Homemade aero discs. An accident in waiting or $40 worth speed
- Thread starter jond
- Start date
MrSteve
Zen MBB Master
Words of experience:
Wrap your chainstay, fork and rear triangle tubes, perhaps?
The high pressure of the air held captive inside the wheel covers -yes, it's vented by the huge tire valve hole-
WILL push the wheel covers out and they MIGHT scrub the paint on your frame.
The pressure differential between the captive air inside the wheel covers and the slipstream is amplified by speed.
Vendettas are capable of high speeds.
I love it when I'm wrong; your shiny black polystyrene covers look pretty sturdy (and pretty) but keep this factoid in mind!
Wrap your chainstay, fork and rear triangle tubes, perhaps?
The high pressure of the air held captive inside the wheel covers -yes, it's vented by the huge tire valve hole-
WILL push the wheel covers out and they MIGHT scrub the paint on your frame.
The pressure differential between the captive air inside the wheel covers and the slipstream is amplified by speed.
Vendettas are capable of high speeds.
I love it when I'm wrong; your shiny black polystyrene covers look pretty sturdy (and pretty) but keep this factoid in mind!
super slim
Zen MBB Master
How did the test ride go on Sunday??
jond
Zen MBB Master
Well it went well. 120 klm per hour on roof of truck. 3m tape held up well.
An increase in speed resulted on track. Set one hour record in blustery conditions.
300 watts 44.5 klm/ hr. ahhh maybe for an hour on a very good day lol
270 watts 42.5 klm / hr sustainable
Ride is on strava. Will take a look at rear triangle.
No issue with air pressure differential.
But wind is a butt clencher. Went off line many times with gusts to 40 klm so abandoned
Reckon 42 klm / hr for 4 hrs is attainable with set up as is.
An increase in speed resulted on track. Set one hour record in blustery conditions.
300 watts 44.5 klm/ hr. ahhh maybe for an hour on a very good day lol
270 watts 42.5 klm / hr sustainable
Ride is on strava. Will take a look at rear triangle.
No issue with air pressure differential.
But wind is a butt clencher. Went off line many times with gusts to 40 klm so abandoned
Reckon 42 klm / hr for 4 hrs is attainable with set up as is.
Last edited:
jond
Zen MBB Master
I covered the valve holes with some book cover vinyl adhesive like the front G3 hub
Has anyone covered the front fork chain stays before. Will try rear triangle.
Sadly the track is 140 klm away. Still we have Larry o.
super slim
Zen MBB Master
Now all you need is the closed in triangle, and Suicide bars, and you will be the Aussie "Larry", but can you fall over as often?
Correction - with Tubeless tyres, no falls in 5 races!
Jond are you running Tubeless tyres!
Great riding at speed! You must have been training on an indoor trainer over our Winter!!!
Correction - with Tubeless tyres, no falls in 5 races!
Jond are you running Tubeless tyres!
Great riding at speed! You must have been training on an indoor trainer over our Winter!!!
CruzLike
Guru
That is impressive. 26mph for 4 hours isn't accomplished by just anyone.
I didn't consider one of your tests to be on the roof of your car. I guess that is a condition you need to build for.
RojoRacing
Donut Powered Wise-guy
My carbon covers are rather stiff for their very thin build. The fact that they weigh almost nothing means they have no weight to get pushed around causing flex. These plastic cover would be heavier and softer by nature but they should work just fine. My first set of carbon covers were twice the half as thick as these plastic ones and the strength and stiffness was overkill.
jond
Zen MBB Master
jond
Zen MBB Master
There are three companies I found making aero wheel covers which come in around 300 grams. I wanted to purchase the Australian make but he has put his product on hold due to a " customer issue ". So in the end I saved $320 for a similar ish result in speed I am thinking
No doubt the pro versions would be lighter faster and look better but it was fun in an arts and craft kind of way. I'm a plumber electrician fridgie so butchering is my specialty lol.
This is just to see as sadly we don't have any recumbent races and limited hpv scene downunda.
So Larry is my logical benchmark being similar age (56 next birthday) but his dimunitive stature and prodigious talent and enthusiasm gives him a box seat. Still I can try.
Ran 286 watts 100 klm 39.something klm / hr. strava kom a while back so the covers have added 3 - 4 klm/hr that's 10 bucks per Kay. Yay
Last edited:
jond
Zen MBB Master
Trolling the forums I see the next thing to do for increase in non fared aero would be enclose rear triangle including caliper ???? and fit bullhorn bar I have .Tighter clothing possible.
The engine is fair with a few compression issues . 6 ft 1" and winterised 84 kg. A year on the trainer has seen sloth take hold. Lol. But I'm fit enough to achieve the goals.
Apart from minor fitness improvements is there much else I might do to improve aero and speed that I may have missed. The carbon fibre rear carrier is sold out. The frame moose bag looks great. But I'll try Jason's cardboard and corflute mâché first.
I have a giro air attack helmet.
Goals sub four hour 100 mile and to improve a local on road rolling terrain 80 klm tt sub to a sub 2hr. Time
This is only temporary insanity and the call of the wild is strong. Audax hiking fishing camping motorcycle boat oh yeah almost forgot my beautiful wife .
The engine is fair with a few compression issues . 6 ft 1" and winterised 84 kg. A year on the trainer has seen sloth take hold. Lol. But I'm fit enough to achieve the goals.
Apart from minor fitness improvements is there much else I might do to improve aero and speed that I may have missed. The carbon fibre rear carrier is sold out. The frame moose bag looks great. But I'll try Jason's cardboard and corflute mâché first.
I have a giro air attack helmet.
Goals sub four hour 100 mile and to improve a local on road rolling terrain 80 klm tt sub to a sub 2hr. Time
This is only temporary insanity and the call of the wild is strong. Audax hiking fishing camping motorcycle boat oh yeah almost forgot my beautiful wife .
tiltmaniac
Zen MBB Master
Are you saying that you were going at an average of 39km/h for 100km @ 286w average?
jond
Zen MBB Master
Yep just looked it up. 100 klm 286 watts 39 klm/hr
Enve 6.7 wheelset same plus same G3 power meter
So filling in the holes makes a lot of difference to speed.
Rides on strava and are koms so easy to find. Don't have too many lol.
Can't wait to try a 100 miler. Asap
jond
Zen MBB Master
Lol going to have to asap with the Aussie gut appearing.
jond
Zen MBB Master
3hr 55 min 29 sec. 170.5 klm (106 miles) avg speed 43.5 klm/hr 27 mph ride on strava
Intended to run through to four hours but three triathletes decided to take inside three abreast.........yeah that is what I said after passing them four times.
Lots of loops don't want to repeat anytime soon. A bit numbing
Ran open rear triangle .
Next 80klm tt kom on road.
So the addition to the wheels added 3.5 to 4 klm per hour
Wondering if the rear triangle infill would add much but likely won't bother at this stage.
Only used one bidon too with no calorie intake but I did get hungry in the last hour
Likely I would have bonked in another half hour. I had good conditions lucky me.
Intended to run through to four hours but three triathletes decided to take inside three abreast.........yeah that is what I said after passing them four times.
Lots of loops don't want to repeat anytime soon. A bit numbing
Ran open rear triangle .
Next 80klm tt kom on road.
So the addition to the wheels added 3.5 to 4 klm per hour
Wondering if the rear triangle infill would add much but likely won't bother at this stage.
Only used one bidon too with no calorie intake but I did get hungry in the last hour
Likely I would have bonked in another half hour. I had good conditions lucky me.
jond
Zen MBB Master
I'm on a ban so stuck with 2012 G3 power meters. Been reliable but surpassed now.
Not sure I will take the speed thing much further.
What do you think my chances are of getting a fat bike .. I now live on a sandy peninsula with the koalas.
