more of a weight/aero allrounder.

[bedampft]

I think the people that care are pros, people racing, and anyone chasing a clock for a Segment.

You forgot the wannabes. The guys that always ride the newest and best equipment to show off, and with not enough power to back it up.

I'm always giggling at the tought of so many riders taking the shortcut by spending thousends of their hard earned money to save a few watts. It would be way better to train more efficiently, have propper recovery and eat healthier. But it seems this would take just to much commitment and be to exhausting.
That new Aero "Stuff" is ordered easy, delivered quickly until Tuesday, so i can show the gains on wednesdays club ride. Perfect.

I'm glad this whole aero fixation is slowley coming to an end. Most new bikes are aero now, and for the average Joe there is not much of a visible diffrence between them. For most riders it makes a bigger diffrence in their minds anyway.

[RocketRacing]

Another group is the tech types. I partly fall there. If i can optomize something, i will. It is independant and parallel to training.

My favorite bikes are the ones i have put a lot of thought into and “hotrodded”. Because of this, i also enjoy riding them more. Totally placebo, aside from any gains the changes make.

But i won’t go spend 10k on a system six for a few watts over my current ride because of some article in a german magazine. This is also why an ax lightness bike is not interesting to me. I would much rather piece together components to make something almost as good, but for less $$.

But I disagree with the “get fast before you get a fast bike” snobbery some display. I say, buy what you will enjoy riding... and then ride. If you are a dentist that can afford the 18k bike... right on. If a 500$ bike is the top of your budget, get a decient used bike and enjoy it! Just don’t expect to shortcut the hard work. It is easier to buy speed with cars...