After 45 years of cycling I think I may have discovered the adavantages of being aero.

I got stuck 20 miles from home with a headwind, the road was quiet though so I ended up trying a TT stylee position, what a difference!!

Arms together and tucked in 20mph+ at a comfortable heart rate, on the hoods or even on the drops I’m lucky to get 18mph and the HR is all over the place.

I think I may be getting the TT bug, what next pointy hat or deep wheels?

Wot…no chocalate..

I like the minty bar, ‘cos I like the green foam in the middle.

You’re only allowed to be overtly aero (e.g. pointy hat, tri bars, really deep wheels) when actually racing. Otherwise you and your bike will look silly and people WILL point and laugh.

You can be stealthy aero though. Lots of decent aero road helmets out there, shoe covers, non flappy clothing. It’s likely your position could be a lot better too, flat back, elbows in, etc. Even tidying up the front end of your bike (any excess cabling etc.) will help.

Here next…?

Read something recently that dropping your bars by 2cm saves as much energy as 2 gazelles.
No explanation of how to avoid knees slapping rhythmically against stomach.

Honestly, someone should put a stop to this nonsense.

No explanation of how to avoid knees slapping rhythmically against stomach.

As long as it’s your own stomach, it’s fine. 😉

No explanation of how to avoid knees slapping rhythmically against stomach.

If this is happening you probably have more to work on before you start worrying about being aero 🙂

😀

Still have my old tri bars on my bike despite not doing tris anymore.

Happy with any piss-taking as the last laugh is the loudest, when I leave the piss-takers behind simply by going more aero!!

More amusingly are the efforts to make the bike more aero when the bulk of the resistance comes from the body!! Dont sweat the small stuff!

You’re only allowed to be overtly aero (e.g. pointy hat, tri bars, really deep wheels) when actually racing. Otherwise you and your bike will look silly and people WILL point and laugh.

That still happens even when you’re racing : ) It’s the lid that does it.

The most important thing by a mile is getting a decent position on the bike, TT/Tri bikes run steep seattube and short top tube to get a good comfortable position (shoulder and elbow ~90 degrees etc), half extension bars may be better for a road bike where it is hard\impossible to get a full aero position without being too stretched out.

Aero helmets are about 10 times more cost efficient than aero wheels as they have double the drag benefit and can be found for >£100, however they do make one look like a tit which is one reason why most folk spank out £500+ on aero wheels first.

True, but no point in a pointy helmet (sorry) if you cant keep in position. Otherwise you might as well have a sail on your head!!

More amusingly are the efforts to make the bike more aero when the bulk of the resistance comes from the body!! Dont sweat the small stuff!

Most of it does. But when you’ve done a lot of work on making yourself more aero, the proportion of resistance from the bike starts to become a lot more significant. And just by paying it a bit of attention you can still be talking about a handful of watts that might be the equivalent of a good winters worth of hard training.

Aero helmets are about 10 times more cost efficient than aero wheels as they have double the drag benefit and can be found for >£100, however they do make one look like a tit which is why most folk spank out £500+ on aero wheels.

Just get a Synthe or a Protone or something like that. Much of the aero benefit but you don’t look like a complete tit. And they’ll likely work better in a normal riding position too. Unless you are racing on a TT bike then DO NOT wear a proper aero helmet with a visor!

Otherwise you and your bike will look silly and people WILL point and laugh.
That still happens even when you’re racing : ) It’s the lid that does it.

It amuses me that TT’ers seem to argue a lot about whether Trip Socks look silly…

^^^ not me BTW!

It amuses me that TT’ers seem to argue a lot about whether Trip Socks look silly…

There’s no argument about it. Ridiculous 😀
The next step is to do a Triathlon in a crop-top with pippy-longstockings and an aero lid.

(with all due respect etc via the fact I cannot run more than a few miles and would make a lousy TTer!)

All in all, aero gains would probably result in quicker pace for most of us, more so than weight-saving. Aero details do make more sense than weight-weenieism to me. The aero gains just tend to be uncomfortable or impractial enough of the time, look a bit funny or just becomes a slippery slope.. I admit I fitted some clip ons and turned my bar-roll side-on on my road-packing bike once, then slapped myself and took it all off : )

Unless you are racing on a TT bike then DO NOT wear a proper aero helmet with a visor!

I’ve done some longer training rides with a meteor on my head. It acts as extra motivation to hold the aero position on climbs etc 🙂

All in all, aero gains would probably result in quicker pace for most of us, more so than weight-saving.

Definitely. Been dabbling in time trialling the past few years and just developing the extra flexibility and ability to ride in what would previously have been uncomfortable positions has meant I’ve been able to evolve my position on the road bike a fair bit. Now a lot quicker as a result of it.

Just get a Synthe or a Protone or something like that.

The Protone is an incredibly comfortable helmet, I was sincerely tempted to get one last time I needed a helmet replacement, even though on mtb or cx performance gains would be negligable.

Skinsuit for the cafe run.

FWIW, I rate the Giro Air Attack helmet for general riding. I’ve now managed to properly test two and will be looking for a third 😳 . If you can’t stretch to that level of ridicule. get a Synth – my head is not Kask-shaped but just loves a Giro helmet.

In reality, tight fitting clothes and an ability to ride on the drops will give you a huge advantage. Position first, then buy speed.

That tongue position is definitely not aero.

I rate the Giro Air Attack helmet for general riding

TiRed, Air Attack convert for general riding here too. Use it all year round now. They can usually be picked up fairly cheaply too as they’re not exactly in fashion 🙂

Matts 😆

In reality, tight fitting clothes and an ability to ride on the drops will give you a huge advantage. Position first, then buy speed.

Little things too, like rotating your wrists in to get your elbows tucked in, turtling your neck a bit to get your head out the wind (the Oakley HV lenses are good so you can get your head low and still see where you’re going.) Hoods if you have the reach right with forearms horizontal is meant to be more aero than the drops, though both are better than sat upright… bit like this…

First one went through a steel sign at 30 mph. Second one went into the road at 20 mph on Sunday. All I have to show is a large black eye and some cheek abrasion (and a few minutes loss of consciousness). It recalls the original Giro helmet design. I won’t start a helmet debate, suffice to say there’s a reason why I have to wear one to race.

They can usually be picked up fairly cheaply too as they’re not exactly in fashion

Just as well, I’m getting through two a year at the moment! Bought the last one at Evans for £75. They Synth is a nicer looking lid. The Protone is expensive and I’m less convinced of the aero benefits.

Despite racing an aero framed road bike, I think the aero benefits of such bikes are modest compared to clothing and position.

Oh and riding with forearms resting on the bars TT stylee will get you DQ’d.

The Protone is expensive and I’m less convinced of the aero benefits.

Was chatting to someone who does aero testing for a living and he said the Protone is actually very good. Designed by some aerodynamicist chap at Jaguar apparently and handed over to Kask. They then went and messed it up by filling in the vents as that’s what they thought the market expected an aero helmet to look like (can’t remember what they called it.) Then they finally released the Protone as intended. At least that’s what I was told.

Oh and riding with forearms resting on the bars TT stylee will get you DQ’d.

Not the best photo, but he’s actually holding onto the tips of the hoods there, it’s just his wrists are tucked in low behind the hoods. Not a Sagan style TT position. It’s from this GCN video.

Despite racing an aero framed road bike, I think the aero benefits of such bikes are modest compared to clothing and position.

Yes, I think position, clothing, wheel and tyres, bar setup, frame.

I have always ( 20 plus years ) ridden road holding the hoods like that.
It wasn’t until recently they suggested this was more aero than drops.

I have always ( 20 plus years ) ridden road holding the hoods like that.
It wasn’t until recently they suggested this was more aero than drops.

If you’ve been riding that long it’s not really surprising that you develop a good aero position.

A lot of people will hold the hoods like that… but with straight arms and sat upright 🙂

Read something recently that dropping your bars by 2cm saves as much energy as 2 gazelles.
No explanation of how to avoid knees slapping rhythmically against stomach.

Two possible solutions
1) Shorter cranks
2) Lose belly fat.

No. 1 is much easier, 105 cranks are only £65 at CRC right now.

I hate Aero, in fact all mint chocolate including mint choc chip ice cream, vile. Mint is fine, as is chocolate, but not together. Aero is particularly bad as MrsH likes to populate the choccystash with it. Orange Aero no good either, but less bad.

Wilburt I also had the headwind hell on Sunday and noticed how good hands on hoods and forearms flat was when compared to sitting up and swearing at the wind or going along on the drops. MrBlobby loving the STW science explaining why!

I bought a Protone and instantly started getting top 10’s.

More than likely a coincidence of course, but love the thing now.

And yeah, very comfy 🙂