How much faster? (Page 3)

supa-powa - 2009-06-22 4:19 PM Craig Alexander and Chrissy Wellington didn't use aero helmets.... Who won Kona last year?

rayd - 2009-06-22 1:35 PM

of course someone will be faster with than without!  my point is I would rather spend the time training than buying more equipment...the return just isn't worth it to me to move up maybe one or to AG spots.  nothing wrong if someone wants to invest the money...lots do!  I'm just not one of them. 

Donskiman - 2009-06-22 2:03 PM

rayd, you and I are fairly similar in ability. The reason I have a tri-bike now is a tri club friend was getting rid of his bike for a low price. I'm not totally convinced I'm any faster. However, my road bike is so old now that getting parts is difficult.

I did the 5430 sprint yesterday and I passed a bunch of people just like always, but it seemed like everyone who passed me had a disc and an aero helmet. I was also a bit sore from a 10K the day before so both my bike and run weren't as fast as they should have been. No doubt that most of the people passing me also trained much more so the fact they all seemed to have disc and aero helmets was just coincidence.

It seems like a bunch of people also are using some sort of power meter. Again, no doubt it would be nice to have, but well beyond what I'm willing to pay.

Speaking of bike computers, the one I have is mounted on the top of the stem and when I'm riding aero it's under my chest where I can't even see it. Where are people mounting these things where they can be easily seen when riding aero?

JorgeM - 2009-06-22 1:47 PM Of course the engine it IS the most important thing to work on; at races and in training I always get to see a lot of Ferrari type looking bikes (IOW super expensive, fast, aero looking) with the engine of a 1980 Toyota tercel

That been said, if you can afford aero goods there is no reason not to use those in addition to working on the engine as they will make you faster. You can save some energy (riding with less power) by going at the same speed or going faster at the same power. how much? It will depend on the investment which of course that's another thing to conider. Is it a good ROI? well, that depends for each person I guess.

You can get a great aero bang for your back without spending too much $$$, the key things IMO are:

1) Bike fit; your body acounts for up to 60-70% of the total drag when riding. Having a proper bike fit will allow you ride comfortable, generate power and slice through the air.
2) Low Crr Tires; something like Bontrager xxx lite, TT wings or Michellin Pro with latex tubes can offer great time savings. Tubies also work but the Crr can be great or bad depending on the glue and to maximize low Crr you pretty much have to glue them very well which can create a problem if you flat on a race. Pick whatever you prefer.
3) Aero wheels; you can get good deals on ebay/craig list and you don't need much. A 60+ mm front (or tri spoke) plus a deep rim back with an aero cover or a regular wheel w/ disc cover. This combo should suit most racing needs.
4) Aero Helmet; having a helmet that complements your bike fit can help diminish your CdA even more.

Work on the engine, work on the things above (if you can/want) and you should be faster... 

JorgeM - 2009-06-22 1:47 PM Of course the engine it IS the most important thing to work on; at races and in training I always get to see a lot of Ferrari type looking bikes (IOW super expensive, fast, aero looking) with the engine of a 1980 Toyota tercel

That been said, if you can afford aero goods there is no reason not to use those in addition to working on the engine as they will make you faster. You can save some energy (riding with less power) by going at the same speed or going faster at the same power. how much? It will depend on the investment which of course that's another thing to conider. Is it a good ROI? well, that depends for each person I guess.

You can get a great aero bang for your back without spending too much $$$, the key things IMO are:

1) Bike fit; your body acounts for up to 60-70% of the total drag when riding. Having a proper bike fit will allow you ride comfortable, generate power and slice through the air.
2) Low Crr Tires; something like Bontrager xxx lite, TT wings or Michellin Pro with latex tubes can offer great time savings. Tubies also work but the Crr can be great or bad depending on the glue and to maximize low Crr you pretty much have to glue them very well which can create a problem if you flat on a race. Pick whatever you prefer.
3) Aero wheels; you can get good deals on ebay/craig list and you don't need much. A 60+ mm front (or tri spoke) plus a deep rim back with an aero cover or a regular wheel w/ disc cover. This combo should suit most racing needs.
4) Aero Helmet; having a helmet that complements your bike fit can help diminish your CdA even more.

Work on the engine, work on the things above (if you can/want) and you should be faster... 

Donskiman - 2009-06-22 3:13 PM

Thanks for the tips.

I've already had my bike professionally fit. The other things I have not done.

So assuming I get low Crr tires, a disc cover and an aero helmet - how much faster? On my old road bike there was a huge gain by simply adding aerobars - easily 2-3 MPH. All these other things cost substantially more, yet I'm getting the sense they don't have such a dramatic benefit.