Originally Posted by
Rowan
I can't disagree with all that you have said (I suppose that makes a pleasant change). Although 2% can be quite significant over 1200km.
But can you 2% extra out of a CF frame? That 2% I gave was for a steep climb. Are there any steep climbs that last 1200km?
Optimizing tyres otoh can quite credibly give you a +10% performance boost:
Bicycle Quarterly: Performance of Tires | Off The Beaten Path
On the flats, yes, once rolling, the energy required to move along is not great, but if there are stops and starts (traffic lights, checking route directions, making turns, pee stops) the acceleration factor comes into play.
This is true, but it's a small part of long distance cycling - you're looking at reducing, say, 1% of energy use by 2%. You'd be better off shaving your eyebrows before the race to be more aero.
By the way, the lawyers at Specialized have been notified and they are preparing a brief to sue you for using a diminutive term in referencing their brand name.
Let them: by the time they get here aerobrow will be the hottest thing in cycling and they'll beg be for a piece of the action...