With so much focus on the bike’s aerodynamics lately, it’s easy to overlook the biggest factor when trying to get faster: You. And as their PR guy told us, you can buy aerodynamic, or you can be aerodynamic.
The new Velocomp Aeropod will tell you, in real time, just how aerodynamic you are, so you can tweak your position and see the improvement instantly. The device uses air speed and other internal sensors and combines that with the output from your power meter to see how your speed compares to your power output. From there, they can figure your your CdA (coefficient of drag) and display it on a compatible cycling computer.
On its own, it can determine your power output by checking speed against air pressure, elevation, and data from its accelerometer and a speed sensor. To do this, they’re relying on the tech used for their $199 PowerPod device, which they say is accurate to +/-2% and is the easiest to use power meter on the market. Just bolt it to your handlebar, take 5 minutes to set it up, and you’re off to the races with dual-leg power measurement and pedal stroke analysis.
To get the aerodynamic drag data, you’ll need to add an applied force power meter…meaning, most any hub, pedal and dual-leg or spider based crank arm power meter. Single-sided crank power meters won’t work for this.
The Aeropod uses a longer pitot so that it can collect air in front of any cycling computer or other accessory you have. It comes with a mount, but can also be attached to GoPro-style lower mounts now found on many out-front computer mounts. Shown below, the pitot is removable so it won’t break off if you throw it in your gear bag.
The device does more than tell you how aero your position is. It’s a cheap, easy way to test how aero your equipment is, too. Swap in different helmets, front wheels, aero bars, etc., and compare data to get the fastest setup without booking wind tunnel time. That capability combined with its compact size was enough to win it a Eurobike 2018 design award.
Compared to the Notio Konect developed with Argon 18, the Aeropod has a few less features, but provides all the critical data you need to improve your position on the bike. And at $499, it costs less than half of that device and is smaller. At present, it can display data on Garmin, Lezyne, and EverySight Raptor devices via ANT+, or Velocomp Android and iOS apps via BLE. Wahoo compatibility should be coming as soon as the corresponding ANT+ channel is finalized.
Aeropod begins shipping in August 2018.
