Notio Aerometer review: the cost-powerful opportunity to wind tunnel trying out?

The Notio

For time trialists critical approximately aero optimisation, the Notio is a great investment – however to get the maximum out of it you want time in addition to money

_{(Image credit: Tom Epton)}

The Notio is a truely amusing little bit of kit, vital for any self-confessed aero-nerd. If you are trying to crack 20 for a 10-mile TT, or simply trying to get as rapid as possible, you want a Notio. It surely is sort of a pocket sized wind tunnel and Notio’s related apps and facts evaluation is incredible too. However, at a charge of $six hundred or better relying on territory, it is possibly now no longer really well worth it for the common rider.

Pros

Huge quantity of dependable facts,

Fantastic facts evaluation from Notio’s app,

Lightweight,

Good battery existence,

Cons

Tricky to healthy to high-quit TT bike cockpits

The Notio Aerometer is a tool you connect to the the front of your bicycle and it measures how aerodynamic you are. These types of gadgets are noticeably new to the marketplace, simplest coming approximately withinside the ultimate couple of years and feature spread out aerodynamic trying out(opens in new tab) to greater people. 

Getting your palms in this kind of facts withinside the beyond could’ve required a high priced and time ingesting ride to the wind tunnel. That is largely what the Notio goals to do – strap a miniature wind tunnel to the the front of your bicycle. 

The Notio measures an correct and repeatable cost for the made of our coefficient of drag and frontal aero – basically seeking to degree simply how aero we are. This sounds noticeably easy however aerodynamics are complex and air passing over us behaves in a extraordinary manner so growing a tool small sufficient that it may be strapped to a bicycle however true sufficient to get repeatable measurements isn’t anyt any suggest feat. 

NOTIO AEROMETER: CONSTRUCTION

The tool itself is a small black pod with a motorbike computer-sized mount. The Notio sits on a platform in this mount which may be rotated – this indicates there’s a bit greater flexibility as to in which it may be set up at the the front of a bike. This may be beneficial in  circumstances – while trying to optimise the the front quit of a TT bike or while trying to strap it to a motorbike with non-popular bars, many time trial the front ends aren’t in particular amenable to bolting gadgets on – specially high-quit ones. 

Notio claims a battery existence of as much as 12 hours at the same time as recording. During the take a look at classes that we’ve achieved with this, it’s now no longer run out of price yet. I actually have visible facts from a few long term trials measured from this tool, aleven though I keep away from doing long term trials myself in any respect costs. The battery is charged with a popular miniature USB cable. 

_{DC RainmakerEurobike Aero Roundup: Notio, AeroLab, AeroPod, Swiss Side and …}

The simplest problem we had while trying out with the Notion turned into locating approaches to strap it to high-quit time trial bikes. Non-popular and oddly formed tubes are not unusual right here and some greater mounting answers from Notio could be welcome. 

The Notio connects to its personal app and to Garmin head units. Currently, the tool doesn’t connect with different manufacturers of head units. Upon talking to Notio approximately this, it’s some thing they need to do however it’s now no longer continually easy with regards to third-birthday birthday celebration apps with different manufacturers. An Android pleasant cell app could additionally be helpful.

THE RIDE

It’s honest to mention that this tool isn’t the maximum consumer pleasant element on this planet and it does take a piece of having used to. With any clinical tool, whether or not it’s an oscilloscope in an optics lab or an aeropod, step one is continually to try to degree the equal element twice. If you can’t repeat measurements, there’s no point. The element I found out the usage of the Notio, and this isn’t truely a fault of the tool, is that that is particularly depending on the rider. It takes an obscene quantity of physical focus to finish  runs and get  CdA values near sufficient collectively to call ‘the equal’. 

However, as soon as you’ve were given used to the usage of the tool, the wealth of facts you’re capable of gain from it’s miles unreal. If you’re a critical time trialist, possibly trying to crack 20 for a 10-mile TT, or simply trying to get as rapid as possible, you want a Notio. It surely is sort of a pocket sized wind tunnel and Notio’s related apps and facts evaluation is incredible too. 

The tool you operate is a part of the dimension and the critical element is consistency throughout runs in preference to the real range itself. With a electricity metre that is much less of a hassle as measuring electricity is a quite easy pass made of pressure and angular velocity, however aero measurements require you to degree such a lot of matters that matching a CdA at the road, song and wind tunnel may be very tricky, and now no longer always a aim really well worth aiming for in all cases.

In phrases of usability, we accomplished true measurements on a protracted out-and-returned stretch and a loop on a peaceful day. With CdA measurements you generally tend to get estimates to 3 massive figures (some thing like 0.24 for example). The Notion has been independently validated with the aid of using a guide withinside the European Journal of Sports Science(opens in new tab) as being capable of discover adjustments of ±1.2%, this turned into achieved in a velodrome. On the open road, we had been capable of degree continually to inside 6.7%. 

VALUE  

The Notio is available in at $599 on their website(opens in a brand new tab) however I can’t discover one from a UK store for much less than £700. Cyclepowermeters.com has it at £759(opens in new tab). 

CONCLUSION

Given the reality that the marketplace is pretty small because of the modern-day nature of aero sensor tech it’s tough to choose what the ‘right’ charge is. In the following few years those sensors could be greater common, which would possibly nicely cause a lower in fees throughout the board. If you need an aero sensor today, the Notio is a stable option. 

Weight: 80g

Mounting system: 360 diploma mounting throughout  axes

Sensors: pitot tube, barometer, 3-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, hygrometer, thermometer

Sources Notio.