Aero Testing - The Process

Love it or hate it, aerodynamics and "aero" testing is becoming a huge part of the sport of cycling. The small margins in performance are not only being seen at the elite level but now also on the UK domestic scene. Yes we expect things to move on, but to try and provide an example. In this day and age to qualify for the British Cycling National Track Championships in the 4-kilometre IP you are required to be bettering Gold medal times of the 1992 Olympics set by Chris Boardman, and further to fight for a medal you would in fact have to beat the Gold medal time of the recent 2016 Rio Olympics..

Does this mean we're all becoming elite level athletes? No, but the goalposts are ever changing and to stay in touch you have to keep moving with it.

Aerodynamics and Aero Testing, what is it?

For as far back as sport goes people have always been studying and looking at ways to improve performance. This has resulted in a tonne of literature around specific training interventions, nutrition, recovery, psychology, equipment and more recently enter aerodynamics. As athletes, we are always aiming to improve the above, find advances in our training, improve our nutrition and recovery and work on our motivation and psychological aspects of our event - thats a given. These are all long scale processes, finding for example 10 watts on your threshold power may require a 12- month well structured and implemented training plan. But with aerodynamics its a bit different, a 10-watt improvement (or in this case saving) in theory can be found in a few minutes..

A good way to understand physical performance using a quote that has stuck with me, taken from Dan Bigham book, Start at the End - how reverse engineering can lead to success (a must read). Is that..

"Looking at the event from the point of view of physics, it all comes down to energy. A rider has energy stored in his body. He transmits energy into the pedals to propel the bike forward. This is what we call 'power in'. The principle ways in which power is lost are riding through air (air resistance), rolling resistance (the tyres on the track) and drive-train friction (the friction of the chain on the chainring and sprocket). This is 'power out'.

Now as athletes we all aim to arrive at our priority event in what we hope is our 'peak shape', or what time has allowed us to train for our specific event. We cannot change this once we're there, the work has been done and we accept that. What we can change is how we use the energy we have most efficiently. By maximising small aerodynamic components along with rolling resistance and drive-train efficiencies may allow us to find the small advantages needed to beat our opponents.

Back to Aero Testing

As a coach and athlete myself, maximising my own and my riders 'power in' is my priority, these are things I can control and finding ways I can improve my own and my athletes physical output is the number 1 goal. However, maximising other elements is also key for performance.

I recently attended Derby Arena Velodrome to perform a 3-hour block of 'aero testing' with WattShop . Their goal is to take what you have, and make you quicker, it's as simple as that.

Due to my lifestyle and my work commitments I am constantly striving for a balance, maximising my training around my career. So having the chance to save myself some power that may be lacking in my physical performance is pivotal to my success.

The Process

If aero testing is something you've looked into in the past or are thinking about recommending to your athletes then I cannot recommend WattShop enough. I am am independent rider, and therefore can run any gear or branded kit I like (within the constraints of the UCI limits). This isn't always possible granted, team sponsors often constrain a rider to a certain skin suit or helmet configuration. However, improvements can still be made in other areas not just by changing kit. Your position, the way you ride, hold your head and body, the changes in kit or interactions between different helmets and body positions - they can all make considerable differences.

The aero testing process at WattShop involves a series of 8-lap runs on a consistent pace. After each run you make small adjustments from the previous run until you've collated a multitude of precise evidence. This then allows you to find which position, equipment or combination of, works quickest for you! What works for someone does not always correlate to the next person, and therefore it is very specific to each rider and bike combination.

I have been fortunate enough to aero test on two occasions and both times have found considerable improvements - improvements I would not be able to make to my physiology to overcome the dreaded air resistance. Not only this, but testing has also allowed me to definitively tell whether something "feels" faster or is genuinely faster - it really doesn't lie. This can often save a lot of guesswork and money. Jamie from Wattshop comes with a variety of options to test, this allows you to essentially "try" before you buy. If it makes you quicker then you have the option to purhcahse these. However, and most importantly there is no ego, no pressure to purchase anything and if something doesn't make you quicker then you don't need it. These tests, all-be it not accessible for everyone, have really taken my performance to the next level and have saved myself a huge amount of guesswork.

So the point of this article isn't necessarily to say go and do aero testing. The point is that whatever sport you're competing in, or sport your athletes compete in, there are often many over looked ways of improving performance. Taking away ego and tradition can really pave the way for forward thinking and it is the process behind that is key to success!!