Originally Posted by
Ritterview
- The theory in the article in the link you provided was specific for neither professional racers nor tandem teams. Aero and gravity are universal, and their principles apply to all.
- The benefit of seeing what road racers do is that they are expertly coached, they are in a competitive environment, they are numerous, public, and have skin in the game. It is like looking at the stock price or the point spread or market based indices, rather than an academic treatise on a subject.
- Though full wheel covers are restricted to time trials, there is no restriction on 80 mm rim depth, as these are occasionally seen on road races.
- Though sponsorship matters, it makes no sense for a wheel sponsor to dictate disadvantageous rim depth.
- The other items you mention as affecting rim choice would be a source of variability among riders in a discipline, but would not explain the differences in rim depth between disciplines. For time trials, every change that is seen from road racing is due to aero unless proven otherwise.
I agree with the similarity but would use that example to point out the fact they are fallible. It is very common for companies to be bought out simply because the market greatly undervalues the company and another company can sell of the assets for a tidy profit. A lot of expertise making decisions but that does not always make the right outcome.
Aero helmets are an example. Much money and top expert time was spent in wind tunnels designing the aero helmets worn by Lance.
Now they are old school and the new style is used by Wiggins:
Giro and Lance had a lot of skin in the game and a lot of expertise yet now we see another result. It is easy to say these are advances and to be expected. I agree but it points out that the experts are learning as they go and do not have the final answers to their own challenges much less the challenges facing an middle aged couple on a tandem.
The pro usage is a good data point and the closer a team is to there situation riding their bike the more that data point can help. I think 15 mph is not very close aero wise. I have read articles that say that aero wheel benefit is not large enough to measure until speed reaches 30 kph. Maybe that is not exactly right but it is well over 15 mph.