Wind Tunnel testing for WC Downhill racers

I don't think on a DH track there's THAT much tuck time and it'll make maybe 1-2 tenths... but that could be the difference between 1st and 3rd these days... it's all a bit team Sky though, but i get it, little things make little differences and little differences make you win or 3rd..

They ditched the skinsuits but forgot to ban skinny jeans & base layers, which is pretty much the look they seem to be going for nowadays.

We've been here before

As already mentioned, the opportunities for this to help in DH are really tiny these days. At Ft Bill you can tuck in between the jumps at the bottom but its for very small periods of time. Can't think of any current track where it would make a huge difference as there always tends to be something going on instead of being able to straight tuck

It’s not just the tuck though. Baggy clothing offers more wind resistance so you’re slower through the air. So you accelerate out of corners slower, you lose more speed in a jump, etc.
Yes, it’s tiny amounts, but at the pointy end it all matters.
I’ve never understood why DH banned skin suits, it’s a sport that embraces speed and technology, so why not move that into faster clothing?
Aero DH bikes next too I reckon.

There was an interesting podcast with Chris Kilmurray on Downtime where they mentioned this. He seemed to be suggesting that the wind tunnel thing was as much a way of gaining a psychological advantage (or at least psyching out the opposition) as any physical time benefits.

I’ve never understood why DH banned skin suits, it’s a sport that embraces speed and technology, so why not move that into faster clothing?

For me, it's that you wouldn't want the emphasis on aero, to start influencing courses.

Downhill should be brutal rough and technically very difficult. I wonder if skinsuits were allowed that we would see courses evolve to become more like wide open pistes with less technicality.

All the adverts for road stuff goes on about how aero the bike is. But the biggest gains are in the shape of the rider

Do the just look at the tuck. Or are they looking at other body positions as well?

lunge
Full Member

It’s not just the tuck though. Baggy clothing offers more wind resistance so you’re slower through the air. So you accelerate out of corners slower, you lose more speed in a jump, etc.
Yes, it’s tiny amounts, but at the pointy end it all matters.
I’ve never understood why DH banned skin suits, it’s a sport that embraces speed and technology, so why not move that into faster clothing?

Everyone is already wearing clothing as tight as the regs allow, so there's not really anything to test there unless someone thinks they've got a clever material to try

The ban was purely an image thing (DH trying to be too cool for school), not helped by Chris Porter putting Ben Cathro in what looked like shiny heatshrink

For me, it’s that you wouldn’t want the emphasis on aero, to start influencing courses.

Surely course designers and kit designers are very different people? The former may influence the latter but not vice-versa?

The moment that cost Greenland a better position was losing momentum before the big drop in the woods. All the tucking in the world wouldn't have helped him with that.

I did find the video interesting though. And there was some good tucking going on in the race. Can't remember who, but at least one rider had their hands right next to the stem for a bit.

Yeah, agree that there's a massive element of this is psychological, knowing that when you tuck you can go fast, but also I'd imagine is just taking out the bit of jersey that flaps probably helps too. Can't think of many places where it would be of much benefit other than Ft Bill though...Long sections at Mont St Anne maybe?

My nephew works at this cool facility in Silverstone where they do wind tunnel testing.

A colleague of mine at work has been there to have his TT position optimised....

I’ve never understood why DH banned skin suits...

I know what you’re getting at @sharkattack, but if that’s the fastest outfit then I’d wear it.
DH is a race, do what you can to be as fast as possible.

I’ve never understood why DH banned skin suits

My nephew works at this cool facility in Silverstone where they do wind tunnel testing.

A colleague of mine at work has been there to have his TT position optimised….

Yeah the Neph does TT and did some work on body position in the tunnel and proceeded to win his next one 😊👌

I asked him if I could get some time in there on my fatbike. Better my times through ploughed fields 🤘

They ditched the skinsuits but forgot to ban skinny jeans & base layers, which is pretty much the look they seem to be going for nowadays.

That's not an uncommon 'street' look these days though, is it? DH definitely doesn't want to go back to baggy jeans and wallet chains.

At Ft Bill you can tuck in between the jumps at the bottom but its for very small periods of time

There's the jump section at Leogang too, a track where Gwinn showed you don't need to pedal to win.

love the huge sail attached to the lid 😀

There was an interesting podcast with Chris Kilmurray on Downtime where they mentioned this. He seemed to be suggesting that the wind tunnel thing was as much a way of gaining a psychological advantage (or at least psyching out the opposition) as any physical time benefits.

I wonder whether any of his athletes have been doing it?

If not, maybe he just tells them this so they don't get psyched out?

I don't see why DH riders wouldn't try it out, even if it's just to rule it out as a significant gain.

Dont forget that the top section of FT Bill (before what used to be the deer gate?) is a fairly high speed open mountainside.
I know we only see the best bits on TV, but I think that was nearly 2 minutes of the course before getting into the trees, including at least 1 boardwalk section. Depending on the wind direction, could be gains to be made there.

From tight clothing rather than positioning though, there’s no time for tucking up there