I came back to Time Trialling around 2009 using my Trek Madone road bike. I was slower than I was when I was 16. I started to look at way to get faster without spending too much money. That worked up to a point but I soon got bitten by the bug and started to “invest” …
We have seen some dramatic developments in extension design in the past 12 months. A team mate of mine did some experimentation with foam and heat shrink. I copied him using balsa wood (!)
I wanted to compare the CdA of my current “tall and narrow” position to the low position that I used in the 2014 season, to see if it would be worthwhile doing another six months, over the winter, re-adapting to a low riding position.
I hadn’t had the opportunity to test the Met Drone against the Race 8 until recently. I did one set of tests before our club circuit TT last Wednesday and another set of tests today. The results were consistent within the margin of error.
My 51 P3C was getting a bit scruffy, it was time for a re-finishing. Here are some details of the changes and components used to set the bike up for the 2019 TT season.
Now available without the need to email …. … and if you are wondering what the illustration is, one of the bar end plugs is a dummy and the other is a toggle switch for my eTap rear mech., both cables are in the same extension, therefore no need for an exposed cable to the blip box.
Having done extensive “Open Area Testing” at multiple venues, and cross-calibrated them, I’ve always wanted to validate my field-testing results directly with results from a wind tunnel session. The Wind Tunnel at the Boardman Performance Centre has made this more affordable, so I booked a session.
If you go to an event and observe the riders on time trial machines you will see a wide range of front end positions. Getting the most efficient position for both aero performance and power production is the Holy Grail. In this post I attempt to give some structure to the process of finding that position ….
I book a three hour slot at Newport Velodrome once or twice a year, and use the data to validate my “open field” test results and to refine options. In this session I was benchmarking a 54 P3 with a new configuration of bars and wheels. In parallel I tested some shoe and helmet combinations.
Those that have read the Aerolab User Guide will have noted the requirements to set the air density, or Rho, as it is termed, and also set the Coefficient of Rolling Resistance, or Crr.