Have Campag discovered perpetual motion?

[PT1029]

I see from the UK Campag trade distributor's (Chicken Cycle Kit) news letter that the description of the new Campag Bora wheels (think aero spokes/deep V section aero carbon rims) includes the following :-

"But the most interesting feature is the new rim. They are aerodynamic in multiple Yaw angles, even in a 15 or 17 degree angle the wheels have a negative drag, effectively accelerating the wheels"

Anyone able to explain this wonderful discovery?

[KM2]

Maybe a bit like a sail effect.

[Brucey]

yes you can make deep section wheels behave like sails. However if you have ever been sailing you will know that the trim of the sail greatly affects the way the boat performs, and unless you are intending to 'tack' up every road, you won't be getting that (or indeed any) benefit for much of the time. Even if you do get a benefit you will also experience a side thrust that may make the bike difficult to steer. Thus in the real world the airflow is badly messed up by the time it gets to the rear wheel anyway and in any kind of reasonable crosswind breeze deep section rims are as likely to slow you down or to see you unable to steer in a straight line as they are to do anything else.

cheers

[drossall]

Could what Brucey said be summarised as, "The marketing people heard the engineers say something, and either didn't really understand it, or cherry-picked it."?

[Jamesh]

You can also if your a really clever cyclist use the tides to you advantage. I normally take a cafe break and wait for a fair tide (group of roadies) and hop into the favourable tide to the chosen harbour..... Don't try and out run the tide just sit on the back....!

[drossall]

Actually, that is the proof of perpetual motion machines. I've sat in an Audax bunch, freewheeling at 20mph and seemingly accelerating, with little pedalling for several miles. Maybe Campag are right after all

[pwa]

Is the ultimate cycling accessory a group of other cyclists to cycle in front of you?

[CliveyT]

You can also if your a really clever cyclist use the tides to you advantage. I normally take a cafe break and wait for a fair tide (group of roadies) and hop into the favourable tide to the chosen harbour..... Don't try and out run the tide just sit on the back....!

And there was me thinking you only ever travelled west to east, following the moon

[CliveyT]

Is the ultimate cycling accessory a group of other cyclists to cycle in front of you?

I always said that if I ever won the lottery (difficult seeing I don't play) then I would buy a tandem and get a chauffeur

[PT1029]

Hmm, as I suspected, not much in the way of convincing arguments emerged.
I guess sailing analogies are the closest. My test would be to mount one of these wheels so it is off the ground and free to spin (say on an upturned fork or some such) and see if it really would accelerate (with its "negative drag") when the wind blew, or when the wheel mount was moved along into the wind.
Anyone got one of these technical marvels (+/- a wind tunnel) to try it for us?
Back to pushing my drag ridden wheels around!

[Labrat]

Perpetual motion is nothing new for Campag - remember how inefficient their (Oh so impeccably beautiful) Delta brakes were

[PJ520]

Does perpetually going back to Campag for parts because no third party stuff fits count?