How much time can an aero test save?
Is it even worth it?
What is aero testing?
Aerodynamic testing involves evaluating your equipment and position to determine the most efficient combination. Aerodynamics can be unpredictable, as the optimal gear for one setup may not be the best for another. Visiting a wind tunnel can be highly valuable if you have a clear goal. You'll obtain precise data on any changes you make, allowing for accurate measurements. This precision means you can return six months later to measure the same values, enabling you to track aerodynamic improvements over a season or even multiple seasons.
Here at Venturi Dynamics, you can get an aero test from just £500 per hour making us one of the best value aero testers on the market. Alongside the time in the wind tunnel, we also offer access to our unique proprietary software platform where you can take advantage of the data from the tunnel and any subsequent aero tests you do - with us or otherwise. Contact us here for more information.
How much time will an aero test save me?
Aero testing can save you a lot of time. We have data below from a Venturi Dynamics aero test done recently. We can see the rider’s CdA went from 0.2531 to 0.2287 during the course of the aero test. This is a saving of around 10% over the course of the two hour testing session.
The first run we did with this athlete gave them a cda of 0.2531. Over the course of the two hour testing period, we got this down to 0.2287.
What does all of this mean in context?
Aero testers talk about watts and CdA all the time, but these things are complicated and need to be put into context (even if you understand them). Ultimately, time trials and triathlon performances live and die by the clock so we need to know how these numbers in the wind tunnel might translate to time on the road.
Here at Venturi Dynamics we make extensive use of myWindsock - trusted market leaders in real world cycling performance analytics.
Your own personal aerodynamics are not the only thing that impacts your speed at any given moment on the road - the weather has a strong part to play with wind direction, air density and more contributing. Here at Venturi Dynamics we make extensive use of myWindsock - trusted market leaders in this area, to turn the data we measure in the tunnel into information for you to use out on the road. Let’s take a look at the difference between a CdA of 0.2531 and 0.2287 on a 50 mile time trial course - a similar distance to an Ironman 70.3 and a common time trial race distance in the UK.
At a power of 300W, for a system weight of 80kg, we can see a saving of 3 and a half minutes has been achieved over 80km just from changes made in the aero test. Predominantly, this aero advantage came from the result of low and no cost changes (such as positional changes, bottle placement or minor equipment adjustments like aero socks) and the amount of money spent on the aero test put into equipment is unlikely to yield similar gains.
If you’re interested in booking a test with the only aerodynamics consultancy with ongoing post test support and a software platform to allow you to get the most out of your numbers - click here!