Null Winds Technology has just patented its Aerodefender; an upper wheel mudguard that it claims will make you go faster.
The company says
that by reducing the drag at the top of front and rear wheels on a bike it will
be between 10 and 20 per cent faster into a headwind.
That means not
only are the carbon Aerodefenders faster than bikes with regular mudguards, but
also bikes with no mudguards at all.
They are currently being offered for sale at a discounted rate on the company’s website; reduced from $999 to $699 for a set.
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“Previous aerodynamic fenders were simply too large,
inducing too much drag by extending too far downward,” said Garth Magee, inventor
and founder of Null Winds Technology.
He added the aero defenders that were too large negated
the performance gain achieved from shielding only the most critical
drag-inducing uppermost wheel.
“A small upper wheel fairing eliminates the highly
magnified drag on the faster-moving upper wheel, enabling the use of wider,
more stable tyres without significant loss in propulsive efficiency or
crosswind stability,” he explained.
“The aero gains are so significant that most road bike
cyclists experience a remarkable 10-20% increase in speed when facing even
moderately strong headwinds.”
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