Part 2 Aero Test
Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 09:55PM As I am always a glutton for punishment and my curiosity gets the better of me, I decided to take out my P3 time trial bike to Sherwood and test what an aero position would do for the 2.75lap test.
Although conditions were windy and did not lend to a fast split, or consistent testing, I figured I would give it a go.
The results are amazing really. Same power profile, same course, same clothing and helmet (sans wind jacket of course), only difference was the use of a P3 and slightly more aero front wheel.
Speed was 28.2mph and time to complete the course was 5min flat. In fact the speeds achieved on the course were so much faster that I couldn’t even hold constant power through the corners. God help me if I had my full aero kit on :)
All of these gains are simply due to putting my body into a classic time trial position. That’s over 2mph faster (over 10% improvement)! Does this mean that we should all run out and get a time trial bike? Well that would be great for our TARGETRAINING bottom line, but the lesson learned is that we have great power in how we affect our cycling performance on multiple fronts. By spending a little effort on specifics be it aero drag, developing training zones, tracking training performance or setting goals, we can achieve great things with a little well placed energy.
That’s what we at TARGETRAINING are here to help with. Our clients are a rare and special group with great drive and aspirations which we are fortunate to help flow that enthusiasm in the right direction.
Reader Comments (1)
It also reveals the importance of bike fit and proper equipment (namely saddle selection). Your TT bike is only fast when you are in your TT position. Sit up on your pursuit bar, and you might as well be on a road bike. That 10% savings is only realized when your position is correct and sustainable.