Aerodynamics / Aerodynamic Cost / Aero parts

"I just came in for a 10mm longer stem..."

Presumably a new zipp trispoke:

From here
or here

It looks at lot like the new hope one and the uksi one. Is that the max dimensions allowed? so they end up looking the same?

Edit: First appearance seems to be at the New Zealand World Cup 2019

If it was a Zipp it would have Zipp logos on.

Yes that probably not true

It’s made in the same place, but is a tiny bit different (mainly around the hub). Not a Zipp wheel.

No max dimensions for front track wheels

Yes the axle looks streamlined:

I guess it is for sale somewhere :)

A orient express trispoke with sensible aero profiles:



I wonder if it is Revolver wheels original design that is being sold out the backdoor as the design actually looks like a legit aero wheel for once compared to other aliexpress wheels.

Revolver also has a version with a weird mini disc in the middle:

Guess BC will be bummed that everyone else has time to copy the Hope bike before Tokyo 2021.

They'd done the wide fork thing before, so presumably if it was worth copying, other countries would've tried it already.

BC will be bummed that everyone else has time to copy the Hope bike before Tokyo 2021.

They won't have to copy it, they can just buy it - them's the rules, and with an extra year Hope might actually get deliveries out to customers in time, which was looking a bit questionable. They were tight for getting BC the 40 units needed for Tokyo.

They probably can't copy it, because there's no good reason for UCI to reopen the homologation window, so Tokyo 2021 gear should be picked from the already existing list of gear qualified for the abandoned Tokyo 2020.

with an extra year Hope might actually get deliveries out to customers in time

I think BC and Hope will be pleased with this extra time. As long as they can open the factory again...

Gives us more time to sort out all our handlebar orders at least. Most nations aren’t looking at the approved list for stuff to buy, they’ve mostly all had their own internal programs.

Malaysia initially were just going to sit and wait and see what turned up on the list but then decided to drop big money on the frame/front wheel project instead.

Most nations aren’t looking at the approved list for stuff to buy, they’ve mostly all had their own internal programs

Exactly. Even quite low ranking teams seem to have at least sponsorship arrangements with manufacturers, if not R&D collaborations.

Random post alert. At work, there are three abandoned wind tunnels in a disused building at the top of the site. Almost nobody knows they are in there. Couple of reasons for this:
-They are well concealed and you can only partly see one of them.
-The aero team was wound up in the 1990s and none of that team remain.
-Rumours on-site were that the tunnel (singular) was briefly rented out to a race team in the early 2000s.
-Up until a couple of years ago another company was using the space for aero testing buildings and public spaces. They cleared out and left almost no evidence of being there.
-Estates team are all fairly new and have never been in, so they didn’t know what was in the building and/or didn’t care.

I found out what was in there, just by chance. You can see the back of one of the tunnels poking out the back of the building and I always thought that’s what it was. I managed to get in the building briefly, scouting for a new work space for my own project and found there are in fact three tunnels - two older concrete tunnels that look like they date back to the 1940s and a later tunnel maybe built in the 1960s. The two older ones appear to be deliberately concealed, so are not visible from the outside.

So a bit of reading around turned up that a tunnel was used by McLaren F1 in the late 1990s and by the Super Aguri F1 team in the mid 2000s, who were Honda’s ‘B’ team. I got into the other end of the building on the day before we were all sent off site for the Covid-19 lockdown and found what I believe was the tunnel the F1 teams used. Pics to follow in the next couple of posts.

What I ask: some of you know which F1 team I used to work for. It’s easy enough to find on here but please don’t spell it out in this thread. It’s also possible to work out what company I work for now if you read around a bit of aero testing history so, again, please don’t spell that out here either - thanks.

The view inside the building. What I think is the oldest of the three wind tunnels is on the left. On the right is the newest, which I think is the tunnel used by McLaren and Super Aguri.

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Entrance door and inside. One reason I think this is the old F1 tunnel is the moving floor which the others don’t have. This is something you need for a moving vehicle, else there are non-realistic effects under the body.

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The other reason I think it’s the F1 tunnel is the Flow Vis all over the flow conditioners (the green stuff).

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That access hatch swings open and closed. Behind there is the fan. Surprised to find wooden fans in all of them. The motor on there is around 1000hp, if other tunnels are anything to go by!

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This is in the neighbouring tunnel but you get an idea of the size.

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You've just found @xavierdisley porn stash and posted it haven't you?

Very cool! Imagine doing live TP wind tunnel testing in that. Crazy that they're unused considering what they must cost. Presumably they still work?

It’s also possible to work out what company I work for now if you read around a bit of aero testing history so, again, please don’t spell that out here either - thanks.

My lips are sealed. Nice gig though.

So, what would it take to get those wind tunnels running and calibrated again? And when can we visit?

Presumably the non-F1 tunnels were for aeronautical stuff?

Surprised to find wooden fans in all of them

I have a feeling that's still a viable option for low speed fixed-pitch applications.

Crazy that they're unused considering what they must cost. Presumably they still work?

I assume everything would still work if you knew how to fire it up. The test cells all look fairly fresh so I think all 3 tunnels were in use.

So, what would it take to get those wind tunnels running and calibrated again?

Everything is disconnected and the control system, whatever that looks like, is missing. The motor is something like 500-1000hp so I can’t just plug it into the mains and bang the power on one lunchtime!

Presumably the non-F1 tunnels were for aeronautical stuff?

Aviation originally, then it was mostly marine. After the race teams left, they were used by a company for aero testing buildings and urban layouts. They had a big workshop down the side and from time to time you’d see one of their models outside, which was like a miniature section of a town or city.

I have a feeling that's still a viable option for low speed fixed-pitch applications.

Yeah, there’s no reason why not. As long as it’s tested and still in date, it’s probably better to have a wooden prop explode than something like an aluminium blade flying through the side of the tunnel!