Hi, im a relatively new cyclist and only on here for the last year or so but love it so far.
I usually dont spend too much but wanted to upgrade my TCR Pr2 wheels with hunt sub 50s but they are expensive for my level, so I researched alternative upgrades.
Im a little bit weaker than the group I ride with so I need to find about 30 watts(im a bit heavier)! Looking at the data it seems to me that an aero jersey(such as rule 28s aero long sleeve jersey) would be a similar upgrade for a fraction of the cost.
What’s your thoughts on priority upgrades and any recommendations on aero kit vrs wheels.
I cant rock up to the group ride in a skin suit!
Helmet - I’ve seen mixed results - any recommendations (mid price/value).
Bars - again interesting, that never occured to me.
Skinsuit (you can get ones that are not full on tt suits) think road race suit style.
Aero socks, aero helmet (but helmets are very individual), tires/tubes, narrow bars, position, wheels.
Not necessarily in any specific order but I would lean towards position first. You don’t even have to adjust the stack height or anything, just working at getting very good at holding an uncomfortable position can save you significant watts.
Yeah, im going to be doing a few time trials so ive set the trainer up with aero bars and am working on hood training too. My position is poor so some low hanging fruit there.
Any road friendly skin suits? I.e subtle.
The Specialized Evade 3 seems to test well for most people…but may not fall into your price range. The Propero 4 has a similar design, but is only $200.
If you are in the EU, the Van Rysel aero road helmet is another great choice and a great value.
The Giro Eclipse can be found on sale across several online retailers, depending on color and also test relatively well.
Assuming you are using a regular road helmet, almost any aero road helmet will be faster than your current lid. Whether the one you choose will be the “fastest” is almost immaterial. You’ll still be faster.
What are you running for tires? Something like a GP5000 S TR will be fast and pretty durable…could save a bunch of watts if you’re on something slower like Gatorskins
I think if you tell us what your setup looks like currently, it would help. As some have mentioned the rolling resistance from tires can be quite substantial. If you already have a tight fitting kit, an aero kit won’t save that many watts. If you’re wearing a baggy jersey, then yeah, something aero will help. Your overall presentation to the wind matters a lot more. I can save something like 30ish watts sitting up vs in the drops.
The biggest impact on aerodynamics are body position and clothing.
Assuming you are not wearing tight-fitting clothing at the moment, then new cycling clothes will definitely be the most impactful upgrade. A skin suit is fastest, but very tight-fitting jerseys and bib shorts are already very good.
The next investment I’d do is in your contact points (saddle, handlebars and pedals), especially if any of them don’t feel great: have a bike fit done and see whether you need to make any changes.
Then I’d upgrade to high-quality tires. The biggest difference is in the compound and the construction, so you don’t see differences between tires. But they are the thing that connect you to the ground and there is a noticeable difference in rolling resistance between models.
Thanks guys, greatvadvise as usual. I see a lot of people going narrow bars which is interesting, i may have underestimated that. I’ve had a bike fit and use wax so i think I’ll focus on bars and helmut next. I expect training to improve my watts anyway (circa 5 newbie gains a month) and then if i do race a bit this year ill move onto wheels.
I noticed that at 90kg the skins suits dont seem to fit my shape!!! Might lose a bit of weight before that one!! Thanks
Don’t forget the 99% as well as looking for the 1%. Eat well, sleep well, don’t stress and be consistent in your training. Be patient and you will get your 30W.
As far as aero gains go start cheap, tyres, jersey, body position. Good luck!
For a cost/watt ratio clothing is hard to beat. Aero socks are cheap and a tight jersey doesn’t have to be super expensive plus you gotta wear something!
Position is obviously free, until you get into new narrow bars and short cranks but if you’re building a new bike it’s not extra per se just the build cost. It’s also not a quick win, being able to hold the bent arm posture for a while takes time and effort training but it’s always good to get stronger.
Things like wheels, helmets get good gains but they’re not good value. Deep wheels are a significant investment which brings the ratio right down. Helmets are expensive and very personal to fitting and gains so need plenty of testing to find the correct one.
