A lesson in aerodynamics

The wind in the hair (under a toque), the feeling of forward movement (as the skin freezes), the beautiful scenery (it was dark) yep it was the first winter night ride and even with the clicks in the against box it was better than being inside. It only took one ride for me to get fired up for the outdoor ride into the abyss. That's how it feels in the dark, unlike night riding during a 24 hour race, snow and ice covered roads don't show the same definition as summer time rides. It's just polished white.

This was yet another test of the OWR, and yet again it performed perfect. So perfect that it started to transform its self. Winter riding is anything but fast, cold dense air, strong winds, slow roads, heavy rider etc that average speeds are down right embarrassing if they were a summer time trial result. Well the OWR felt that there may be a better way to battle the dense air. Aerodynamics

First up came the front skirt that covered and integrated that brake and head tube. Yes the brakes still worked.


Just this alone shaved .000001 off the drag coefficient. I've seen the newest TT bikes and I'm not sure if they can adapt to the conditions as well as my 9 year old Giant.

Onto the next adaptation, in the rear the seat tube felt that by blending together with the seat stays air would come around the bike quicker. Yet again another .000001 drop.


I understand that Cervelo has spent a million trying to come up with this design, hmm yet again a 9 year old well used and abused Giant shows them up. Of course this could with the right rider become the fastest winter bike on the face of the planet, unfortunately that rider is not me. Just a 90 minute relatively flat ride around farmland. Some good base miles put in, while some say they are building the match book to put those matches in, I'm working on the matchbox. By the first 8 hour it will either be filled with matches or it will work well as a coffin. Hoping for option A.

I've yet to do the addition of man ride points to compete with the boys, so far I'm feeling it's not worth the effort. But when I do!!!