also - related to speed/resistence

i have a VAUDE handlbar bag that hangs over the front of my MTB. it's the shape of a big box about
1' wide by 8" high.

it's bulky but i love it because i have my keys, cell phone, gloves and everything i need right in
front of me.

but how much does this affect performance? i hate to part with it, but if i move to a hybrid
would it make sense to lose this and get something for storage that's more aerodynamic, like
under the seat?

i mainly bike city streets, not touring up the pacific coast highway or anything. (i'm sure my big
fleece doesn't help much either)

On 15 Jan 2004 19:31:03 GMT, tune2828@aol.comfkcuspam (Tune2828)
wrote:

>i have a VAUDE handlbar bag that hangs over the front of my MTB. it's the shape of a big box about
>1' wide by 8" high.
>
>it's bulky but i love it because i have my keys, cell phone, gloves and everything i need right in
>front of me.
>
>but how much does this affect performance? i hate to part with it, but if i move to a hybrid
>would it make sense to lose this and get something for storage that's more aerodynamic, like
>under the seat?
>
>i mainly bike city streets, not touring up the pacific coast highway or anything. (i'm sure my big
>fleece doesn't help much either)

Bike a route, take off the bag, bike same route again. Try to duplicate same conditions?

If you move to a hybrid, it should be easier than biking with knobby tires. So you'd run the same
rout faster, even though the wind pressure would be more and the effect of a bag might be a little
large, the over all effort would be less, I'd think - but I'm a biologist, not a physicist. ;-)

Ideally make it a short loop, really trying to push it.

Do you have an aero-belly? <g>

-B

"Tune2828" <tune2828@aol.comfkcuspam> wrote in message
news:20040115143103.12710.00000039@mb-m29.aol.com...
> i have a VAUDE handlbar bag that hangs over the front of my MTB. it's the shape of a big box about
> 1' wide by 8" high.
>
> it's bulky but i love it because i have my keys, cell phone, gloves and everything i need right in
> front of me.
>
> but how much does this affect performance?

None.

> i hate to part with it, but if i move to a hybrid would it make sense to lose this and get
> something for
storage
> that's more aerodynamic, like under the seat?

No, not really. Aerodynamics really starts becoming important at speeds higher than you're likely to
average, even with a new bike. I wouldn't worry about it. Tire rotating resistance is probably the
most important speed/power issue in the types of bikes you're considering.