Ebikes, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, longboards, eboards, motorcycles, skates, unicycles: Whatever floats your goat, this is all things micromobility!
"Transportation using lightweight vehicles such as bicycles or scooters, especially electric ones that may be borrowed as part of a self-service rental program in which people rent vehicles for short-term use within a town or city.
micromobility is seen as a potential solution to moving people more efficiently around cities"
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It's a little sad that we need to actually say this, but:
Don't be an asshole or you will be permanently banned.
Respectful debate is totally OK, criticizing a product is fine, but being verbally abusive will not be tolerated.
Focus on discussing the idea, not attacking the person.
Nope, definitely not. That is wasted space. The back is for holding a backpack with a hydration reservoir. Anyway, I'm trying to gain strength and lose weight, not reduce my times by .02%.
Believe it or not, hydration packs have been shown to reduce aerodynamic drag for cyclists. There was a brief moment in pro cycling where riders wore them during time trials to shave a few tenths off their time. Strangely, the benefit of wearing one backward (on your chest) is a little bit better than wearing it on your back.
Needless to say, the UCI quickly banned hydration packs altogether.
'cause the UCI are dickheads and want to live in 19..f@#k!ng..10. Let fixate on sock height, frame weight, aero tuck and shifter angles, but ignore road furniture, dickhead crowds assaulting riders and fine riders when the organisers cant organise (looking at you Vuelta)
You're preaching to the choir, my friend.
Strangely, the benefit of wearing one backward (on your chest) is a little bit better than wearing it on your back.
That's fascinating and makes me wonder if wearing both at once was tested. I can't imagine it'd be comfortable though.
They definitely did try both but I don’t know if anyone was ever cheeky enough to wear that setup in an actual race.
Currently they’re putting race radios in the front, centered side to side, during TTs. Rumor has it that the UCI has already had to tell a couple of teams to stop using extra tape and stuff to embiggen the radio lump.
Seems like you'd get blown over if there's any crosswind...
I feel like the bigg trux klan will just roll extra coal if they see you wearing this honestly idiotic lookig accessory.
Is this going to help my times on my Specialized S-Works Aethos? I'll do anything to shave off a single second. I shave my pubes into an aero shape already, so I'm running out of ways to optimize my aerodynamics.
Depends on how well it manages to reduce drag. Make me get 5 more kph and we're talking
Just fill that puppy with helium
Get a recumbent instead, or for maximum speed gains, a velomobile.
Not sure how much safety this really adds...
Any safety it adds would probably be immediately offset by the added dangers of drivers being unable to see or steer effectively due to uncontrollable laughter.
The guy on the left is trying so hard 🤣
Isn't that going to function like a sail if there's any crosswind? We're going to see cyclists floating through the air screaming and looking stupid while doing it lol
Where I am, they're adding to their lycra getup - not content with having "Lidl" plastered across their arse as well as the "I shat myself" shorts bulge, they've added fishnet socks, and those television-sunglasses
Pretty sure they're not worried about looking more stupid lol
If your bike setup costs less than 7K, can you even honestly say you're a cyclist?
HELLZ YEAH BROTHERS, SEND IT!
I would enjoy seeing that
How would this reduce drag? Genuinely curious.
My understanding is that it has to do with form drag -- aka pressure drag -- which results in vortices forming in the "separation region" directly behind an airfoil. Or in this case, a rider. Essentially, the swirling of air behind the rider is turbulent -- which is why a hoodie might flop all over the place -- and that causes energy to be lost.
This video on Nebula (and YT as well) describes pressure drag at about the 02m30s mark for a sphere. But this graphic from Skybrary also shows the problem:
By providing a smooth surface for air to "cling" to, where it would otherwise form vortices in the separation region, should reduce form drag, although it will cause additional induced drag (aka friction with the new surface). But induced drag scales with speed and at cycling speeds, that's less a problem than it would be at airplane speeds.
A related drag-reducing device has been used for semi-truck trailers, and those have really been proven to reduce fuel consumption. Although the Wikipedia article does not describe in detail the aerodynamic principles at play.
Here's one site that has info on skirts (under the trailer to reduce side flow) and tails at the back. There's an image of a wind tunnel view that gives a good idea what it helps with. Those vortexes at the back of a flat trailer suck a lot of power.
I'd much rather have my shirt going all floppy flappy in between the vortices and keeping my back cool than shaving 2 seconds off my relaxation cruises.
I know some people who would jump on this 100% and I should probably send them the article...
My genuine thanks for taking the time to craft your lovely reply.
So would this also reduce the benefits of "catching drift" behind another rider?
Just guessing: trying to minimize vortexes and turbulences.
Das a garbage bag man
Reminds me of those Civic owners who add a bunch of mods to make it more aerodynamic
Nope! Nope, nope, nope... errrr NOPE!
No. I probably should wear those padded crotch pants and clip-in shoes when I do distance but I'm low tech with biking. It's all about the journey.
Yeah, I just wear regular clothes and hiking shoes.
For my touring/gravel bike-packing set up, I usually wear bibs under a light-weight pair of shorts and shirt and trail-running shoes. For road bike, I go clipless with lightweight shorts/shirt. Usually we go 50mi or less on road rides, so I don't really feel like I need a chamois. I have SQ Labs saddles on my bikes. Since I switched, the bike-short padding basically became unnecessary.
Yeah, that's the one thing a pro biker friend gave me once, a very nice and very expensive bike seat. They look the same but makes a big difference
The padded pants are non-negotiable to me... I do use clip-ons but cold probably live without it.