Omega - Aero Data

Omega One Wind Tunnel Report

Omega One was wind-tunnel tested in the world-renowned San Diego Low-Speed Wind Tunnel. We have used that tunnel to test many of our parts, including Alpha One aerobars, and the Omni bike. We typically use tunnel testing as validation, to confirm the CFD modeling that we do during the design process. Our tests validated that not only is Omega One the fastest brake we have ever tested, but it's even faster than having no brake on the bike at all! You can improve Omega One's aero performance even further by adding the Delta front cover, but even without Delta, Omega One is the fastest brake ever made. Get yours now!

Executive Summary

Omega One + Omni

Full Test Results

Weighted-Average Drag

Weight Set

We tested Omega One both on the Omni bicycle, as well as our baseline Cervelo P3 test rig, to provide a picture of how it would perform both on our radical frame and on a traditional double-diamond frame. Interestingly, the results were extremely consistent. Omega One made both bikes faster, to almost the same extent. Above, we're showing the results on Omni, but they are substantially similar when we tested on the Cervelo P3. In analyzing the data, we compute weighted-average drag figures designed to simulate real-world wind conditions. The weight sets and the raw data are all available for readers to interpret themselves. In short, Omega One makes your bike faster than having no brake at all, and can be made even faster when you add the Delta cover.

Test Rigs + Protocol

TriRig Omni test rig

Cervelo P3 test rig

TriRig Omni test rig

Cervelo P3 test rig

We try to keep things very simple and straightforward when testing aero equipment. Ideally, only one thing is changed between two consecutive runs in the tunnel, in order to isolate the effects of that one change. For these bike-only tests, we ran the wheels and wind at 30mph, and sampled data for 15 seconds at each of 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, and 15 degrees of yaw. We tested Omega One both on our own Omni bicycle and also on the Cervelo P3 test rig we have used in the past, to see if we would see different results on traditional frames compared to our more radical one. In the end, it appears that Omega One has very similar performance regardless of which bicycle it is used on, saving significant drag for both. Both rigs were set up with identical wheels, saddles, drivetrains, cockpits, and positions.

Interpreting the Data

In most cases, the potential benefits of any change on a bicycle must be weighed against its potential drawbacks. In the case of Omega One, we are presented with the rare example of an unalloyed good. Omega One reduces drag across the entire yaw sweep, is significantly cleaner than any other brake on the market, and doesn't have any real drawbacks. When adding the Delta cover, the drag savings are compounded. The combination of Omega and Delta saves almost 4 watts compared to using a traditional brake! That can translate to almost 0.5 seconds per kilometer of racing, or 90 seconds over an Ironman bike leg. The data here also corroborates what we learned in our previous studies, that Omni is a faster bike than its best-in-class double-diamond cousin, even when that double-diamond bike is set up with the fastest bars and brakes on the market. But these tests demonstrate that Omega One and Delta can help narrow that gap, bringing double-diamond performance even closer to that of the Omni. As always, the reader is encouraged to interpret the data for themselves and come to their own conclusions.

Data + Images

Omni + Delta Tests

Omni + Delta Weighted-Average Drag

P3 + Delta Tests

P3 + Delta Weighted-Average Drag

Weight Set

Beta control at the LSWT

Knobs at the LSWT

Cervelo P3 Test Rig

pTriRig Omni Test Rig

TriRig Omni Test Rig

Fit Guide

This Guide shows you how to set up your TriRig Omni with the TriRig Alpha One or Alpha X aerobars. This Guide can help you replicate your current bike position, or set up your bike based on numbers from a bike fitter. The Fit Chart below shows the actual X/Y coordinates of your arm pads measured from the bottom bracket. This coordinate is the most important number that bike fitters use to determine your position on a triathlon bike. Be aware that some fitters use a coordinate to the top/back of the pad, rather than the top/center. In that case, you can subtract 44mm from all of the reach numbers in the Fit Chart, which yields the back of pad number. The steps below provide an easy-to-follow system for making sure you have the perfect fit with your Omni.

Step 1: Determine your current fit numbers

What we want is the X/Y coordinate to the top/center of your aerobar pads, measured from the bottom bracket. Most bike fitters can provide this number to you when performing a bike fit (although some provide it to the top/back of the pads rather than top/center). If you already know these numbers, you can skip this step. Otherwise, follow the steps below to determine these numbers for your current bike setup:

1-Place your bicycle up against the corner of a room, with the back tire abutting the wall.

2-Next, measure the vertical distance from the floor to the center of the bottom bracket. We'll call this measurement Floor Offset (FO).

3-Measure the horizontal distance from the wall to the center of the bottom bracket, we'll call this measurement Wall Offset (WO).

4-Measure the vertical distance from the floor to the top of your aerobar pads. This measurement will be Pads-To-Floor (PTF).

5-Measure the horizontal distance from the wall to the center of your aerobar pads. This will be called Pads-To-Wall (PTW).

6-Subtract Floor Offset from Pads-To-Floor (PTF minus FO). This is your Pad Stack.

7-Subtract Wall Offset from Pads-To-Wall (PTW minus WO). This is your Pad Reach.

Step 2: Review Frame Geometry

	Small	Medium	Large
Frame Stack (BB to Headset)	490mm	525mm	560mm
Frame Reach (BB to Headset)	375mm	405mm	435mm
Front Center	560mm	600mm	640mm
Rear Center	400mm	400mm	400mm
Seat Angle	79°	79°	79°
Head Angle	72.5°	72.5°	72.5°
Fork Offset	48mm	48mm	48mm

Step 3: Select Size, then find your position on the chart

The chart below shows the stack and reach information for the TriRig Omni with the included Alpha X aerobar, complete with the number of extension spacers and stem spacers used for each setup. Here's how to use the chart:

1-Use the dropdown box in the upper-right corner of the chart to select a bike size.

2-Find your Stack in the left-hand column of the chart, or the row that most closely matches your stack. Every cell in this row represents a way to set up the Alpha X on your Omni that will produce this stack number.

3-Each cell states the amount of Pad Spacers as well as Stem Spacers to use in order to hit your stack number.

4-In most cases, there will be multiple cells that can hit your stack. The best setup for your position will generally be the one with additional colored cells above AND below your selected cell. These cells represent room to move up or down in the future, merely by adding or removing Pad Spacers, which is generally the easiest way to make a position change.

5-Cells in blue represent a standard setup with the extensions over the bar. Cells in green represent the special undermount position, where the extensions are mounted below the bar.

6-Once you have selected a cell from your Stack row that represents your preferred position, look at the bottom of that column to the Reach section. The three rows of Reach cells show the reach to the center of the pad based on the three different adjustment positions available on the Alpha X arm cups. Select the one that most closely matches your Pad Reach number, and set up your pads/cups accordingly.

7-Note that fit numbers for the Omni w/ Alpha X are measured from the top/center of the headset to the top/center of the pad. All measurements for overmount hardware include the integrated BTA mount.