Tester's T3

The cable does sit right in front of the head tube (if the head tube is massive, I grant you), and a little fairing would cover the Tetlins Tower style girders?

The others are obviously better, being more svelte, just wondering about power really, and the strut system in the EE works very nicely in that respect.

just wondering about power really

Brake power is hardly a concern for normal UK time trials - I sometimes feather the brake a tad on the way into the turn roundabout, but more by way of giving myself something to do than actually slowing down.

This is a really interesting build. It's inspired me to turn my P2C into a fixed TT bike for later in the season.

How did you sort out your position/TT extension style decision? There are quite a lot of different options out there. Any idea what the aero pros/cons of each are?

How did you sort out your position/TT extension style decision?

There's no real science in my position, I just rode time trials for 30+ years and eventually settled on something comfortable :-)

Saddle height and set back are straight off my road position, elbows are where they end up if I drop into a tuck, extensions are placed where my hands meet them. It's not a method I'd recommend to anybody else, but until I can afford a bunch of tunnel time to play with alternatives, I might as well stick with what I know. Last year I moved my elbows in mid-season and it didn't do any good, so I'll be back to a slightly wider stance when I get going. Hed Lazy-S bends are good for moving back and forth, which is more necessary on fixed as you need to pull on the tri-bars quite a bit when pushing up hill at 50rpm!

There are quite a lot of different options out there. Any idea what the aero pros/cons of each are?

You're getting into the deep nitty gritty if you try to find the fastest hand position - it depends on what's following, so there is no generalised right answer, only the right answer for your particular body, taking account of what the air does after your forearms have had at it, and what your legs feel about the matter, since eventually you have to balance power against drag. Not only will the 'perfect' solution change as you adapt, but it will be different at different speeds - 10W of power loss that balances 10W of aero gain at 20mph suddenly becomes closer to 30W of aero gain once you're doing 30mph, so as you get faster the balance of the trade swings towards sacrificing more power for each hundredth of a square metre of CdA you can gain.

<-- Could never be this concerned with aerodynamics, would have to shave beard.

Don't worry about the beard, the air in that area is already stalled so it doesn't make a difference. Cotters did fine with his impressive full set

1 Attachment

Picked up a selection of parts from the machine shop this morning.

New axle for Hed 3, note the reduced frontal area. Ti axle + stainless steel cones/lock nuts make this 16g heavier than the stock aluminium axle + my old 1990s Control Tech Ti bolt on skewer, but frontal area is down by about 400mm² (0.0004m²)

1 Attachment

Aero weenie is the new weight weenie

New? The clocks just went forward, not back to 1985. Basically, the first time somebody used a disc wheel the erstwhile hegemony of drillium was blown into the weeds.

New as in 'this season'. These things go in cycles. 2013 will be all about spokes. Lots of them. 2014 we're back to rod brakes.

Not sure I've ever read 'hegemony' on the forum as of yet, you utter trailblazer.

Not sure I've ever read 'hegemony' on the forum as of yet, you utter trailblazer.

You've written it:

Hegemony and Socialist Strategy - Ernesto Laclau & Chantal Mouffe.

As have at least two others this year

it's sad to see a counter-culture absorbed into the capitalist hegemony

the growth of a motoring lobby to support it which continues the hegemony of the automobile

Well fuck my gizzards.

Fuckity fuck. Bearing 'cones' are way off, cylindrical bit which fits into the bearing bore is about 2° away from coaxial with the threads on every one. Going back to the machinist tomorrow to give him a bollocking, meaning another week of delay. Steerer plug is 0.2mm over size too. As I said, fuckity-fuck. Never had these problems when he had his own shop, but all the turning on this project was done by another bloke - if I were Prince Philip, I'd make an inappropriate comment at this point.

I think I remember the Prince Phillip comment...

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/6/3/1307119093698/The-Duke-of-Edinburgh-007.jpg

Dear God. Looks like it was machined by a bloody Indian.

Goodies from Fibrelyte arrived today, cannot recommend them highly enough for service and value.

Having removed 125g of metal from the chainring, I've now added back 30g of carbon fibre. This is strictly a structural reinforcement and is in no way an aerodynamic fairing, so you should put all such thoughts out of your minds, you naughty people.

1 Attachment

This little bracket attaches a Moon Gem 2.0 in the slipstream of the modified seat post clamp

1 Attachment

Lamp bracket mounted

1 Attachment

Super short head tube and slammed -17° Ventus means no room for the s-bend cable from the right lever, so for now the temporary Veloce* side pull is operated by the left lever

*actually a hybrid, mostly Campag Veloce but with a Tektro barrel adjuster as Nokons don't fit the Campag part, and Tektro cartridge shoes with Ti bolts

1 Attachment

Love the neatness of that light set up.

Ti axle + stainless steel cones/lock nuts make this 16g heavier than the stock aluminium axle

The same set up in place of the steel axle and heavy track nuts drops 68g off the back wheel, offset by 39g of Fire-Eye chain tugs* to handle the chain tension, makes the complete package a 13g win for the weight-weenie in me.

*http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=20322