Body Rocket debuts a prototype road bike version of their real-time aerodynamic drag force measurement system. This is their first working live aero drag tracking device specifically designed for road bikes. And it’s being used by Olympic & World triathlon champion Kristian Blummenfelt in his prep to defend his title at Paris 2024.
Body Rocket real-rime aero drag measurement road prototype
When we last caught up with the Body Rocket “world’s first real-time aerodynamic drag force measurement system” almost a year and a half ago, it was still very early in development. And what real parts we could see were all tailored specifically to time trial and triathlon bikes.
But the promise of all the benefits of wind tunnel that you can strap to a bike offer even more potential if you open up the much bigger pool of riders on conventional road bikes. And since triathlon at the Olympics follows the ‘draft-legal’ format, raced on road bikes with clip-on aerobars, Blummenfelt needs to reduce his aerodynamic drag on the road bike too!
OK, so what does the Body Rocket actually measure?
How Live Aero Drag measurement works?
Developed together with former hour record holder Alex Dowset, this comprehensive live aero drag tracking system seeks to provide more accurate real-time drag force data than anything that came before it. All in a compact solution that can be installed on regular bikes. The Body Rocket system employs multiple proprietary sensors to measure the real wind force pushing against the rider through all of your contact points, plus an out-front air pressure / wind speed sensor.
“The system measures, then transmits, rider CdA data directly into a Garmin head unit, giving live feedback on a rider’s aerodynamics and body position. Their AI-driven analysis software guides users through the process and helps them track their progress over time, without them needing to become aero experts.“
Compare the Body Rocket to much more basic clip-on trackers like the Notio, SwissSide, AeroPod & Velosense which simply compare air flow/pressure/speed with rider power & and current speed to estimate total CdA.
Kristian Blummenfelt’s Body Rocket-equipped Giant Propel road bike prototype
Body Rocket have kitted out one of Blummenfelt’s Giant Propel bikes with a prototype real-rime aerodynamic drag force measurement setup.
A key element to make that work is the custom-made prototype stem. It fits the same inline technology inside that was located in Body Rocket’s TT aerobar sensor.
The road prototype setup also required a custom seatpost clamp head to be compatible with the Propel’s integrated seat mast and seatpost.
Then, it keeps Body Rocket’s original pedal sensors.
And adds a more refined generation of Body Rocket’s out-front airspeed sensor pod. Mounted here to the GoPro tabs under Blummenfelt’s Garmin GPS. Body Rocket describes this new pod form as a “significant step toward their commercial product launch” of the complete system.
All the sensors are then connected together with a narrow prototype receiver box, mounted to a seatpost bottle cage adapter.
“This new road bike integration will allow Kristian Blummenfelt to benefit from 100s of hours of training to aero ahead of the Olympics, with no detriment to his regular training plan. Meanwhile other top competitors will likely only have access to a handful of hours of fixed-position wind tunnel testing, which requires a disruption to their on-bike training.“
Eric DeGolier, Founder of Body Rocket, said: “Aerodynamics is critical in every discipline of cycling, and road bikes have always been part of our plan. With the recent changes to handlebar and brake lever rules, and the new narrow bars made to address it, there is a lot to learn, and with this new prototype, nobody will have as much time to learn as Kristian.“
Body Rocket – Not-quite-yet availability
It’s still not quite ready for the mainstream. So you can’t buy your own Body Rocket real-rime aero drag measurement just yet. But Body Rocket is pre-registering financial backers via a Crowdcube crowdfunding campaign. That comes with an undefined promise of early access to their final consumer product as soon as it is ready.
