Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
People may be interested in this article. Basically drag of various types of luggage, position and clothes. Not a complete study, but some thought provoking stuff, if you want to shave some time or effort off your days in the saddle.
As for me, I won't be changing anything, but I now know I can blame my rear panniers for my 'relaxed' speed.
https://www.cyclingabout.com/fascinatin ... e-touring/
As for me, I won't be changing anything, but I now know I can blame my rear panniers for my 'relaxed' speed.
https://www.cyclingabout.com/fascinatin ... e-touring/
Re: Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
Very interesting.
Thanks for posting.
Jonathan
Thanks for posting.
Jonathan
Re: Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
He also did an analysis of the effect of weight (which we discussed on here some while back). This is his intro:
Personally I just lower the gears!
This was his conclusion:Before I started this testing, I felt that the effects of weight were blown out of proportion. Some people spend huge amounts of money on lightweight bikes and gear with the idea that it will make their tours easier or faster. Some people even leave gear at home that can significantly improve the comfort of their bike trip.
The idea behind this testing is to quantify weight into time. That way we can be more rational about our gear choices!
I haven't read your link yet so I'm interested to see if he comes to the same conclusion about aerodynamics but I think he believes wind resistance to be much more important than weight.A little bit of extra weight isn’t that significant in terms of time.
A handful of kilograms is not going to impact your tour significantly. It will add a few minutes to your daily ride time only.
Personally I just lower the gears!
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
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Re: Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
Folks interested in applying aerodynamic principles to cycle touring might recall that the launch of Moulton's spaceframe in the guise of the AM model attracted a modest range of accessories taking advantage of the design. These included a fairing sold as the Zzipper, which appears to be still available for most cycle frame designs - see here.
And although touring it is clearly not, the fully-faired AM developed by Doug Milliken and ridden by Jim Glover, took the World Speed Record for a cycle ridden in the conventional postion in 1985 and again in 1986 - a record which still stands - see here. The message appears to be that fairings clearly do work if you want to hurry along. However, half the point of touring by bike for me, I think, is just being able to potter.
And although touring it is clearly not, the fully-faired AM developed by Doug Milliken and ridden by Jim Glover, took the World Speed Record for a cycle ridden in the conventional postion in 1985 and again in 1986 - a record which still stands - see here. The message appears to be that fairings clearly do work if you want to hurry along. However, half the point of touring by bike for me, I think, is just being able to potter.
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
Re: Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
Back in the 1980s I used a ZZipper fairing for a while (it eventually got stolen). I found the biggest advantage was when riding in temperatures below freezing in winter - the fairing made a big difference in minimising the windchill. Here it is on our tandem on a winter ride somewhere in the NSW Southern Highlands:
And here's some largely home-made over-the-top streamlining from the same era. Besides the obvious streamlining, note the back-to-front mudguard over the front wheel and the faired DT and derailleur. It worked, too - I was able to chop about six minutes off my 40km TT time on that machine vs the standard drop bar road bike of the time. You could only take that setup out on absolutely still mornings, though. Even a fairly gentle sidewind made the bike quite dangerous to ride.
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Re: Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
Is the aero frame tubular aluminium and a silly question but the fabric stretched over it is lycra type or similar?NickJP wrote: ↑14 May 2021, 9:28am Back in the 1980s I used a ZZipper fairing for a while (it eventually got stolen). I found the biggest advantage was when riding in temperatures below freezing in winter - the fairing made a big difference in minimising the windchill. Here it is on our tandem on a winter ride somewhere in the NSW Southern Highlands:
Scan-110321-0053.jpg
And here's some largely home-made over-the-top streamlining from the same era. Besides the obvious streamlining, note the back-to-front mudguard over the front wheel and the faired DT and derailleur. It worked, too - I was able to chop about six minutes off my 40km TT time on that machine vs the standard drop bar road bike of the time. You could only take that setup out on absolutely still mornings, though. Even a fairly gentle sidewind made the bike quite dangerous to ride.
Scan-120904-0002.jpg
Re: Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
Fantastic - the kind of post that makes this forum worthwhile!NickJP wrote: ↑14 May 2021, 9:28am Back in the 1980s I used a ZZipper fairing for a while (it eventually got stolen). I found the biggest advantage was when riding in temperatures below freezing in winter - the fairing made a big difference in minimising the windchill. Here it is on our tandem on a winter ride somewhere in the NSW Southern Highlands:
Scan-110321-0053.jpg
And here's some largely home-made over-the-top streamlining from the same era. Besides the obvious streamlining, note the back-to-front mudguard over the front wheel and the faired DT and derailleur. It worked, too - I was able to chop about six minutes off my 40km TT time on that machine vs the standard drop bar road bike of the time. You could only take that setup out on absolutely still mornings, though. Even a fairly gentle sidewind made the bike quite dangerous to ride.
Scan-120904-0002.jpg
I'm really not surprised by the windchill benefits, it's something I've long pondered.
(Did they let you race that machine? I'm pretty sure it breaks CTT rules but I couldn't quote the exact reg. Either way, a great experiment! )
Re: Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
Like the punchlinesimonhill wrote: ↑13 May 2021, 7:37pm People may be interested in this article. Basically drag of various types of luggage, position and clothes. Not a complete study, but some thought provoking stuff, if you want to shave some time or effort off your days in the saddle.
As for me, I won't be changing anything, but I now know I can blame my rear panniers for my 'relaxed' speed.
https://www.cyclingabout.com/fascinatin ... e-touring/
Or alternatively, we could all just ride aerodynamically-superior recumbent bicycles.
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Re: Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
The opposite was also true, I remember very hot hands in hot weather .
And streamline in a headwind is one thing, but how the rig reacts to sidegusts or wind coming in at an angle is also important. Sailing along with a push from behind is nice, having a fight trying to keep to a line with every passing truck not so much
Re: Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
The baggy clothes (5% slower) is a surprise but in warmer places I find the air movement effect of baggy clothes a great benefit (something I'd accept 5% on). Of course there are degrees of baggy clothes and I tend to wear lycra shorts and a baggy polo shirt which would probably be a lower impact than e.g. baggy jeans and baggy long sleeved sweatshirt.
Ian
Ian
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Re: Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
The results are interesting, but a bit crude I think. For me, apart from avoiding baggy clothes, it still begins with a reduction in what you take: reduce weight and volume of your luggage at the same time. It is also clear that large panniers are a bad idea, and that is in fact something you notice when you ride into the wind. However, if you reduce your luggage enough, small front or rear panniers will be enough, and I would bet that with their smaller front area they are far more aerodynamic than large ones. And the benefit from a narrow saddle bag is unlikely to be very different from that of a small tent along the length of the top of a rear rack. And notice that a bar bag and mudguards impose no meaningful drag penalty.
Re: Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
It's an interesting article, and not one I thought I'd ever see. For me the issue is not aerodynamics in normal conditions (I don't care about that, it's not significant enough), it's when you have to ride for day after day into a howling headwind, which I've done quite a few times. Whilst labouring at barely walking speed I've looked down at my front panniers (usually rears mounted on front low riders) and wondered how much difference the extra frontal area was making - it seems quite a lot. But I've tried bikepacking bags and frankly in most situations I'd rather put up with the aerodynamic losses than those bags. What is nice to read is that the normal racing gear I wear when touring is making life easier - I only wear baggy gear when lycra would offend local sensibilities.
One link to your website is enough. G
Re: Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
PQ / Willem agree with both your posts!
Re: Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
Never tried to ride it in an actual organised TT - just took it out on a TT course that I'd ridden several times previously to see what difference it made.
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Re: Aerodynamics in Cycle Touring - If You Care
It was legal in HPV races, but did upset a lot of people