Category: Aero Wheel Science
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How Much Drag Does a Clydesdale Build Add to Cycling Wheel?
Back in November 2018, when Chris and I went to the A2 Wind Tunnel to test the new FLO 45, 60, 90, and DISC, we decided to study a few things we’ve thought about over the years. Today’s article looks at the difference in aerodynamic drag between a standard build and a clydesdale build…
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Does Covering the Valve Cutout on a DISC Wheel Matter?
If you’ve ever owned a disc wheel, you will know that the only part of the wheel that is not covered, is the valve cutout. We are often asked if covering this valve cutout will improve aerodynamics. To be honest, we didn’t know the answer, so we studied it. If you are interested in our…
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A2 Wind Tunnel Tire Study Part 1
In Part 1 of this series, we are going to look at the effect tires have on aerodynamic drag. The first time we visited the A2 Wind Tunnel back in April of 2011, we were shocked by how much of a difference tires could make. We always wondered how much better our results could have…
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Aerodynamic Difference between Sapim CX-Ray and Round Spokes
Years ago when, Chris and I were starting FLO, we made the decision to use Sapim CX-Ray spokes. We’d heard that they were faster than round spokes or bladed spokes. The CX-Ray’s have a unique aero shape, which likely explains part of the reason the spokes are used on so many aerodynamic cycling wheels.…
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Aero vs. Weight – Part 3
Legacy Article: The data discussed in this article is taken from our previous generation of wheels. Without a doubt, our most popular blog article to date is our “The Great Debate – Aero vs. Weight” article which is Part 1 of this series. For that article, we sent our aero data to the mad…
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Does Bike Tire Pressure Change Aerodynamic Drag?
The first time I heard someone say tire pressure would change aerodynamics, I questioned if this would be true. The more I thought about it, the more I questioned how aerodynamics would be effected by tire pressure. When you change the air pressure in a tire, you change the shape of the tires contact…
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A2 Wind Tunnel Tire Study Part 2
Legacy Article: The data discussed in this article is taken from our previous generation of wheels. In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the aerodynamic drag created by different tires on a front FLO 60 Carbon Clincher wheel. As many of you know, when searching for the fastest tire, aerodynamic drag is only…
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Save 7 Minutes In Your Next Ironman By Changing Your Tires
Legacy Article: The data discussed in this article is taken from our previous generation of wheels. Your tires could be keeping you from qualifying for Kona or setting a new PR. Like everything else on the planet, tires are subject to the laws of physics, and it takes energy to move them forward. The wrong…
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How Slower Wheels Can Make You Faster
Yes, you read that correctly, and no, I’m not taking crazy pills. Slower wheels can make you faster. To make sure you choose the right wheels the next time you put on a race number, keep reading. Your Front Wheel Is The Culprit In this article, we will focus on your front wheel. Your front…
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How Does a Tire Support Its Load?
Last week I wrote a blog article that discussed why you reduce the air pressure in a tire when you widen the wheel or increase the tire size. While writing the article, I started thinking about how a tire supports its load. My first guess was the air pressure, but that’s incorrect. It plays a…
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What is a Net Drag Reduction Value
LEGACY POST: This is a legacy blog post. Net Drag Reduction Value has been replaced by Total Power. Total Power uses Net Drag Reduction Value. This post also discusses old generations of wheels. We’ve always believed in trying to be as realistic as possible when estimating time savings for a given wheel. To do this we…
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CFD and Wind Tunnels. Are they for Design or Marketing?
The goal of a wheel designer is to create the fastest wheel possible while also reducing drag as much as possible. When the design of the FLO 30 was underway, I was asked a really great question recently that I thought deserved some attention. Does CFD and time in the wind tunnel really help you…
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Bike Tire Pressure and Temperature
Have you ever wondered what happens to your tire pressure when you ride through different temperatures? How much does it change? Should you pump your tires up inside or outside? These are all things I recently started thinking about. There are a few rules of thumb but I wanted to know why. If you’ve had…