So it’s better to avoid the wind than overpower it…
So it’s better to avoid the wind than overpower it…
There are two facets to this. Firstly, as shown on the previous page, drag increases as the cube of the velocity does, so if you want to double your speed, your have to produce eight times as much power (providing your position on the bike remains the same and all other things remain equal).
Secondly, if you want to avoid the wind, it really is you and not the bike that needs to get out of the way. The rider accounts for between 70-80% of the frontal area of the bike/rider system as a whole, and that means that, basically, no matter how aerodynamic and efficient your bike is, if you want to maximise your efficiency you need to improve your position on the bike, which is why time trial bikes enable riders to hold much higher speeds for longer than conventional road bikes.
“It all comes down to efficiency,” explains Dr Marshall. “If you can ride at a given speed while producing significantly less power by avoiding the oncoming air – either by improving your own aerodynamics at the head of the peloton, or riding a TT bike, or by sitting on someone else’s wheel – then why wouldn’t you? There are fairly simple ways to reduce drag and improve efficiency whereas to generate more power requires a lot of hard work!
“The rider is by far the largest part of the aerodynamic drag and because of this anything the rider can do to improve matters – while still being able to maintain an efficient pedalling position that doesn’t hurt power output too much – will be more beneficial than changing a frame.”