As a number of tri friends get into the thick of training for Coeur D'Alene there's lots of talk about aerodynamics and position on the bike. Their thinking gets me thinking about aerohelmets, water bottle placements, to Bento box, or not to Bento box, etc.
I came across this podcast about the MIT's Center for Sports Innovation wind tunnel testing results. It's a great adjunct to the article originally published in Bicycling Magazine. MIT cycling team member and triathlete Mark Cote explains the features of the wind tunnel, the testing, and results.
For me, this is the highlight of the podcast:
When Mark was asked if he would give up power gains or aerodynamics he said he'd give up power. He explained, if you gain 40 watts in power over a season, you may lose 28-30 watts of that gain overcoming drag. OTOH, a 10-15% in aerodynamics is very real--free speed. Said Mark, it's "the biggest edge you can get. It's very real science."
