velocity

found on the Velonews site............. Does this type of testing and the need for more tech thinking of an old art add to the price of the bikes we buy?


Scott USA conducted initial aero' testing of its new time-trial/triathlon frame, the Plasma, at the San Diego wind tunnel. After the test proved successful, the team hired the tunnel for a further checkout of its ProTour gear, according to Scott USA.

Santini will be on hand to analyze its team kit, which employs technology used in skiing and swimming. Other Saunier Duval suppliers testing gear will include Ritchey (time-trial handlebars), MET (helmets) and Selle Italia.

Namenda

Seems like you have a couple of choices. You can either pay more for traditional, hand-built bikes, or you can pay more for high-tech, computer-modeled, windtunnel-tested bikes. The common theme being, pay more...

DocRay

Cervelo uses the MIT windtunnel on a regular basis with CSC. It adds to the cost of bikes that are cutting edge, but as Cervelo found out, it's hard to do all that work and watch the competition just copy you a year later.
Many Protour riders have adjusted their positions as a result of windtunnel work. Basso went from a weak time trial rider to very good based on windtunnel work in 2004.
Why test a selle italia in a windtunnel? that's literally blowing smoke up their asses.

velocity

LMAOROF
V

webist

Undoubtedly yes, it adds incrementally to the price of all their products. But then, so do the wages thay pay their workers, the advertising they purchase and the materials they buy. I don't suppose they can make believeable technical claims without testing and verification.