• Showroom7561
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    edit-2
    2 days ago

    If a team is trying to test optimal rider positions, then the only sensible way to test that in-field is to do A/B testing and hope for similar conditions.

    But that’s the catch. You can never get similar conditions in the field, so this device can give you numbers in real-time.

    For a rider in a race, this can help them optimize their position as wind speed and direction, as well as drag or terrain changes.

    I can personally see many advantages to having this gear available

    All to answer something which putting the rider+bike into a wind tunnel would have quickly answered.

    Quickly, yes. But under controlled conditions, removed from external variables that could have an even greater relevance to the rider.

    And all for much too much money for most.

    Guess-and-check is not a time-efficient solution for finding improvements.

    This provides data much like a power meter or heart rate monitor.

    Once riders and teams begin to add this extra metric to their training or real-time races, I think they’ll have an advantage over riders and teams who don’t.

    • nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      19 hours ago

      This was my assumption as well. If this is allowed on bikes during races, it is a really valuable tool to allow riders to tune their position continuously for the most efficiency.