Originally Posted by
carleton
Super D, the real bang for the buck in terms of things that definitely make one faster are:
- Skinsuit
- Bike fit with focus on aerodynamics
- Helmet
- Shoe booties
- (certain) Aero Front wheel (Zipp 808 seems to be the best verified bang for the buck)
4 of those 5 relate to one's body. The body composes 90% of the things that make drag. The aero front wheel is most of that remaining 10%.
The frame is mostly just the platform on which everything is attached. It must be stable. A frame being aero is only a small bonus when compared to the entire package.
Sounds very similar to what I learned about time trialing, funny how those pesky laws of physics work!
It would be interesting to see for a given rider, with all of the elements you mentioned, which frame designs are additive in terms of aerodynamics in some meaningful way. And, for the same rider, which frames provide other advantages beyond aerodynamics, whatever measurable factors those may be. As you rightly pointed out, having an ultra stiff frame which can transmits energy from a massively strong sprinter isn't necessary for someone who doesn't put out that level of power.