Simply adding dimples to something does not automatically make it better aerodynamically. Otherwise, every airline in the world would dimple their airframes to save hundreds of millions of dollars on fuel.
Aerodynamics is incredibly complex (and dynamic! it's right there in the name...
) and there are a very few conditions in which dimples can have a positive effect. I'd trust Cervelo's evaluation on this one.
Most of the 'improvements' these days are of the diminishing returns variety. For example, a stiffer frame and ceramic bearings make such an incredibly small difference that I doubt it could be reliably measured. Defnitely not noticed. Same with the differences in moment of inertia between wheelsets. There are some advantages with aerodynamically superior wheels, but I doubt they are decisive except in time trials.
Money might buy you speed, but it won't buy you very much. Things like body position, clothing fit, and how often you look down are likely to have a much, much larger effect.
In fact, I've been tempted to do a statistical study. To look at as many photo finishes as I can find. And then compare the winner (zipped or unzipped jersey, wheel type, etc, etc) to the other riders in the frame. It should be possible, for example, to say that riders with zipped jerseys are 12% more likely to win a sprint. Or that wheel type has no effect. That kind of thing.
John Swanson
www.bikephysics.com[/QUOTE
i am referring to only TT bikes when it comes to adding dimpled tape. i dont see dimples on road bikes as being beneficial (pack riding, different riding postion, etc). i totally aggree that dimples, ceramic bearings, and other high-tech goodies only yield marginal results. but the aggregate might yeild something. Zipp's Zedtech front hub saves 2 watts. that isnt much unless a TT rider is up against competition that is of similar capabilities and only a few seconds decides 1st and 2nd place. i have seen it before at my local TTs.
going back to the hubs. add on dimpled tires, skinsuit (when available), helmet (if dimples work there), and frames/forks. total savings
could be several watts. but it only works IF dimples provide any advantage. I bet anything that frame makers and other companies are or will experimenting heavily in this idea. so right now, Cevelo is right; no benefit. come 2010 and beyond, those folks will figure it out and mark my words, we will be seeing it soon. at the very least, dimples will act as a placebo and we will go faster because of that! HA!
