I was looking for some info around the web earlier, but couldn’t find it easily……what kind of approximate watt savings are there for a skin suit like this compared to conventional, but snug fitting kit? Besides the most correct answer, which is of course “depends” 
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You got me with the ‘depends’ but it is a depends answer. You have to factor in the below and more:
Riding position?
Body shape
Speed
Ok, let’s do a fairly generic answer for you avg gravel rider riding at an average gravel speed.
Aerodynamics at gravel speeds ~20mph is at the lower end of what’s effective so the Watt savings are smaller than road or TT where you could be looking at 25-35mph. The upside is that the races are longer so the overall energy savings over the whole race have the potential to be greater.
I would expect the savings from the suit to be in the region of 5-10W by itself.
Adding the reservoir in can save 1-2 Watts, but if you’re in a race position, riding with your back mere parallel to the floor, you need to ride with your head up to shroud the reservoir.
Add in our cargo base layer with a bottle on your chest and this will save 3-4W. This is for your ‘aero position’. Sitting upright the effect is neutral.
Add in our One Aero Socks and you’ll save another 3W. This was against our closest competitor Aero Socks, not even just regular socks.
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Great data
Thanks for the great response. Still debating spending the dollars on the skin suit, especially after having a couple of crashes (or impacts with cactus) and the potential for wrecking my rather expensive piece of kit.
But I did buy a new pair of aero socks….apparently they are significantly faster than the last gen of aero socks? That’s pretty cool.
That raises a question I was thinking about this morning. Does @rule28 offer any sort of crash replacement or discount?
I believe Rapha has 100% free crash replacement. After my last crash I received 30% off from both Ornot (Jersey) and Giro (helmet). Although it only slightly moved the needle in terms of the 3 sets of x-rays, MRI, and CT to diagnose a fractured scapula, it certainly was a helpful gesture financially to ease the overall burden.
Do they stay up on your legs?
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That would be fantastic!
We’re looking into making some crash resistant bibs, possibly a jersey too. We have a few options for materials, just trying to find the sweet spot between protection and bulk. We reckon it has to be no more uncomfortable than a standard bib or jersey for you to actually wear it. Not many people think about crash protection vs. Comfort.
On aero socks, yes they are a significant improvement. It’s taken a while to find something that outperformed our original socks. It’s been quite a few years of looking for gains and this is the first consistent improvement we’ve been able to find.
Full data report is on our website. We even have some footage of the live test data coming out as we’re wind tunnel testing them here:
We’re confident that these are the fastest socks on the market, with one possible exception of our dual layer aero socks. The use case for these is more niche however!
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Yes, they’re grippier than the last version as the fabric is a lighter weight and kind of a matte feel to is which is grippier.
We’re also working on a sock spray.
Aero socks are a real pain when it comes to grip. Everything is working against you when it comes to keeping them up!
Sounds like a need bibs and socks now.
Yes, we have a 30% off code. Just email us a photo of the kit (needs to be damaged beyond repair and your original order number.
Replacements are for like for like kit.
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Yeah, I have used the sock spray with your older socks. People with big calfs tend to have issues.
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On the previous gen aero socks, they worked great the first ride and I thought maybe I had the ideal calf size and shape. But no, after that they did tend to slide down. I bought some hairspray (read that suggestion somewhere) and it worked great. It’s a little crazy having to spray hairspray on your legs, but a quick spray before I pull them up works perfectly. It doesn’t make my leg sticky once it dries, socks stay up no issues, and they still easily pull off after the race.
And since I only wear them for races, it’s probably only around 10 times a year that I have to deal with it. I guess we’ll see how the new ones work when I get them.
After they fell down i glued them on, but didnt trust it to work for a long gravel race.
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How would the aero advantages skinsuit work for slower MTB races like Leadville? I like the idea of not wearing an USWE pack, and while I wish I’d be riding at 20mph, I will not be!
Hard to say, but you’re also on the bike for a lot longer, so differences compound over time.
There are also cooling benefits - no double layer bib and jersey. And, with the gravel suit a bigger bladder capacity and easier to swap out than swapping into a pack.
I thought slower speeds aero mattered more
It is not that it “matters more”, but you will save more time in terms of raw numbers simply because you are put there longer.
The faster you go, the higher the percentage of savings so, in that sense, aero “matters more” at higher speeds.
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It’s kind of a wash at lower speeds even if you’re riding longer. If I remember correctly, 13 mph is like the threshold of aero advantages. I ride a skin suit more in racing (and don’t forget to train with it to make sure it fits and you can actually use it) for the comfort and stability. Like above said, no overlap of bib straps is so nice on hot rides. For mtb, the stability of the pockets and ease of getting to them is the main benefit.
The biggest downside for skin suits on long rides/races is peeing. Much easier with separate bib/jersey. You have to crouch down with the skin suit and sometimes can make a mess. The time spent fiddling during your nature break can easily negate the aero benefits.