Aerohelmets without race wheels for beginner-intermediates?

The two biggest things that I can do to get faster on the bike are:

a) Spend more time on my bike

b) Lose another 40 lbs of useless gut fat

I think that the two may be related, and losing the fat will help me pedal in aero without bruising my belly!

I mean, that's true for all of us. But if you're going to buy a little speed, the helmet is a cheap way to do that.

The study says that for the money there is more to be gained by getting an aero helmet compared to wheels.  The wheels are more of an aero advantage flat outright.

However, it is also rider specific as to whether or not they gain any real advantge from the helmet.  Hopefully Jeepfleeb will chime in as in the wind tunnel it was found that using a regular helmet for his position actually was more of an aero benefit to him specifically over a TT helmet.

And if you cannot hold your position and allow the aero benefits to take, it doesn't matter what goodies you have.

No way to figure that one out for sure ...... a good fitter can make an educated guess based on experience (FIST certified makes no difference .... I'm not FIST certified and no one has ever complained about my fittings).  But unless you go out and do field tests or wind tunnel analysis, you'll never know.

Just curious how you determined that ..........

In some of the local 10mile TTs that I've done all the top guys wear aero helmets but so do a lot of people who are further down the pack.  Just because you are not challenging for a podium spot doesn't mean you should feel like you can't use equipment that will make you faster.  I've just bought one myself so I hope it works.

Welcome to BT and keep up with the logging! 

I feel faster in my aero helmet! I bought my LG Prologue in 07 on Nashbar for 50% off and free shipping.  Not the best aero helmet by far, but I like how it feels position wise. I can keep my head in the best position on the aerobars because the tail of the helmet has some mass to it that helps balance my positioning.  Again, this is another sample of 1.

If you have the proper aero setup, percentage wise slower riders gain the most out of using aero equipment. I see you have a P2C, nice!  Besides riding more, I found doing a full body core workout made me stronger for increased aero riding comfort.

In prep for my Oly next weekend, I just started using the used lightweight 38mm carbon race wheels that I picked up last winter.  I don't know about judging the aero gains but the reduced weight factor is what I feel when climbing and accelerating.  So far I'm liking the ride feel of the carbon wheels vs my 06 Felt S22 Easton wheelset.

I can certainly understand the psychological part (I own a Giro Advantage II, so it is not like I'm knocking aero helmets), but the question you asked cannot really be answered.  I'd personally lean more towards the combination of them.  Better fitness from the prolonged rides and using both wheels and helmet.

I did the same 100+ mile ride 3 weeks in a row (twice one direction, once the opposite) in my LP build up and each week I got progressively faster.  Same bike, same sort of weather conditions, same nutrition.  No equipment changes at all.  By the 3rd ride I was up well over a 1/2 mph average with easier effort (I was not at all cooked at the end compared to the first one).

The best way to test is same conditions, same course, same day.  Flat out and back with about 10 miles total, power meter, HRM.  Add different aero gear, repeat after resting using the exact same sets of data (try to maintain same power and HR over extent of TT).  If the aero goodies work, you will see increase in average speed.

But who really wants to do all that testing??!!

Hey Willis!  I remember you from runnersworld.com message boards.  I haven't been on there since Dec/January - since I decided to become a triathlete.  

From all the research I've done, and like has been mentioned, the best "bang for the buck" aero advantage is an aero helmet.   Aero race wheels are ridiculously expensive (avg $1500 to $2500), whereas you can get a top of the line aero helmet for 150 bucks.  I like the way an aero helmet looks (I got a color that matches my tri uniform ) and when I'm racing and I'm screaming down a hill, I feel like the aero helmet definitely gives me an advantage over my regular helmet.  Some races I finish MOP (like my HIM) and some local races I finish top 15% - either way I wear my helmet with no shame.  

In training I wear my regular helmet and on Race Day it's an aero helmet, for me.  Even if you finish DFL, who cares what your helmet looks like - it's whether you like it.  And I highly doubt you will ever have the problem.  Your biggest problem (which is my biggest problem) will be devoting enough time to swimming and biking.  Rule of thumb is you should spend more time on your weaker disciplines and just maintain your strongest discipline - which is so tough to do.  Good Luck man!!  And just buy the aero helmet already.  

Aerohelmets do not make everyone faster. Don't assume it will make you faster.

Read or view the wind tunnel test that JeepFleep did...and he found I believe aerohelmet didn't improve his speed.

I have an aerohelmet and it doesn't make me faster but slower. I have power meter so I can compare one race or TT to another. I put out more power and am slower with aerohelmeton same course....coincidence or helmet difference? I do wonder if I slightly hold my head the wrong way.

I no longer use it but I do use my Zipp 404s.

Regarding the aero helmet. How effective are they for the basic MOP type who averages in the 16-18 mph range? (Not me) I had read they were a good investment too, BUT only as long as the person was capable of holding at least a 20+ average. Is it just a waste of money for a person not able to go that fast?

How does the benefit compare to a wheel cover?

The minimum speed you need to be traveliing before aerodynamics is affected is 1 MPH - if you are moving forward, then you will benefit from better aerodynamics. 

Overall, aerodynamic goodies properly applied help the MOP and BOP people more timewise than they do the FOP people.  Kind of counter-intuitive I know ........ But think if it this way.  If an aero helmet cuts your time by 2% (total random number, just making a point), in an IM the fastie 5 hour rider will get a savings of 6 minutes (.02 x 300 minutes).  But the 7 hour rider will lose 8.4 minutes off their time.

Obviously the less time you are on the course, the better.  Who cares what others say/think.  It is your purchase regardless.  AS LONG AS IT IS ACTUALLY GIVING YOU A BENEFIT.

I think that aero bars, wheels, and your fitness level are the three biggest factors in going fast on a time trial.  A time trial helmet will obviously reduce drag, but for the average triathlete, I suspect its benefit is limited. Intense interval training would most likely provide more benefit than the helmet. Just my two cents. 

Matt Cazalas
Technical Writer

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Rick - I'm no expert, but isn't your 2% figure actually not constant between the slower and faster athelete.  I thought that the faster you went the greater benefit you received from aero stuff (not greater time gain, just greater percentage efficiency gained).  In other words (these are random made up figures), and aero helmet may save me 0.5% at 10mph but 1.5% at 25mph.

If I remember back to physics drag is proportional to the square of speed. This may hold true for a brick but as shapes become more aero the square may decrease to some value less than X^2 like X^1 2/3. 

 In my case, I need to work on the engine then I'll chrome it all out. 

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