Contributed by Karleen Scase
I had the opportunity to visit local athlete Jenna-Cear Seefried before heading to Kona Ironman in October to perform a STAC Scan. This is a virtual wind tunnel to see how aero a rider is by creating a 3D model.
Jenna-Cear welcomed LYNX into her not so purple pain cave. It is always interesting to see and hear about another athlete’s workout space and strategies utilized to train and prepare for race day.
Jenna-Cear set up her bike on a new STAC trainer and sat in an aero position. She was in race day gear including helmet and shoes. Jenna-Cear’s helmet will be assessed for drag along with her race day attire.
Poorly fitting gear can cause unwanted friction drag on race day. This can come from things like poorly fitting shirts. Not something we normally think about as we prepare for race day.
After the scan analysis, Jenna-Cear was provided with a full report of her coefficient of aerodynamic drag results (CdA) and performance impact metrics. The model can be manipulated to see how aero a rider is. It takes into consideration helmet, hydration locations and rider position such as stack and reach. The goal is to get the most aero position you can hold.
One thing to remember is an aero position is not very useful if you have to break aero because you’re uncomfortable. It is important to make sure you get a proper fit and train in this position for next race season. The Doctrine Training has Certified Retul Bike Fitters to ensure your bike is set up specifically for your needs.
The scan takes less than 20 minutes including set up producing results that are within 2% of actual wind tunnel results.