Originally Posted by
hhnngg1
This has been extensively studied and the results are well known in triathlon circles, particular at Slowtwitch.com.
THe answer:
- YOu save a greater % of racetime the faster you go. So, a 30mph TT rider will save a greater % of time in a TT than a 15mph rider.
- However, because the slower rider is on the course for a longer period of time, the total amount of time same (actual minutes, not % of total race minutes) is usually very close to equal of that of the rider at 40k. At 112 miles (ironman distance), the total time saved by the slower rider is usually more than that of a speedy rider, despite still having a smaller % of overall race time saved, in the order of minutes.
Slowtwitch seems like an impressive site, but I'd like to see links to both "studies" and analysis. There is no doubt a good deal going on when aero-oriented improvements are introduced and I'll plead guilty to not having spent much time on this, but I believe a first order aero model shows that the percentage saved will be constant. The faster rider saves 1.7% which at 25mph is 60 seconds. The slower rider saves 1.7% which at 20mph is 75 seconds. There are certainly other factors which affect this relationship.