FREE SPEED

Inspired by the recent developments in road bike time trialling, Alex Ballinger goes in search of free speed for his everyday riding

Earlier this year, British time triallist George Fox set a new TT record, beating an unofficial mark that had gone unchallenged for three-and-a half decades. Fox, a coach and bike fitter (gfoxcycling.co.uk) based in Northamptonshire, claimed the fastest ever 10-mile time trial on a road bike, 18:41 – that’s 51kph or nearly 32mph – seven seconds faster than British icon Colin Sturgess’s time from back in 1988. While the achievements of these two time trialling heroes may seem beyond the dreams of us mere mortals, there is in fact a lot to be learned from these remarkable rides, most notably in the potential for aero gains we can all exploit in our own riding – not just in races but every day.

The road bike aero optimisation of Fox and other time trial specialists can be applied to our own riding, to go faster whether in a sportive, weekly club run or even just riding to work. While at the highest level of cycling, getting maximally aero involves sports science, expensive trips to the wind tunnel and even more expensive kit, for us amateurs there is plenty we can do at home to reduce drag on our road bikes – without spending a penny. In search of these free gains, I spoke to aero experts Xavier Disley and George Fox, as well as former world champion Colin Sturgess, to discover the best ways for the average cyclist to optimise their ride.

From knowing your environment to adjusting your bike fit, here are the four best ways to improve your road bike aerodynamics, for free.

THINK LIKE A TIME TRIALLIST