Are aero bike wheels worth it? (2024)

FAQs

How much difference do aero bike wheels make? ›

Your bike wheels are a distinct point of drag generation. Using a more aerodynamic wheel can help reduce drag by reducing your CdA, therefore making you faster.

Long story short, no, aero wheels are unlike to increase your average speed over 100 miles from 17.84 mph to 19 mph (6.5% increase). At those speeds, the aero drag of the wheels is less than 10% of the total drag, so any reduction in aero drag is likely to be less than 6.5%.

From cyclocross to sportives and general riding, we seemingly can't get enough of the deep, fast hoops. Aero road wheels can be the best way to buy more speed, drop weight and add stiffness to your bike. Depending on what type of riding you do, picking the right aero wheel can transform your riding experience.

Lew explains that at certain yaw angles, good aero rims can use wind like a sail on a boat, creating forward thrust that opposes drag. James's average time for the three laps is 5s quicker per lap (2m 28s) than the control time – a 3.3% improvement.

The Tesla Model 3's Aero Wheel Covers Improve Efficiency Way More Than We Expected. In our testing, they proved their worth by yielding up to 10 additional miles of range. The Tesla Model 3 comes standard with aero covers that shield most of its 18-inch wheels.

The disadvantage of the aggressive geometry of aerodynamic bikes is that many cyclists do not have the flexibility necessary to reach the planned position or force to maintain this position for long periods. If you are not flexible enough to adopt this low position, the aerodynamic advantages will be lost.

At speeds over 9 mph, it's the dominant force of resistance. By the time you hit about 30 mph, 90 percent of your power goes into overcoming air resistance, or what scientists call aerodynamic drag.

0.010W/£ - Aero wheels

Sure, a 15 watt saving isn't to be sniffed at by any means, it's significant and notable, but for around £1500 you could easily make up that 15 watts elsewhere and then some.

An out-and-out aero bike could save you up to around 4.5 seconds per mile, which could make those PRs and Strava segments much easier to smash!

If you regularly average about 20mph/32kph and faster on your rides, aerodynamics matters a lot and can save you minutes on a 50 mile/80K ride based on how you position yourself on your bike and what gear (wheels, frame, tires) and kit (helmet, jersey, etc.) you use.

How efficient are Aero wheels? ›

This unconventional design makes the aero wheels about 10% more efficient than conventional Tesla wheels. More specifically, aero wheels reduce drag and increases efficiency (as in miles per gallon equivalent, or MPGe). Aero wheels come with every Tesla Model 3 free of charge.

The 15×7 wheels are stamped DOT approved for off-highway use. The 15×8 can be ordered with an IMCA sticker. AERO Race Wheels are not street legal.

How much faster are you in a skinsuit? This point has been investigated many times, and Cycling Weekly has tested it in practice. It turns out that a time trial suit can make you cycle about 21 seconds faster over a distance of 40 kilometers at a speed of 40 kilometers per hour.

Wind-tunnel testing by 220Triathlon have shown that, all things being equal, an aero helmet with its smooth front and long rear tail will shave an average of a minute off a 40km/25mi ride versus a more conventional road helmet.

Aero helmets typically save 30-60 seconds for every hour of riding. The actual time saved for a triathlete depends on how well the helmet smooths the airflow from the helmet to the middle of the back. This time can be broken down by race distance as: Sprint triathlons – 15-30 seconds.

"The testing we did actually showed that the enthusiast level at 22mph actually performed better than the pro at 30mph." So yes, even if you're not a speed freak, aerodynamics do play a role at amateur-level speeds. According to Ribble's data, it's us that could benefit most from an aero bike.