Aero Bling: How I'll Spend Your Money

Since my Google-Fu was working today, I found some firm estimates to help everyone with their $/Watt travails.

First, here's an article you'll hear about over and over, How Aero is Aero? IMO, the article gets it all right in the broad strokes. My one reservation is that they compare a Tarmac to a Transition in their matrix, so someone with an aero road bike like the new Specialized, the Felt AR or the Talon will be somewhat better off. Body position to minimize cross-sectional area is most important, but aero bars, the design features of an aero bike, and helmet are quite significant... at least for the doped (iirc) pro tour caliber test rider.

But how should I spend your money if you don't always knock off 25mph  TTs? Here's one nice set of tables for wheels, bars, frame and fork at various power levels: Aerodynamics, what a drag. (cites from  ‘High Performance Cycling.’ ) 

The thing that's really nice about the above cite is that aero bling helps MOP and BOP riders. For example, aero wheels that save 0:50 for a 300W rider will save 1:13 for a 100W rider in a 40k TT.

Finally, what's the Biggest Bang for your Buck in Time Trial Equipment? This article is a nice compilation of a common citation for a really strong rider: drag, saved time, $/sec (edited). Nice chart...and we can estimate that similar time savings also occur at lower power levels.

The thing that made me laugh about all of this is the low ROI of an expensive rear disc that's perhaps 10X more expensive per Watt than a helmet (per the second link). But I want a disc. I really, really want a disc. Can I spend your money on one?