Tag: Aerodynamics
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The Fastest Cycling Wheels Optimize Rim Width & Rim Depth
For bike wheels, is deeper always faster? Most people believe that a deeper cycling wheel automatically makes a faster cycling wheel. A deep section wheel is on almost every performance cyclist’s wish list. For years, we’ve stated that the fastest cycling wheels optimize both width and depth. Until recently, we haven’t been able to show…
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Understanding Being Aero & Watts For Cyclists
We commonly hear the phrase “be aero” in the cycling world, but what does it really mean? The quick answer, “being aero” is when the watts you put into the pedals are used to move you forward and not used to overcome drag, therefore making you faster. We already know that being aero is important;…
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FLO Gravel Wheel Design #11 Can Gravel Wheels Be Aero?
Can Gravel Wheels Be Aerodynamic? We at FLO have a founding belief that aerodynamic cycling wheels for road and triathlon can be affordable. Since aerodynamics are part of our roots, one of the first questions we asked when designing the gravel wheels was, “Can gravel wheels be aerodynamic?” We observed gravel events like the Dirty…
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Wind Tunnel Results and Cycling Wheel Aerodynamics Tutorial
Legacy Article: The data discussed in this article is taken from our previous generation of wheels. Introduction When we set out on our journey to design aerodynamic cycling wheels, we asked ourselves, “what makes a wheel aerodynamic?” We soon learned there wasn’t a real answer. After hours of research, computational fluid dynamics testing, and…
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How Speed, Time, and Power are Affected by Reducing Drag
Note: For an updated version of this blog article displaying the time savings for our new 2016 model wheels, read this article. There’s a list of common questions we see from people trying to understand the importance of cycling wheel aerodynamics. These questions include the following: 1. Your CFD simulations and wind tunnel tests…
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The Great Bike Wheel Debate – Aero vs. Weight
Legacy Article: The data discussed in this article is taken from our previous generation of wheels. “What will save you more time?” Improving the aerodynamics or decreasing the weight of your wheel set? Jon and I have probably been asked this question hundreds if not thousands of times since starting FLO. When designing FLO…
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Aerodynamic Cycling Wheel Tutorial
Updated: 12/30/2022 Deep carbon fiber cycling wheels are faster due to better aerodynamics. While that’s a known fact understanding why they are faster is something most people do not understand. In fact, the right wheel, in the right situation can actually act like a sail and propel you forward. Yes, you heard that right, a…
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Studying Bike Tires Part 1, Logging Data
For a while now, I’ve wanted to study the aerodynamic performance of tires on the road. We’ve done a bit of work in a wind tunnel, which is great, but it’s not the real world. In order to get the job done, we needed a way to log data on the road. Quite some time…
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Studying Bike Tires Part 2, Elevation Data
I’ve learned a lot since I posted “Studying Tires Part 1, Logging Data.” I mentioned that I believed there was either a shift in the barometric pressure, or that the absence of temperature and humidity were the reason for the shift in my driveway’s elevation. Today I have the results. A 12-Hour…
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Studying Bike Tires Part 3 Mounting The Logger
Last week I mentioned I was going to be busy in my garage making a mount for the data logger and sensors. Well, I have been. Here is what I have so far. The Basic Construction I thought about what to build this with and after looking at aluminum, pvc, plastic, etc.,…
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Studying BIke Tires Part 4, Relative Velocity
This week we have new parts. I just received a new wind speed sensor. If you are wondering why, I’d guess you are not alone. While a Garmin will give us great data on rider speed, it will not give us any information on relative velocity. For example, if you are riding 20 mph into…
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Studying Bike Tires #5 Wind Direction
The wind direction sensor I have been waiting for has finally arrived from Germany. It’s made by a company called Lufft and is accurate to +/- 1 degree. There are a number of wind direction options but most fall into the +/- 5 degree range. Since the yaw angle spread on a bike is…
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FLO Cycling – Union University Aero Wheel Study
Last year I spoke with Professor Georg Pingen from Union University in Tennessee. He mentioned that he had a class of students that wanted to study aero wheels on the road. I loved the idea and we sent a set of wheels to the university for testing. The results just came in and I…