Originally Posted by
Doge
I will look closer tomorrow. My initial reaction is 6W is a lab thing and not close to real outdoor situations with speeds of 40-60mph. I'd guess closer to 50W-100W equivalent. I have strava of a 130# 15 year old going 55mph on 52X14 gears (nationals) - because he wasn't using them - i.e. coasting. Nobody pedaling could keep up. The only kids going 55+ were coasting. I understand that a 53X11 might have made that different, but 6W is margin of error stuff.
The wind tunnel tests answer the question of whether pedaling adds appreciable drag with an otherwise identical position. 6W at 37 MPH and 20W at 55 aren't significant.
At a minimum in the real world, you'd tuck your knees against the top tube.
While many people would stop short of a pro's tuck, I can't see not getting lower when you don't pedal.
That sort of thing shows up in CFD models, wind tunnels, and just rolling past people still pedaling furiously.