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Illusion of "aero" bike frames

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Illusion of "aero" bike frames

Old 09-30-19, 09:03 PM
  #51  
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Originally Posted by sheddle
Refuse to believe people think aero bikes look good, regardless of them working or not. Smh. Any time I see one of those UCI-illegal tri-bikes, I'm thankful that for all the bad the UCI has done, they at least spared us from those monstrosities.

What's next, Softrides and Y-frame Treks having cult followings? Nah, that'd never happen.
Zipp 2001, dude. Now that's a sexy beam bike.
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Old 09-30-19, 09:25 PM
  #52  
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Originally Posted by Boxkite
I bought 'aero' way back in ~1980 because of 'beauty'! I still have this frame and all of the components. The pic shows Campagnolo pedals but some super lightweight Vittoria pedals were put on it for the 'Nth' degree of weight savings. (get your hands off my donut!) Unfortunately, the rubber covers for the Modolos have perished. I will try to figure a way to make repros.


That bike is so light it has to be tethered to the floor, otherwise it will float away!
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Old 09-30-19, 09:53 PM
  #53  
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
Didnt Zipp have dimpled carbon rims? I saw a video where some guy 'proved' the dimples were in the wrong location to be useful.
I have no idea if he is correct or a moron, hence the 'proved'.
Didnt seem to take off
This one?


I believe he works for Airbus (in aerodynamics) so he's probably better qualified than anyone here.
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Old 09-30-19, 10:00 PM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by smarkinson
I believe he works for Airbus (in aerodynamics) so he's probably better qualified than anyone here.
You never know. You might be right.
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Old 09-30-19, 10:04 PM
  #55  
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Originally Posted by smarkinson
This one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8TZwJGrvFY

I believe he works for Airbus (in aerodynamics) so he's probably better qualified than anyone here.
Ha, yup. He was entertaining in his rambling inbetween points.
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Old 09-30-19, 10:28 PM
  #56  
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
Didnt Zipp have dimpled carbon rims? I saw a video where some guy 'proved' the dimples were in the wrong location to be useful.
I have no idea if he is correct or a moron, hence the 'proved'.
Didnt seem to take off
They're marketing called it "micro-vortex shedding."

Enve wheels are pretty fast without dimples.
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Old 09-30-19, 10:38 PM
  #57  
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Originally Posted by Shrevvy
That bike is so light it has to be tethered to the floor, otherwise it will float away!
That's one way to take a pic with your toeclip pedals right side up...
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Old 10-01-19, 04:07 AM
  #58  
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Originally Posted by fuji_owner
You can more likely gain the touted effects of aero frames more by making the drive train and chain stays stiffer for more power transfer, and choosing tires with lower rolling resistance.
I do that. And I have an aero frame. And aero handlebars. It all adds up.
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Old 10-01-19, 05:14 AM
  #59  
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Originally Posted by rubiksoval
I do that. And I have an aero frame. And aero handlebars. It all adds up.
Yep.
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Keep the chain tight!







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Old 10-01-19, 06:44 AM
  #60  
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Originally Posted by Shrevvy
That bike is so light it has to be tethered to the floor, otherwise it will float away!
It must have helium in the tubes.
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Old 10-01-19, 07:58 AM
  #61  
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Originally Posted by Kimmo
Zipp 2001, dude. Now that's a sexy beam bike.
no thanks, I'll stick with the Huffy Aerowind, the only scientifically proven bike to provide maximum marginal gains



phwoar, must have been made by that Cervelo von Vroom guy
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Old 10-01-19, 08:02 AM
  #62  
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"Wow! Padded Turkey Levers, just like the pros use!"

I love the Adamas brakes, they're like little Campy Deltas.
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Old 10-01-19, 08:10 AM
  #63  
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Originally Posted by smarkinson
This one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8TZwJGrvFY

I believe he works for Airbus (in aerodynamics) so he's probably better qualified than anyone here.
I've brought this up before, he's smart but there's been some questions about the integrity of some of the testing.

He had a huge wheel shootout topic on Slowtwich that went dozens of pages deep and all sorts of weird stuff happening.

I can't say I can follow his stuff after watching that topic unfold.
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Old 10-01-19, 08:16 AM
  #64  
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Originally Posted by burnthesheep
I've brought this up before, he's smart but there's been some questions about the integrity of some of the testing.
I'd say it went beyond "some questions." It's pretty clear the data from the wheel shootout was either manipulated or just plain made up.
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Old 10-01-19, 04:32 PM
  #65  
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Originally Posted by burnthesheep
Even slow TT'ers will go downhill at some point at more than 30mph.
Hell, a slow road rider, riding solo on Arden Hill Rd in Harriman SP in NY spent some time in the mid 40s earlier today.
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Old 10-02-19, 06:26 AM
  #66  
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Exactly. My point being that everyone goes downhill at some point. So you can go really really fast (air speed, not ground speed). Meaning, the weakest rider imaginable can have measurable times spent in rides at speeds where aero matters a LOT.

I remember my commute to and from work when I traveled to France for 3 weeks. Luckily, the way to work was all downhill into the river valley from Nancy. So no sweaty worker showing up. But, with flappy work clothes I couldn't nearly hit the speeds I could in a race fit kit. Also, it was my cross bike and not my roadie. So slower still. It was also straight enough most parts you could have gone faster.

One morning a pure roadie in road kit caught me going downhill and in one part I was having to put out appreciable power while that guy wasn't even pedaling!

Of course the way home was all uphill. Lol. That took a bit longer.
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Old 10-02-19, 06:35 AM
  #67  
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No one mentioned headwinds yet.
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Old 10-04-19, 06:48 PM
  #68  
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Originally Posted by nomadmax
Please mail me four replacement paper towels that I used for cleaning coffee off my screen

As to the original topic. OP, when you get to cycling heaven, ask Laurent Fignon if he thinks the "aero thing" is a scam. (note the aero frame)

That's Greg LeMond in the picture!
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Old 10-04-19, 07:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Boxkite
That's Greg LeMond in the picture!
You are correct. That IS Greg Lemond in the final stage of the 1989 TDF; a time trial. I'll give you three guesses who he made time on and beat; winning the overall victory. He gained those seconds with aero bars and an aero frame (pictured).

Hence the photo of Greg and my comment to ask Laurent Fignon if the aero advantage is real or imagined. (Which is the subject of this thread)

Later that year, Greg snatched the World Professional Road Race gold medal from Laurent (his former teammate). Laurent has since passed on and when I spoke to Greg in June of this year he spoke highly of him.

In my opinion, the 1989 TDF was one of the best in history and ushered in the aero advantage on a much larger scale then ever before.

Last edited by nomadmax; 10-04-19 at 07:07 PM.
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Old 10-04-19, 07:10 PM
  #70  
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That's easy... Fignon! That is still the closest TDF to this day, right?
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Old 10-04-19, 07:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Boxkite
That's easy... Fignon! That is still the closest TDF to this day, right?
Yes

8 seconds because of aero advantage.
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Old 10-05-19, 05:08 AM
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Didn't someone figure out that if Fignon had tied his hair back he'd have won?
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Old 10-05-19, 05:14 AM
  #73  
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Originally Posted by Kimmo
Didn't someone figure out that if Fignon had tied his hair back he'd have won?
He did have his hair tied back.
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Old 10-05-19, 07:03 AM
  #74  
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Originally Posted by nomadmax
You are correct. That IS Greg Lemond in the final stage of the 1989 TDF; a time trial. I'll give you three guesses who he made time on and beat; winning the overall victory. He gained those seconds with aero bars and an aero frame (pictured).

Hence the photo of Greg and my comment to ask Laurent Fignon if the aero advantage is real or imagined. (Which is the subject of this thread)

Later that year, Greg snatched the World Professional Road Race gold medal from Laurent (his former teammate). Laurent has since passed on and when I spoke to Greg in June of this year he spoke highly of him.

In my opinion, the 1989 TDF was one of the best in history and ushered in the aero advantage on a much larger scale then ever before.
AND if only had Laurent been on a similar bike with helmet could the 8 seconds been reversed ???

Last edited by OldTryGuy; 10-06-19 at 03:51 AM.
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Old 10-05-19, 07:06 AM
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And if he won the Tour de France, he could have gotten together with Lady Diana, not died of cancer, and today he'd be a KING!
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