Wind Tunnel Considerations

There is a wind tunnel opening in the Cincinnati area. I passed their information to my friend Kathy Krumme, bike fit expert at Oakley Cycles. I thought that her comments on the wind tunnel were very informative. Here they are: The main things to consider outside of pure aerodynamics if you are really trying to produce performance improvements are: Is the position viable from a bio-mechanical standpoint ? Can power be generated effectively? Is the position sustainable for the athlete's flexibility/range of motion and race distance? (10 mile quite different than IM 112 miles) Is the rider a TT specialist or triathlete? This would matter as the ride position affects the run performance quite a bit. (you don't want to improve the bike split while increasing run time....) Is testing being done at the individual cyclist's race pace? Deep dish wheels/frames etc. at 20mph are quite different in a crosswind than at 30mph. Apparent wind angles are critical to consider, especially for slower athletes, as aero frames/wheels/etc may slow down a slower rider in cross winds. (see above) If the rider is a TT specialist, does the physical set up of the bike meet UCI regulations? I would buy the jig and have it there. Test rider with their race day gear including helmet, skinsuit, shoe covers, etc. I would suggest doing this in tandem with an experienced, certified bike fitter who has perhaps already done the fitting on the cyclist and could offer input on the affect of changes made for aero advantage to kinematic patterns. If you are making changes, to bar position, do you have a bike mechanic on hand? I would suggest having a selection of as many aero helmets as possible, as they can make a big impact on aerodynamics for a relatively low cost ONLY if they line up with the athlete's back properly. If you really want to be fancy/use power measurement and heart rate in conjunction with the wind tunnel, keeping in mind that the athlete is not adapted to the new position Going to a more aero position often results in a decreas in power/increase in heart rate, so again, while more aero, it may not make the athlete faster! Finding the balance/tipping point results in the best outcome for the athlete. For faster riders, the power decrease, elevated HR may not outweigh the aerodynamic benefit and be worth suffering for speed. Consider the race distance of the athlete. An athlete may adapt to and tolerate a very aero position for a 10mile to 40 k tt, but an Iron Man distance triathlete would NOT benefit from that position no matter how elite/fast from a physiological standpoint. The athlete is the biggest variable in any testing like this because they are ever-changing organic creatures with a brain..- if they sit up twice during a race, it may counter the aero advantage. If they think the position isn't right, they might not try as hard. They wake up with a little bit different range of motion each day. From nearly 20 years in bike fitting, I have learned that there is no magic millimeter, but a range within an athlete moves and performs well.