Tunnel Fun

And so I've returned from A2 with some new insight and some slightly alleviated fears, along with one or two issues to work out. There is much to discuss but unfortunately not nearly as much that I can share currently (for a couple of very different reasons) so I apologize in advance.

The first thing I have to lament is that before leaving home I decided it was time to cut off my Peter Sagan - like locks. My hope is that it did not have a Samson-like effect...

Just a picture of the first leg shave of the year...

I drove down to Rock Hill on Thursday morning to do some pre-testing on the track. These numbers would be very helpful in validation since we don't actually ride in a wind tunnel and there is always some fear that what we find "inside" doesn't translate as well to the real world. There is more to the story about testing on Thursday, but it's not for me to expand upon at this time... let's just say it was a learning experience and that there are some very exciting things just around the corner for aero nerds.

Unfortunately my wife had to stay in TN and work (somebody has to be responsible while the rest of us play) which left me pretty much stuck around the hotel and surrounding area for the rest of the day. I took the opportunity to catch up on some of my recovery and basically just sat around watching Youtube video's and checking Slowtwitch every hour or so until bedtime. Unfortunately the one thing I couldn't do was fall asleep... so I tossed and turned on and off until I thought it was "reasonable" to get up and start trying to turn hotel instant coffee into something drinkable. I was not terribly successful, but it did tide me over until the real coffee was brought out to enjoy.

Friday I spent the majority of the morning just wrenching everything on the bike and making sure that I had not forgotten anything important for the tunnel visit. The drive from Rock Hill to A2 was estimated to be about an hour, so in my typical anxious fashion I left with plenty of time to arrive at my scheduled time of 12:30... I left around 9:30

Needless to say I had plenty of time to kill in Mooresville when I arrived. I explored a nearby Starbucks (the same as every other Starbucks I'm afraid) and then found a deserted (literally... I was there almost an hour and was the only person/vehicle/lifeform around) park that I walked the perimeter of in a thinly veiled attempt at passing the time.

When I arrived at A2 I was greeted by Heath and Geoff. We walked through a basic outline of what I wanted to test and then started unloading my car of all the junk I had brought with me. For the course of the weekend (including some training) I had a disc rear, ghetto disc (cover) front, 5 spoke, 3 spoke, training tubulars front and rear, 3 aero helmets (Aerohead, Spec TT, Kask Bambino) two aerobars (USE Tula and 3T Brezza Nano) and some skinsuits (team short sleeve castelli, Bodypaint, Nopinz Supersuit) along with two boxes of tools/spare parts and my drop bars. Whew... There was not much room in the car!

I tested at low yaw (0 and 2.5°) for all my runs, with the sweeps only on the controls, as I was looking for track data. I won't bore you all with every run and how many watts it changed (most of my changes were very small.) but I will mention a couple of things that ended up surprising me.

Run #1

- A trispoke, 5 spoke and (again, rigged up) front disc were all very close at 0 (and 2.5) with the disc slightly edging the other two out. What was very impressive was that my 5 spoke is a no-name Chinese knock off wheel, although one everyone who has looked at it has been impressed with. It also measured pretty narrow (~20mm at the rim) and with a 19mm Evo Pista tire on it one would assume it'd be pretty good at low yaw. Actually, at 0 yaw I would have expected the disc to possibly do the worst simply because it had a 23mm GP4ksII on it (compared to the 19mm Evo on the 5 spoke and a 20mm SuSo on the H3) I guess there is truly no replacement for depth.

- All the (fast) helmets I tested were pretty close, with the majority of them being within about 5w of each other (I tested the Specialized TT in small and medium, the aerohead - best, Poc Cerebral, Catlike long tail, and the Bambino, with the medium Spec TT being the worst and the small being second best) I expected a larger delta in the bambino honestly as I've heard it's often pretty bad. I went in expecting the Spec TT to be best, but it seems what we've been told about the aerohead being great is pretty true.

- UCI legal bars that are supposed to be fast (Tula's, 3T Nano's) were very, very close to one another. Within the margin of error I'd think. Maybe finding some narrower Tula's would be slightly faster still, or perhaps having better plugs (they had small cable holes in them) for the 3T's would have pushed it in favor of one or the other.

- Skinsuits were somewhat surprising. I truly expected my very nice Nopinz skinsuit to come out on top, but it was nearly 10 watts worse than my Body Paint, and around the same as my short sleeve Castelli (really a CX skinsuit w/pockets) and worse than the Cuore suit Heath let me borrow. In defense of the Nopinz, I didn't have two numbers pinned/glued to the other skinsuits, so it's possible that delta would be different on the road. Also of note is that my Supersuit was custom sized for me at 150ish lbs. At 165ish lbs it was a very, very tight squeeze. (it fit snug at lower weight) it was constricting in the core when bent over, and it's possible that had some effect. Long story short though, the off the shelf Body Paint suit is a slippery bit of kit.

- Lowering my position was not better for me. In fact my tallest bar height was best. That was very surprising, and I'd guess has a lot to do with how I hold my head (much higher) on the track.  Being higher helps open up the hip angle, so I'll take it. Likewise, raising my saddle a cm didn't negatively impact the CdA (which I also found surprising) but again, more comfort at the same speed is certainly something I'm interested in.

- Holding my hands higher was a pretty big jump for me. This was Heath's idea and it was a valuable one. Gripping the end of the extension with my pinkie and letting my hands "sit" on top was the second biggest change. Of course, this is VERY difficult to hold on the track... but I've got something in mind to help with that (and put the 3D printer to use!) already in the works.

All of our control runs were very close, and we spent the last bit of my time doing a long control run to see if there was any variation as I went along. All was very neat and close.

Final position/equipment

Later I checked in the data I had taken at the track and compared with the tunnel data. The two days lined up very nicely, which was a great bit of validation that what we had tested in the tunnel would actually translate to the real world.

Thanks very much to Heath and Geoff, they made the experience much better than just data collecting. Both guys you'd drink a beer with, not just listen to prattle off on a forum or an email. Also thanks to the folks at the Giordana Velodrome, who are always excellent folk to be around. And to the other genius out there who I won't name, a special thanks as well. I appreciate your insight more than you know.

Until next time, thanks for reading!

- Christopher Morelock

Quick catch up before heading to the tunnel

Well, it's time to head back into A2 (on Friday) and nail down some numbers. I had hoped to source a front disc in time but ended up coming up short, so I'll just have to assume "it's better." (at least inside) That's life.

I've already hashed out what I'm hoping to gain from this trip to the tunnel, so I'll save you the repetition and we'll just see how it turned out in a week or so.

As for my 3D printer adventures, I've honestly spent most of the last week just working ON the 3D printer... it's the perfect piece of kit for somebody who loves to just try out different stuff for no real reason. "Does this xxx work perfectly as is? Yes? Then let's take it apart and try to improve it!" Mindset has gotten me into trouble a few times in the past I admit...

Nonetheless, I got a couple of good toys out of it already. Behold the evolution of my 3T risers. I wasn't too keen on paying $80 for a 10mm riser, so I just printed some!

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The first draft I just tried to make as close to the 3T ones as I could. After a run or two of them I decided that they weren't quite beefy enough to make me feel safe on them. The revision I totally filled in the design instead of leaving it hollow, aside from the two holes for the bolts of course. I also printed them in black.

These turned out much nicer. They are plenty strong to survive the forces put on them and they totally blend in with the bars. I'm not sure if I'd be willing to print very tall risers (definitely not something like 60mm ones)  in PLA/ABS, but I think stacking a few would probably be fine.

Installed (only the forward facing bar) they totally blend in and look stock

There are some interesting and exciting applications to fit with something like this. It would be very easy to print a riser in 12mm of rise, something you couldn't buy from the factory if it dialed in your position. You could also angle the risers to help with a "mantis" like position. All kinds of neat things that *can* be done, if only somebody had enough time to play around with it and make it!

Off to Carolina. See you all next week!

- Christopher Morelock

The Third Dimension

Very quick update this week. Tax time for a used car salesman means it's been a slightly busy week. Anything to feed the addiction, right?

While this toy was purchased primarily for work applications (right, wink wink) I have no doubt I'll be able to get a couple of good results out of it for cycling.

Rise of the machines?

I'm fully out of my element, I took a couple of classes on 3D modeling in college (Is Maya still a thing!?)  and have some very, very basic knowledge of CAD software, but this thing is like a science project on steroids. Time will tell if it is a life changing piece of equipment, or just a toy.

Thanks for checking in on me, I promise we're going to get back on normal content schedule in the near future.

- Christopher Morelock

Returning to the tunnel.

The worlds biggest cycling vacuum cleaner

I've even written about how in retrospect many years later I didn't think my time spent at the tunnel was overly productive. So why in the world am I talking about going back?

Partially because I am hopeful that I have learned enough in the last 5 years to not make the same mistakes (new mistakes!) and also because I have some hope in working with Brian Stover and Heath Dotson at Aerocamp that we'll tease out some information I can apply. There is also a time sensitive matter in the back of my mind (the worlds worst kept secret) that, when it boils down to it, is part of what you are paying for going to the tunnel vs. track testing every time I get a chance to head down to Rock Hill. Convenience always costs premium.

I also have slightly different expectations out of the tunnel nowadays. It's not a cure all, or even the definitive way to a final position... it's just a tool.  Nice, clean air in the tunnel is not the same as the dirty turbulent air you find in the wild, but likewise, because of that same thing testing in the tunnel is much easier to get repeatable results. Give take and all that.

In 2012 I wanted to do EVERYTHING in a couple of hours... helmets, suits, positions... pretty much jack of all trades it. This time, I want to nail down a few things with multiple controls to make sure I leave with data I trust and can build off of. Things like helmets / skinsuits are low priority because it's pretty simple for me to test those myself. Instead, knowing the difference in positions (to compare with the metabolic cost / efficiency) is what I am after.

Is this

Better than this?

If it is, how much does it cost me in terms of watts I can produce. Which is better at different angles, does it change?

Obviously the top picture is more compact, and likely more aerodynamic (although sometimes you get surprised) but what if I can produce 20 more watts in the second picture? Is it THAT much more aero? These are questions that are important when trying to find every free watt.

I am excited for the opportunity to go back and work on things some more. Fit is always an evolution, at least for me, and this is just another step on the road to learning.

I'm scheduled for early March, of course I'll have a full write up!

Thanks so much for reading my randomness this week, it's been busy! (Tax returns and car sales = work work work!)

- Christopher Morelock

More Bike Nascar!

Happy (belated) Valentines day everyone. Hopefully you got to spend it with somebody special... or celebrated Singles Awareness day in an exciting way.

Last weekend we loaded up the truck (literally not a truck at all) and headed over the mountains to Rock Hill and the Giordana Velodrome, primarily so that us Knoxville guys and gals could get a little bit of practice racing in. 

It was also a good chance for me to get some feedback on the Fuji in both configurations. As far as a nice, predictable stable bike goes... the Track Elite is awesome. I'm very pleased with my choice.

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The build for endurance stuff

- Dura Ace crank w/stages PM

- DA Bottom Bracket

- DA Chainrings and Cogs

- Ultegra Pedals (I know...for shame)

- Izumi chain

- Walker Brothers Revo2 w/ Vittoria Pista (training tire)

- Hed3 (clincher) w/ 20mm SuSo

- Fizik Ares

- Tririg Sigma X

- USE Tula w/track pods

- Aerocoach Align pads

- Zipp Evo70 extensions

With the changes for group stuff being the wheels and going to drop bars (Nitto bars and a Look Ergostem)

Every trip it seems like we are constantly being buffeted by the wind on what should be a pretty calm area... Riding the black line is still tough for me, but I am getting better. I'm at least able to keep it inside the sprinters lane pretty much indefinitely, which is a big step in the right direction for me.

Showing off that nice Podium Sports skinsuit as well!

The practice races were awesome, despite the fact that for the most part I don't have the top end to keep up with the fast guys on the laps that count. During the scratch race I got a good view of the moves that ended up winning (from far behind haha) and during the elimination race I spent the majority of the time attempting to figure out the strategy of where the best place to be was. Inside the sprinters line seems like a great way to be boxed out (especially later in the race) but my strategy of riding high each elimination lap only worked well until the fatigue of being in the wind the whole time caught up with me. I lasted to about 5th man but then got dominated.

Jimmy coming around in the elimination race final

The Points race is a little more my style... endurance'ish enough (especially after the other two races) that you don't "just" have to be explosive. I picked up a lap, but still only managed to finish second. Maybe I'll start sprinting more in the future.

As usual, it was a great trip to Rock Hill. They really have an awesome setup with the track, BMX track and crit course right there in one area. Jimmy and Sharon even snuck onto the crit course for some recon ;)

How cool would it be to see signs like that everywhere!

So good times with good friends (new and old!) with hopefully man more to come. I know I'm coming back in March, so stay tuned for more adventures in cycling Nascar!

Knoxvelo/Hicks Chicks. I didn't get the cool socks memo.

Thanks for reading, I really appreciate it!

- Christopher Morelock

Is Fashion hurting us on the bike? (pt1)

Always time for a Gene Wilder meme

We're all at the very least swayed by fashion, whether we like to admit it or not. This can be especially true of cyclists and triathletes. Our sport is so gear driven that oftentimes we upgrade simply to be upgrading. At least for the majority of us, we are heavily swayed by the pro's when it comes to our equipment selection and even our setups. But do the pro's know it all? And even if they do, is that in any way applicable to us individually? I'm going to look at some things the next week or two that I think we may need to look at a bit closer... this week mainly road bikes, next week TT/tri bikes. Certainly these posts aren't intended to say "WRONG" about any of this, the point is just to start thinking about it, possibly in a different way than we have been.

On our road bikes the trend has moved us (the last 10 years or so) all to riding smaller frames with much more seatpost and stem than has generally been the norm historically. Also, saddle to bar drop has increased a considerable amount as well.

I'm not picking on Gilbert, but it was the picture that suited my needs

I do some aero testing... generally that's on my time trial bike, but not exclusively. Sometimes I like to test things on my road bike as well, as I usually entertain the thought of doing a lot of criterium racing early in the season. (right up until the racing starts, at which point I become much less enthusiastic about it.) One of the things I tested a lot was where I was at my most aerodynamic on the road bike. Spoiler... it's when you are "virtual time trialling" as I call it... with your forearms resting near the stem like you are riding aerobars. Of course, this isn't a realistic road cycling position both for safety reasons and logistics (shifting/steering in a group) so the next fastest option down the line needs to be considered. As it turns out, that seems to be the "Sphinx" position, made popular in track cycling by Cameron Meyer (and the 3T bars of the same name) where the rider rests the forearms on the top of the bars at the hoods (or wrapping the hands around the outside on a track bike) pretty much forming an "L" shape with the arms.  I found it interesting that myself and all of my test subjects friends were at our most aerodynamic in this position.

But there was more... another interesting thing we had in common was that going from riding on the hoods to riding in the drops was not all that impressive a change. In one case (I won't name names) it was almost pointless for the rider to ever move to his drops. (From an aerodynamic standpoint at least) Things like that start making you question...why?

This is a pretty old picture (2011ish?) but it does a fair job of illustrating some things. Look at the guys riding in their drops (rear two riders) and how locked out their arms are. That's how most of us ride in the drops. Realistically, the HTC rider on his hoods looks just as slick on his hoods.

What about the old timers?

Sure, it was a different era, but look at that... much closer to that same "L" shape we were talking about for the sphinx position. If you are still following me, you are either nodding along or think I'm crazy... and while that's possible, it might be worth considering another guy people thought was crazy was trying to take this to the extreme (how could he do it any other way) for an attempt on the Merckx hour record a few years ago.

Obree never made that attempt. I believe he decided that the G forces put on the body on the track made it unbearable to ride like that for an hour. Still, it's obvious he was trying to make the "sphinx" position work 100% of the time in the drops. I wonder, if he had succeeded with this attempt, would the way we look at something like this be totally different?

Personally, I look much closer to the top pictures than that of the bottom three. Why? Good question... one I asked myself and really had to think to find the answer. Whereas a lot of my time the last few years has gone into my time trial fit... I can't think of any time I've dedicated to changing my road bike fit since my very first one many years ago. Sure I've messed with saddle height a little bit, maybe added or subtracted 10mm to my stem... but certainly no overhauls like I've done on my TT bike. So, when I was set up on my road bike year's ago, it was set up with one position in mind as being where everything felt "good." That was on the hoods. So everything we set up revolved around me being in my "optimal" position while riding the hoods. While that's probably the right way for most club riders (and almost certainly for a beginner cyclist) it doesn't quite make as much sense for someone who would be focusing on racing, especially if it were fast paced racing like criteriums where you usually want to be in the drops.

Unfortunately, as I've also always been a "slam that stem" type of guy... I don't have much room to adjust my own setup outside of a very funky looking upward angled stem. I may keep my eye out for a cheap 1 1/8" fork with more steerer tube and see what I can discover.

Next week, we're going to talk about aero bikes.

Until next time, thanks for reading, I really appreciate it!

- Christopher Morelock

Happenings

It has been a busy week or so. My wife has started her new job and is (as most personal trainer's are in the first few months of the year) busy to an almost stressful degree. I am doing my best husband housekeeper, but it has also sapped some of my willpower to finish my own non-essential projects in the works. I suppose it didn't help at all that Resident Evil 7 dropped last week as well... sometimes you can't stop the gamer in you egging to eat away your week in non-conductive progress...


I have managed to get my Fuji track elite in a state of "almost" assembled. There are still a couple of finishing touches that have to take place (most importantly, those Tula Pods have to become a color other than red!) but overall I'm extremely pleased with how it turned out.  No test ride yet (I admit I'm scared to tighten the Sigma stem down to 15Nm!) but I'm antsy to make it happen. Heading back to Rock Hill in two weeks, so hopefully everything will be set by then.

The other cool thing I've got to play with is this handy UCI jig. It really makes measuring the extension and saddle setbacks a ton easier. My father in law is a woodwork master, so of course he took the simple design I had requested and make a decked out (probably nicer than what the UCI works with) jig. I've still got to finish it and paint it, but it's a fantastic little tool to add to my growing collection of obscure bike related items.

I'll give you guys a full build spec of the Fuji in the near future! And also some other interesting stuff I've got in the works. Honestly... I'm ready for race season to be here! Very Excited for the year!

Until Next Time, thanks for reading!

- Christopher Morelock