Originally Posted by
carleton
For example, Sarah Hammer, one of the best ever...if not the best ever pursuiter, rides with very wide elbows which is very contrary to what you'd see at the world level for Road TT or Triathlons
I would be shocked if that position has actually tested more aero for her compared to having the elbows in more narrow.
Generally speaking narrower is faster from an aerodynamics standpoint. Bringing the elbows in
too far can actually be counter-productive, particularly for riders who are wider through the hips and shoulders. But for most people, bringing them in narrow enough so that the arms line up in front in the thighs will be fastest.
I've noticed more riders with wide elbows on the track. I think it must be a stability issue, where they're just not comfortable through the turns with a narrower position (getting the elbows narrow does make the bike handling worse).