RIDE FASTER NOW!

Get extra speed at no extra cost

Think aerodynamics. Think Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling, boffins in lab coats and streams of white smoke snaking their way over the contorted body of a cyclist crouched over a £10,000 superbike in a wind tunnel.

We’re all subject to the pull of fancy components that promise to make us faster for a given amount of input. Who wouldn’t want to grab that KOM with no extra effort? What companies don’t tell you is that your body is the least aero thing on a bike; surely, if you can adjust your position on a bike just slightly, you can generate ‘free speed’.

Working out that fine-tuned position might require a wind tunnel. From around £200 you can do just that at the Boardman Performance Centre in Evesham. This facility includes a cycling-specific wind tunnel that’s open to all, and gives you the opportunity to work on kit choice and body position, to make sure you ride as fast as the wind will allow.

The measuring devices calculate changes in drag and, with a degree of complex mathematics, can then give you an indication of how many watts, and therefore how much time saved, can be gained by altering position and kit on the bike.

So, with this in mind we headed to Worcestershire to work out how to ride faster, without spending loads of cash…

Find your baseline

Before you can undertake any worthwhile testing, you need a baseline – what are you comparing any improvements to? Our starting point was based around someone who’s just got themselves a road bike, has little knowledge, but might be aiming to complete a 100-mile sportive in the future.

We decided that I’d jump on the bike in a very relaxed, upright position wearing ‘comfortable’ clothing. My hands were placed on the tops of the handlebars with arms relatively straight, looking ahead. From the top down, I was wearing a regular helmet, waterproof jacket, baggy shorts and mountain bike shoes.

The wind tunnel blew a 22mph wind straight at me, and the computers worked their magic to calculate that this 100-mile sportive would take me about four hours and 40 minutes.