Well, we fell on our collective faces in our attempts at an April Fool’s story. We just couldn’t top our fake wind tunnel from 2007 (and we probably never will), so we’re resurrecting it instead. We never intended this story to really fool anyone, we thought the photoshopping was just too fake. But fool it did. For additional comedic effect check out this forum thread, where some of the great brainiacs of cycling discuss the efficacy of our imaginary tunnel.
Ok, before the inevitable ‘you’re out of your mind’ comments, let me explain myself first. I got a lot of feedback on my series of articles on my homemade wind drag test rig (Pt. 1, Pt. 2, Pt. 3), and some of it was printable! One reader, a fellow biketechreview geek from the midwest, wrote to tell me that he had an old windmill just laying around in pieces. He offered to send the blades to me for free, on the stipulaton that I build a full sized wind tunnel with it. I had no intention of taking my tests further, but this was just way too intriguing to pass up. I figured I’d sit on the blades while I researched the subject. I could spend a few months scouring ebay for spare parts as well. Schmalz offered to look into cheap warehouse space in Jersey, another reader suggested this design, and before you knew it, the NYVC wind tunnel project was born. The rotors arrived in far more pristine condition than I imagined possible. The hub had a solid axle and smooth running bearings. All I had to do to mount it was drill a 1/2" hole! The whole thing started to scare me. This was going to be a lot easier than I thought, and once I become obsessed with something I have to do it right away. I figured with three days in Schmalz’s woodshop and two days for assembly, I could get the basic structure built.
As luck would have it, this was the week of my wife and kid’s annual visit to grandma in Boston. We had no leads for a space in Jersey, but there was no way I could wait any longer. I spent three days last week cutting 2×4’s and 3/8 plywood sheets in Schmalz’s basement, and got the stuff home the afternoon Laurie and Sofie left for Boston. A couple of sleepless nights later the NYVCWT was done. (Behold, the power of insomnia!) It’ll be dismantled Sunday night, and as long as my wife doesn’t visit this site, she’ll never be the wiser. So, you see, I didn’t really WANT to build a crap wind tunnel in my apartment. It was thrust upon me. Really. Besides, there isn’t a cat 5 in the city who hasn’t been lactate tested, so why not build a wind tunnel? I predict the NYVCWT will be booked solid this time next year.
So how does it work? The tunnel itself is a pretty cool design. It pulls the air rather than pushing it. I’m hoping this means the airflow will be less of a vortex. Also, it has a large bell shaped inlet. The idea is that it draws a larger volume of air and gradually accelerates it by squeezing it into a smaller channel. Supposedly this smoothes out the airflow as well. A couple of cross braces at the outlet provide the fan mount. The build was pretty straightforward: a series of rings are hammered together out of 2×4’s which are then joined by longitudinal ribs. Once the skeleton is done, it was simply a matter of lining it with 3/8" ply. I dropped some frosted plexiglass on top to provide light. Thanks to a meticulous drawing, the pieces came together without a hitch.
For now, the NYVCWT will strictly be for riders who can ride the aerobars on rollers, and can start and stop without handholds. It’s tight in there. I’ll eventually drill out the feet of my TruTrainer rollers and mount skateboard wheels on them. Rider and rollers will roll inside the tunnel, and I’ll use the same pulley/weight system from my helmet drag rig to determine drag force. This has two advantages: I won’t have to figure out how to work with strain gauges, and I won’t have to get someone to write a program to plot the forces and average them. It may seem like a crude system, but it was good enough for the Wright brothers.
The fan will be belt driven by a motor. Schmalz wound a rope around the axle and pulled like mad, and the iBike registered a 16 mph gust! We’d have a picture of this, but I was riding inside the tunnel while he was doing this. He was able to generate such a strong gust because, I suspect, he wanted to blast me off the rollers. I must confess it was a bit scary in there. I’m not 100% confident riding aerobars on rollers, and I kept picturing a crash where I’d fall through the plywood. As you can see in the photo, we did the test facing the fan to maximize the Schmalz powered gust.
Time for Hate With an internal diameter of about 6 1/2 feet, there simply isn’t enough volume for a proper wind tunnel. The presence of the rider has the same effect as pinching a garden hose: the air channel is reduced in size, and the air will be forced to accelerate. This will probably invalidate much of our results, but I’m hoping that the results will be consistently skewed one way or another. Maybe I’ll book myself a visit to the SD LSWT. That way, I’ll be able to compare my results from both tunnels, and hopefully establish a conversion figure for the NYVCWT. Other drawback of the NYVCWT? Big rotating sucking knives situated a mere 3 feet from your butt.
So where does that leave us? Well, we’re still looking for space. Anyone have a big empty room we can borrow? Since I wrote the previous paragraphs, we’ve come into a marine engine. Schmalz assured me that he’s a good mechanic and knew his way around an engine, so I let him fire it up inside. A cloud of smoke and two traumatized animals later I learned my lesson. Do not trust the Schmalz. So we’re also looking for someone who knows motors. Stay tuned for NYVCWT Hate Part Deux.
Please disperse. Nothing to hump in here.
I actually thought the wind drag thing was cool and defended your craftiness and ingenuity to my cycling buddies but this is just totally insane.
Blame rick moranis
Couldn’t BELIEVE it was your flat ’til I saw Ginger and Baby Sig. I tip my hat to you; that looks like one helluva show-n-tell project. Really impressive, I say again. Congrats on it. Eager to see the results of future tests in it. Keep running with it!
Wonderful. I’m in awe.
Album name: Two days in the Schmalz Wood Shop
Andy, you’re a modern DeVinci. I’m not joking when I say it took about a full minute for the disbelief to diminish enough for the reality to sink in. Very impressive! Is there a concise way to explain to ignoramusus like me how this works: "I’ll eventually drill out the feet of my TruTrainer rollers and mount skateboard wheels on them." (?)
I thought Schmalz was crazy. But Andy, these are new heights!
Looking forward to reading what you do with this. What a project!
Fascinating contraption indeed. Good luck!
George, the rollers will be on wheels, so the whole thing can roll. The wind will push the rider/roller combo backwards, a string with a weight attached will pull the rider forward. Balance the two forces and you have your drag.
Did you tell you co-op board about that? Is it noisy?
The hose-pinch issue can be overcome by using 1/4 size models of Schmalz.
Maybe a chicken wire screen is in order for safety’s sake? That aside, this is one badass DIY project. Bravo!
Holy shit! You ever read The Mosquito Coast? Great quote from it: "Strictly speaking, there’s no such thing as invention, you know. It’s only magnifying what already exists."
Lets hope the wife has more patience…for NYC’s own mad genius of cycling contraptions!
Good luck with the testing…
1/4 size Schmalz? Finally, a use for all those voodoo dolls.
Wow! NYC never ceases to amaze me. Well done Andy.
Holy fuck !
One day a crazy guy at my job brought in a Ram Jet Engine in his Corvette, he had the plans all laid out in his cubicle to build an Aircraft, I don’t know what came of it because he is no longer employed here and have not heard anything on thge 6 o’clock news thus far.
But this is taking it to the extreme also!!!
Once again, you provide the rest of us with an example we can point to when our wives/girlfriends/significant others complain about buying a new bike, or another set of wheels. We can always just direct her attention your way, and say "Honey, at least I am not doing [Insert Andy’s Latest Project Here], this takes up 1/10th the space that does."
I heartily thank you for the invaluable service you provide as the object lesson that there are people more obsessed about bicycles out there, than I could ever be.
does this make schmalz an enabler?
I just keep thinking.. Will E. Coyote, Super Genius, greasy spot on the Highway of Life
I just keep thinking.. Will E. Coyote, Super Genius, greasy spot on the Highway of Life
amazing
Those Wright brothers worked a lot on bicycles too. Take a look at museum down there.
Those Wright brothers worked a lot on bicycles too. Take a look at museum down there.
Andy ,
How are you going to take the drag measurements ?
I have a slightly used dipflung retarder that you could use to control the fan speed. It’s quassi-interlaced as well so you can rely on the signal being quite smooth.
We were using it in the lab on one of the treadmills which has since died so you are more than welcome to it. Let me know and I could bring it to the club race tomorrow.
I am going to talk to my people about a space. I just want to make sure that we get full rights to A) use it anytime we want and b) use the video footage we get of SOMEONE getting chopped up in those blades!
Awesome. Just let us know when you start renting by the hour….LOL.
The millworked joints and seams look really well done. Are you going to paint the exterior or leave the wood finish?
Darwin Awards anyone????
But I have never met anyone with such ‘get up and go’ – chapeau
You’re seriously going to disassemble before your wife gets back…..LOL.
Can nyvelocity handle the amount of traffic that’s going to hit this site in the near future?!
Don’t say "chapeau"
ENOUGH WITH THE CHAPEAU
And Lee? Did you really just ask if they plan on painting the wood? Are you biting your lip and hitting refresh while dying to find out?
It’s a good question because they could probably make some money from prospective sponsors. Merryl Lynch for a month, Westwood Velo for a month, Empire after that and most definitely Adler. Who knows, maybe even SouthAfrica.Net. All the traffic you are going to get from local cat 5 riders and all the tests Andy will entertain us with in future months and years will more than warrant cladding that tunnel with some cool color and picks. So Lee, how about a month for Sids.
That being sais, I offer you this: "Sarcasm seems to baffle a certain set of readers. They see it as a form of detachment or removal, instead of what it really is: An expression of hostility, rage and scorn."
When Lee3 stops annoying me and insulting other people I’ll lay off.
hi. its steve goldman, director for WVelo. my company one of the sponsor for WV, has a pretty nice-sized warehouse space where i mgith be able to help. we have about 6k feet there. i use it for business backup emergency facilities but its basically empty less some cars i keep there.
email me at steve@trademanage.com if you want to discuss.
what-what-WHAT!!?? we’re through the looking glass here, people. andy, can you invent me a powermeter than won’t break?
oh, and please, please, someone, take a picture if coach MNOP shows up to the club race with a dipflung retarder.
Incredible. Looks really nicely done, as well.
The wife said we could put it in the livingroom if the warehouse didnt work. my motherinlaw likes bad hair days with all that wind following around
-sg
i don’t remember seeing insults being flung by lee3. i don’t know him but he seems like a nice enough guy
lastly, i hate saying it, but man, it would be a sick good fun project to actually carve together. i know a ton of us love TT’ing, good bad or otherwise, and the need for speed is addictive. some people have all this access to windtunnels and frankly, thats a huge benefit. imagine, over a perio dof time, building something that generates great results, that we build, own and can use to benefit Nj/NY cyclists without losing an arm or leg (unless you fly into the fan).
you only live once, once your gone, all these great ideas were just that..ideas.
if you guys ever REALLY get it motoring , i’d be behind it.
steve goldman
chief executive officer
trade manage capital
see u guys tommorrow at BB
Too
Unbelievable!
Never
New
Ewe
Loved
Ingeneering
So much!
For real,
Awesome job.
Killer headwinds for
Everyone!
You give us THIS in lieu of Hopeful Friday? wtf?
and you guys need some freaky cool name for the whole enterprise. In aerospace there was the Skunkworks. Maybe this is "The Trust", "Project NYNJ", "Speed Research Group" or something.
NTH Group
"Nothing To Hump Group"
When my wife comes home NTHG will be a very appropriate name for me.
Holy S@#% I can’t believe it!
So, when are you going to start renting this thing out by the hour? Let me know, I’ll be the first one over! Seriously, you are one creative, driven, talented mofo. So glad to see innovation is still alive at a grass roots level in cycling. It’s how all the greats from Tullio Campagnolo (think QR skewer, etc.) to Boone Lennon (aero bar) got their start.
Well, I can’t wait to start seeing some test data. Good luck!
Xavier
Holy S@#% I can’t believe it!
So, when are you going to start renting this thing out by the hour? Let me know, I’ll be the first one over! Seriously, you are one creative, driven, talented mofo. So glad to see innovation is still alive at a grass roots level in cycling. It’s how all the greats from Tullio Campagnolo (think QR skewer, etc.) to Boone Lennon (aero bar) got their start.
Well, I can’t wait to start seeing some test data. Good luck!
Xavier
Sorry, you guys at Westwood are good enough. You’re already dominating the TT’s. Andy is ours (CRCA). We claim him as our own and therefore Westwood won’t qualify to use the wind tunnel. As for hopeful Friday:
A race: Empire 1 and 2 and 3 of the top 6. Nothing the other guys could do.
B race: My team will get the win and maybe even another in the top 6, Foundation – 1 top 6, Affinity – 1 or 2 top 6.
C race: Organic will get 1 top 6 but not a win, A Bumble bee will take the win.
Regarding the CRCA B race, which team are you on?
To Steve sounds like Adler
Whats the deal with the Metro B rider who won the C race? Is he sandbagging again?
Whats the deal with the Metro B rider who won the C race? Is he sandbagging again?
The Metro dude that one the C race is a C rider, so he won fair and square.
Steve, you can come into my tunnel anytime.
Our tunnel – no Adler’s! Not that they’re a threat in TTs.
it seems like some people have the attitude that if someone beat them, that person is a sandbagger.
lame.
and interest from Westwood Velo/Tradeware in the tunnel is cool. I can’t speak for the principals of The NTH Group, but it would be a great thing for more collaboration between that club and the city clubs (and there is already a lot of friendship and rider-sharing). Raise the game of everyone locally.
You’ll see tomorrow and look for a repeat on Sunday.
You might get lucky because Steve does belong to the Nothing to Hump Group. What I don’t know is if he would go for guy though.
Sweet – a new anon trash talker spotting – like a special man-like species lacking a fully developed spine that hides in a cave all winter and then rears the ugly ego come spring…to the endless amusement of the rest of us.
Andy et al: This is so impressive! Can we do a test to see if CRCA Junior Lewis Almonte spinning his 50×14 is more or less aero than Ken Harris in his 54×11? Would Ken even fit in there? I think I can get the kid down to you after school this week.
this is so dysfunctional…in a good way
Craig,
I don’t fully understand what you are saying. Are you saying that riding a smaller gear makes you more aero? Or are you just saying that the junior is smaller so would be more aero?
"it seems like some people have the attitude that if someone beat them, that person is a sandbagger"
Metro B guy racing in the C field? If he isn’t a sandbagger, maybe the A riders should race in the C filed too.
very cool place
Sandbagger had a B CRCA number.
you mentioned smoothing out the vortex. i just saw something on mythbusters of all things that might help.
apprently nasa uses a ‘honeycomb wall’ to even the airflow. on the show, they used lots and lots of boxes of drinking straws to create the same effect. they bandsawed them in half in the boxes (halving the length of the straws), since straw length was not an issue, and thereby doubling the area covered by their investment.
essentially, they ended up with a wall of halved boxes of drinking straws, which allowed for very accurate smoke trails.
steve, i agree, you westwood guys are already far too quick in th TTs between Michael Gisler, The Fin and Troy. A windtunnel for you would be unfair. and good job in the M35 Series last year, looks like you won about 1/2 those races and the NJChampionships. you guys left very little on the plate for others so unfortunately, i say KEEP Westwood out of ‘maybe one day down the road tunnel’.
Saw your result on the Coxsackie Race last weekend, a 4th in the Pro123. and you guys want to go faster? then again, i saw Riffelmacher moved on.
great website you guys have. love the power meter discussions
Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav
Quoting Paradise Lost in a comment on nyvelo? Gotta be Baldwin.
Yeah, but guys like Goldman and myself need all of the help we can get!
i dont believe so unless i’m mistaken you took the 30+ ITT champion,he nudged for the 35+ and you won the last 3 BB cat3 races.
all in good fun, you wv guys do a lot for the sport, and put on a top flight TT and cyclorace lastyear. this whole windtunnel thing is a pipe dream anyway, but heck, this is our website, you have yours so you come on our turf, we talk tough!! but lots of love amongst big ringers
fucking cycling fantasy land local cyclists live in.
Wasn’t me. I only know the ‘Doors of Perception’ line.
‘If the doors of perception were cleansed, we would see things as they truly are: infinite.’ From that movie with John Heard and Sam Waterston.
i thought Da Vinci was crazy
I’d like to try the wind tunnel on Sunday if possible
was that the one in which Waterson plays Oppenheimer?
"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."… or something like that
He was the CIA director Richard Helms in Nixon, but the scenes were deleted. He quotes Yeats when Anthony Hopkins visits Langley.
The Second Coming:
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity……
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
This is insane! Good luck and stay away from those rotors!
I don’t understand why people take this so seriously… dude who tells people who post to this site to "get lives" because we "live in a cycling fantasy land": what are you doing on this site, how did you find it, and why are you posting to it if you find it so offensive? Jeez. Calm down!
Lee–it’s like an homage to our conversation in the park last night.
Oh also, Andy: This is really cool. If we’re looking for a New York/New Jersey name, I say call it New York/New Jersey Aerodynamics Association ("NYNJAA").
(That was a joke, people.)
people dream big, and all of a sudden we’re building these vessels that fly through the air, go to space, cure diseases…lets not hold our bar too low…what we’re talking about here is procuring something which others have built and replicating it….imagine the awsome-ness<word?> of having a crazy effective windtunnel in the NJ/NY area where our riders can go and get fast. the battle with win and resistance is one i’ve been fighting for years and would l ove any advantage i could get. and it would be just cool as f’ing hell to get done. might take a few years, but man, could be great. maybe some big bike company would get behind it and sponsor it, the "Trek Wind Tunnell Project". or someting like that…
oh whatshe not the difference…you NY guys wont let us Westwood Velo NJ folk in it anyway. SNOBSS!!!!!! just because all the hotties live in the city, and we got too much big hair……. can we all just get along, other than when we’re nipping each others at the line for wins!!!???
I posted a link to this page in the usenet group rec.bicycles.racing and there is a little bit of techinical commentary going on — from Dan Connelly and Robert Chung. Chung in particular is almost always right
http://tinyurl.com/yw4gav
If you can keep the fact that you built a wind tunnel and fired up an engine in your house a secret from your wife, you are not a man to play poker with!
Kudos for being of the long line of cycling genuises from Leonardo to Orville and Wilbur!
Robert Chung wrote: "… I’m guessing the vanes aren’t tuned."
A critical flaw, Andy. Tear it down.
Wait a second….what date was it yesterday ? MikeM spotted it first I beleive
Actually alot of people spotted it, but their posts got deleted
I appreciate that andy let me do the test yesterday. The results were amazing. After changing position to reduce drag as indicated , I improved my 5 minute power from 325 to 490 watts!
Hey, been thinking ’bout this lots. I think I finally figured out how to tune the vanes. They’ll be spectacular!
cheers,
I demand a refund.
you crack me up!
is that pic for real???
Karen you crack me up. that pic is as real as the wind tunnel and my fastball.
Give my regards to Henry.
Nothing is real. Except Ginger, who does all my races for me. I’ll be accepting cash for doctored finish line shots. Now I have to go shave Ginger’s legs.
Matt Howard is Evil.
Hey! How did I get brought into this?
I like you guys less now. No Christmas cards this year.
Hey! How did I get brought into this?
I like you guys less now. No Christmas cards this year.
Andy is Evil
Matt Howard is Evil.
Nothing is real. Except Ginger, who does all my races for me. I’ll be accepting cash for doctored finish line shots. Now I have to go shave Ginger’s legs.
Karen you crack me up. that pic is as real as the wind tunnel and my fastball.
Give my regards to Henry.
I demand a refund.
you crack me up!
is that pic for real???
Hey, been thinking ’bout this lots. I think I finally figured out how to tune the vanes. They’ll be spectacular!
cheers,
April Fools
nyvelocity credibility shredded
my dog is more aero than yours…
http://timmercentral.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/no_go1.jpg
Actually alot of people spotted it, but their posts got deleted
I appreciate that andy let me do the test yesterday. The results were amazing. After changing position to reduce drag as indicated , I improved my 5 minute power from 325 to 490 watts!
Robert Chung wrote: "… I’m guessing the vanes aren’t tuned."
A critical flaw, Andy. Tear it down.
Wait a second….what date was it yesterday ? MikeM spotted it first I beleive
If you can keep the fact that you built a wind tunnel and fired up an engine in your house a secret from your wife, you are not a man to play poker with!
Kudos for being of the long line of cycling genuises from Leonardo to Orville and Wilbur!
I posted a link to this page in the usenet group rec.bicycles.racing and there is a little bit of techinical commentary going on — from Dan Connelly and Robert Chung. Chung in particular is almost always right
http://tinyurl.com/yw4gav
people dream big, and all of a sudden we’re building these vessels that fly through the air, go to space, cure diseases…lets not hold our bar too low…what we’re talking about here is procuring something which others have built and replicating it….imagine the awsome-ness<word?> of having a crazy effective windtunnel in the NJ/NY area where our riders can go and get fast. the battle with win and resistance is one i’ve been fighting for years and would l ove any advantage i could get. and it would be just cool as f’ing hell to get done. might take a few years, but man, could be great. maybe some big bike company would get behind it and sponsor it, the "Trek Wind Tunnell Project". or someting like that…
oh whatshe not the difference…you NY guys wont let us Westwood Velo NJ folk in it anyway. SNOBSS!!!!!! just because all the hotties live in the city, and we got too much big hair……. can we all just get along, other than when we’re nipping each others at the line for wins!!!???
Oh also, Andy: This is really cool. If we’re looking for a New York/New Jersey name, I say call it New York/New Jersey Aerodynamics Association ("NYNJAA").
(That was a joke, people.)
Rob H
I don’t understand why people take this so seriously… dude who tells people who post to this site to "get lives" because we "live in a cycling fantasy land": what are you doing on this site, how did you find it, and why are you posting to it if you find it so offensive? Jeez. Calm down!
Lee–it’s like an homage to our conversation in the park last night.
This is insane! Good luck and stay away from those rotors!
He was the CIA director Richard Helms in Nixon, but the scenes were deleted. He quotes Yeats when Anthony Hopkins visits Langley.
The Second Coming:
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity……
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
I’d like to try the wind tunnel on Sunday if possible
was that the one in which Waterson plays Oppenheimer?
"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."… or something like that
i thought Da Vinci was crazy
fucking cycling fantasy land local cyclists live in.
get lives
Wasn’t me. I only know the ‘Doors of Perception’ line.
‘If the doors of perception were cleansed, we would see things as they truly are: infinite.’ From that movie with John Heard and Sam Waterston.
Quoting Paradise Lost in a comment on nyvelo? Gotta be Baldwin.
Yeah, but guys like Goldman and myself need all of the help we can get!
i dont believe so unless i’m mistaken you took the 30+ ITT champion,he nudged for the 35+ and you won the last 3 BB cat3 races.
all in good fun, you wv guys do a lot for the sport, and put on a top flight TT and cyclorace lastyear. this whole windtunnel thing is a pipe dream anyway, but heck, this is our website, you have yours so you come on our turf, we talk tough!! but lots of love amongst big ringers
Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav
steve, i agree, you westwood guys are already far too quick in th TTs between Michael Gisler, The Fin and Troy. A windtunnel for you would be unfair. and good job in the M35 Series last year, looks like you won about 1/2 those races and the NJChampionships. you guys left very little on the plate for others so unfortunately, i say KEEP Westwood out of ‘maybe one day down the road tunnel’.
Saw your result on the Coxsackie Race last weekend, a 4th in the Pro123. and you guys want to go faster? then again, i saw Riffelmacher moved on.
great website you guys have. love the power meter discussions
very cool place
Sandbagger had a B CRCA number.
Jonathan Birbelly
you mentioned smoothing out the vortex. i just saw something on mythbusters of all things that might help.
apprently nasa uses a ‘honeycomb wall’ to even the airflow. on the show, they used lots and lots of boxes of drinking straws to create the same effect. they bandsawed them in half in the boxes (halving the length of the straws), since straw length was not an issue, and thereby doubling the area covered by their investment.
essentially, they ended up with a wall of halved boxes of drinking straws, which allowed for very accurate smoke trails.
"it seems like some people have the attitude that if someone beat them, that person is a sandbagger"
Metro B guy racing in the C field? If he isn’t a sandbagger, maybe the A riders should race in the C filed too.
Craig,
I don’t fully understand what you are saying. Are you saying that riding a smaller gear makes you more aero? Or are you just saying that the junior is smaller so would be more aero?
this is so dysfunctional…in a good way
Andy et al: This is so impressive! Can we do a test to see if CRCA Junior Lewis Almonte spinning his 50×14 is more or less aero than Ken Harris in his 54×11? Would Ken even fit in there? I think I can get the kid down to you after school this week.
You’ll see tomorrow and look for a repeat on Sunday.
You might get lucky because Steve does belong to the Nothing to Hump Group. What I don’t know is if he would go for guy though.
Sweet – a new anon trash talker spotting – like a special man-like species lacking a fully developed spine that hides in a cave all winter and then rears the ugly ego come spring…to the endless amusement of the rest of us.
Regarding the CRCA B race, which team are you on?
To Steve sounds like Adler
Whats the deal with the Metro B rider who won the C race? Is he sandbagging again?
Whats the deal with the Metro B rider who won the C race? Is he sandbagging again?
The Metro dude that one the C race is a C rider, so he won fair and square.
Steve, you can come into my tunnel anytime.
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Our tunnel – no Adler’s! Not that they’re a threat in TTs.
it seems like some people have the attitude that if someone beat them, that person is a sandbagger.
lame.
and interest from Westwood Velo/Tradeware in the tunnel is cool. I can’t speak for the principals of The NTH Group, but it would be a great thing for more collaboration between that club and the city clubs (and there is already a lot of friendship and rider-sharing). Raise the game of everyone locally.
Sorry, you guys at Westwood are good enough. You’re already dominating the TT’s. Andy is ours (CRCA). We claim him as our own and therefore Westwood won’t qualify to use the wind tunnel. As for hopeful Friday:
A race: Empire 1 and 2 and 3 of the top 6. Nothing the other guys could do.
B race: My team will get the win and maybe even another in the top 6, Foundation – 1 top 6, Affinity – 1 or 2 top 6.
C race: Organic will get 1 top 6 but not a win, A Bumble bee will take the win.
Holy S@#% I can’t believe it!
So, when are you going to start renting this thing out by the hour? Let me know, I’ll be the first one over! Seriously, you are one creative, driven, talented mofo. So glad to see innovation is still alive at a grass roots level in cycling. It’s how all the greats from Tullio Campagnolo (think QR skewer, etc.) to Boone Lennon (aero bar) got their start.
Well, I can’t wait to start seeing some test data. Good luck!
Xavier
NTH Group
"Nothing To Hump Group"
When my wife comes home NTHG will be a very appropriate name for me.
Holy S@#% I can’t believe it!
So, when are you going to start renting this thing out by the hour? Let me know, I’ll be the first one over! Seriously, you are one creative, driven, talented mofo. So glad to see innovation is still alive at a grass roots level in cycling. It’s how all the greats from Tullio Campagnolo (think QR skewer, etc.) to Boone Lennon (aero bar) got their start.
Well, I can’t wait to start seeing some test data. Good luck!
Xavier
You give us THIS in lieu of Hopeful Friday? wtf?
and you guys need some freaky cool name for the whole enterprise. In aerospace there was the Skunkworks. Maybe this is "The Trust", "Project NYNJ", "Speed Research Group" or something.
Too
Unbelievable!
Never
New
Ewe
Loved
Ingeneering
So much!
For real,
Awesome job.
Killer headwinds for
Everyone!
i don’t remember seeing insults being flung by lee3. i don’t know him but he seems like a nice enough guy
lastly, i hate saying it, but man, it would be a sick good fun project to actually carve together. i know a ton of us love TT’ing, good bad or otherwise, and the need for speed is addictive. some people have all this access to windtunnels and frankly, thats a huge benefit. imagine, over a perio dof time, building something that generates great results, that we build, own and can use to benefit Nj/NY cyclists without losing an arm or leg (unless you fly into the fan).
you only live once, once your gone, all these great ideas were just that..ideas.
if you guys ever REALLY get it motoring , i’d be behind it.
steve goldman
chief executive officer
trade manage capital
see u guys tommorrow at BB
The wife said we could put it in the livingroom if the warehouse didnt work. my motherinlaw likes bad hair days with all that wind following around
-sg
what-what-WHAT!!?? we’re through the looking glass here, people. andy, can you invent me a powermeter than won’t break?
oh, and please, please, someone, take a picture if coach MNOP shows up to the club race with a dipflung retarder.
Incredible. Looks really nicely done, as well.
The millworked joints and seams look really well done. Are you going to paint the exterior or leave the wood finish?
Darwin Awards anyone????
But I have never met anyone with such ‘get up and go’ – chapeau
You’re seriously going to disassemble before your wife gets back…..LOL.
Can nyvelocity handle the amount of traffic that’s going to hit this site in the near future?!
Don’t say "chapeau"
ENOUGH WITH THE CHAPEAU
And Lee? Did you really just ask if they plan on painting the wood? Are you biting your lip and hitting refresh while dying to find out?
It’s a good question because they could probably make some money from prospective sponsors. Merryl Lynch for a month, Westwood Velo for a month, Empire after that and most definitely Adler. Who knows, maybe even SouthAfrica.Net. All the traffic you are going to get from local cat 5 riders and all the tests Andy will entertain us with in future months and years will more than warrant cladding that tunnel with some cool color and picks. So Lee, how about a month for Sids.
That being sais, I offer you this: "Sarcasm seems to baffle a certain set of readers. They see it as a form of detachment or removal, instead of what it really is: An expression of hostility, rage and scorn."
When Lee3 stops annoying me and insulting other people I’ll lay off.
hi. its steve goldman, director for WVelo. my company one of the sponsor for WV, has a pretty nice-sized warehouse space where i mgith be able to help. we have about 6k feet there. i use it for business backup emergency facilities but its basically empty less some cars i keep there.
email me at steve@trademanage.com if you want to discuss.
Awesome. Just let us know when you start renting by the hour….LOL.
I am going to talk to my people about a space. I just want to make sure that we get full rights to A) use it anytime we want and b) use the video footage we get of SOMEONE getting chopped up in those blades!
Andy ,
How are you going to take the drag measurements ?
I have a slightly used dipflung retarder that you could use to control the fan speed. It’s quassi-interlaced as well so you can rely on the signal being quite smooth.
We were using it in the lab on one of the treadmills which has since died so you are more than welcome to it. Let me know and I could bring it to the club race tomorrow.
Those Wright brothers worked a lot on bicycles too. Take a look at museum down there.
Those Wright brothers worked a lot on bicycles too. Take a look at museum down there.
I just keep thinking.. Will E. Coyote, Super Genius, greasy spot on the Highway of Life
amazing
Holy fuck !
One day a crazy guy at my job brought in a Ram Jet Engine in his Corvette, he had the plans all laid out in his cubicle to build an Aircraft, I don’t know what came of it because he is no longer employed here and have not heard anything on thge 6 o’clock news thus far.
But this is taking it to the extreme also!!!
Once again, you provide the rest of us with an example we can point to when our wives/girlfriends/significant others complain about buying a new bike, or another set of wheels. We can always just direct her attention your way, and say "Honey, at least I am not doing [Insert Andy’s Latest Project Here], this takes up 1/10th the space that does."
I heartily thank you for the invaluable service you provide as the object lesson that there are people more obsessed about bicycles out there, than I could ever be.
does this make schmalz an enabler?
I just keep thinking.. Will E. Coyote, Super Genius, greasy spot on the Highway of Life
1/4 size Schmalz? Finally, a use for all those voodoo dolls.
Wow! NYC never ceases to amaze me. Well done Andy.
The hose-pinch issue can be overcome by using 1/4 size models of Schmalz.
Maybe a chicken wire screen is in order for safety’s sake? That aside, this is one badass DIY project. Bravo!
Holy shit! You ever read The Mosquito Coast? Great quote from it: "Strictly speaking, there’s no such thing as invention, you know. It’s only magnifying what already exists."
Lets hope the wife has more patience…for NYC’s own mad genius of cycling contraptions!
Good luck with the testing…
Did you tell you co-op board about that? Is it noisy?
Fascinating contraption indeed. Good luck!
George, the rollers will be on wheels, so the whole thing can roll. The wind will push the rider/roller combo backwards, a string with a weight attached will pull the rider forward. Balance the two forces and you have your drag.
I thought Schmalz was crazy. But Andy, these are new heights!
Looking forward to reading what you do with this. What a project!
Wonderful. I’m in awe.
Album name: Two days in the Schmalz Wood Shop
Andy, you’re a modern DeVinci. I’m not joking when I say it took about a full minute for the disbelief to diminish enough for the reality to sink in. Very impressive! Is there a concise way to explain to ignoramusus like me how this works: "I’ll eventually drill out the feet of my TruTrainer rollers and mount skateboard wheels on them." (?)
I actually thought the wind drag thing was cool and defended your craftiness and ingenuity to my cycling buddies but this is just totally insane.
Blame rick moranis
Couldn’t BELIEVE it was your flat ’til I saw Ginger and Baby Sig. I tip my hat to you; that looks like one helluva show-n-tell project. Really impressive, I say again. Congrats on it. Eager to see the results of future tests in it. Keep running with it!
Jesus, those kits are awful.
that was a classic. well done
http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/04/news/reconstructive-surgery-places-contadors-season-in-doubt_110106
they have one of these tunnels up in nyack
the funniest thing about this was like the time in your journal where you said you were weighing all your deuces because mike sherry had told you do that to correctly calculate your true “theoretical” weight. and no one blinked an eye or thought you were kidding, because we all thought “yeah, i could see shen doing that.” same thing here. the whole thing seemed so totally in character, i (like many others) bit hook line and sinker. was a nice one.