Optimising Your Aero Position: Seconds Without More Watts
The cheapest seconds in cycling live in your posture. They cost nothing but practice and mobility.
In order of effectiveness
Not everything matters equally. To work efficiently, go in this order:
- forearms low and parallel: up to 8 percent CdA
- head down, eyes just over the front wheel: 2 to 5 percent
- shoulders tucked, elbows narrow: 2 to 4 percent
- close-fitting kit instead of a loose jersey: 2 to 5 percent
- remove bottles and bags: 1 to 3 percent
It has to be sustainable
A position you hold for 40 seconds and then abandon is worth nothing. Train the target position in intervals until you can produce full power there. Hip and thoracic mobility are usually the real limit.
Test it yourself
Take a flat segment in calm weather, ride it several times at identical power in different positions and compare the times. Two or three repetitions per variant are enough to detect differences above two percent.
In short
Perfect the position first, then think about equipment — the rider is the biggest source of drag.
Frequently asked questions
Does a low position cost power?
Often one to three percent. As long as the aerodynamic gain is larger, it stays faster overall — at high speed it almost always is.
Are clip-on bars allowed?
Strava segments have no equipment rules. In races it depends on the organiser's regulations.