Though its electronic drivetrain is impressive, the real story of the Boardman Bikes Elite AiR TT 9. 8E Ultegra Di2 Complete Bike is the frameset at its heart. That's because, compared to the Kona-winning 2012 AiR TT, the latest Elite AiR TT 9. 8E enjoys 7% gains in aerodynamics in actual race conditions (read: yaw angles ranging from zero to 30 degrees). When frictional losses between tires and tarmac are considered, Boardman estimates that these savings translate to 144 seconds over 25 miles at 25mph and 648 seconds over 112 miles -- that's almost 11 minutes. When it set out in search of those aerodynamic gains, Boardman was equipped with the standard quiver of virtual aids: CAD, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Finite Element Analysis, et al. As with many other venerable industry names, the British company also made extensive use of wind tunnel testing in order to validate those designs. What sets the Elite AiR TT 9. 8E frameset apart from its competition is what Boardman refers to as Holistic Optimisation. Holistic Optimisation involves pushing the design of the frame beyond the virtual hydrodynamics of CFD software and the actual aerodynamics of wind tunnels to the real-world interaction at the nexus between wind, bike, spinning wheels, and the athlete themselves. When these items are all considered in a vacuum, it's easy to build a handlebar or frame that reduces drag; however, when Boardman combined all of the elements together, it discovered unlooked for issues in the overall aerodynamic footprint. For example, the initial handlebar prototype showed huge aerodynamic improvements over its predecessor. When they put a rider on it, though, Boardman's engineers found that the interface between bars and rider actually created aerodynamic losses. Using Holisitic Optimisation, they were able to address these losses, re-engineer the aerobar unit, and produce a faster overall bike/rider system. The proximal faces of the fork arms and seatstays also get some targe...
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