![]() ![]() The reply was simple: “Going fast is expensive!” Such were the days when the best way to verify speed gains was only by spending time in a wind tunnel, which is not cheap. We still recall asking a Specialized product manager at a Tour de France time trial a few years ago why they hadn’t made many changes to their TT bike over the previous year. Along with Steve Hed, Jim Felt helped pioneer a fusion of aero designs between road and triathlon bikes. And speaking of the influence of racers on the rest of us, one needn’t look any further than the current pro peloton to find riders (and already some production bikes) opting for narrower-width handlebars for the sole purpose of decreasing the rider’s frontal area no matter the impact on proper ergonomics or comfort. Think back to Greg LeMond snatching back eight seconds from Laurent Fignon to win the 1989 Tour de France, thanks in large part to the wild-looking Scott handlebars (designed by Boone Lennon) that exploded in sales after the race. Of course, as much as most recreational cyclists look favorably on being able to go faster in the wind, it’s the products used by racers vying for faster times who’ve always pushed consumer trends. ![]() “We still shudder thinking back to the days when a handful of big-name bike brands began mounting their rear brakes under the chainstays for some ill-conceived aero gain! Thankfully, that fad was a short-lived one.” We still shudder thinking back to the days when a handful of big-name bike brands began mounting their rear brakes under the chainstays for some ill-conceived aero gain! Thankfully, that fad was a short-lived one. ![]() Interestingly, for every sensible aero idea that’s come down the pike there’s been an equal number of silly ones that were quickly cast aside. Photo: TrekĪs contemporary as the aero craze may seem, the battle against the wind has been around for as long as cyclists have found themselves caught out in the wind, as in since day one! In short, as much as the industry now obsesses over integrated aero handlebar shapes and Kammtail frame tubes, cyclists have been searching for aero optimization for decades. Trek relied on both CFD and wind tunnel tests to prove the merits of its new IsoFlow frame design. Sure, we can all get geared up in the latest aero-refined products and claim they feel faster, but for most recreational cyclists, it’s almost impossible to really know if any combination of products is really offering any measurable advantage. And, what they all have in common is some level of alteration or compromise (versus non-aero parts) that is intended to obtain some mysterious aero advantage. Everything from helmets, kits, shoes, bikes, wheels and even water bottles have all played a role in the sport’s aero-palooza. Although we’ve all seen it coming, and it’s not really news, still, why has the huge push for aero suddenly seemed so front and center? As most of us have witnessed over the years, the bike industry has poured what seems like an endless stream of aero-optimized products into the market that’ve promised both marginal and magnificent gains. ![]()
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