TheAeroDropTHEAERODROP

Engineering monographs · AEO archive

The Journal

One report per piece we publish. Numbers first, adjectives afterwards: what the frame weighs on a calibrated scale, what it costs in watts at 45 km/h, and who should not buy it.

ASSOS of SwitzerlandApparel

ASSOS Equipe R Habu S9: AIRBLOCK.888 and Placed Insulation

Membrane: AIRBLOCK.888, three layers, balancing wind block against vapour transmission. Insulation: thermal textile panels placed at the back, lower front and neck rather than distributed evenly. Cut: aeroFit, compressive and close, developed in the World Tour rather than from a training garment. Reference mass: 395 g in size medium, with three ramp pockets, a front glove pocket and a reflective lower-back strip.

Published
6 November 2026
Reading time
4 min read
Equipe R Habu Winter Jacket S9US$550

BMC SwitzerlandBikes

BMC Teammachine R 01: Halo Fork, Mariana Shell and Formula 1 Method

Development: aerodynamics modelled with Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the engineering group behind the Formula 1 team's programmes. Halo fork: legs set far wider than a conventional road fork, with an open crown, to move the front wheel's wake away from the down tube. Mariana: the deepest bottom bracket in the range, allowing a straight seat tube path from shell to saddle. Build: 6.90 kg without pedals, SRAM RED AXS and DT Swiss ARC 1100 Dicut 62, 30 mm clearance.

Published
6 November 2026
Reading time
4 min read
Teammachine R 01 LTD — RED AXS / ARC 1100 Dicut 62US$14,999

CervéloBikes

Cervélo R5: 651 Grams, 5.97 kg and the UCI Floor

Frame: 651 g in size 56, 130 g lighter than its predecessor, a 16 per cent reduction achieved through layup rather than fibre change. Fork: 298 g, all carbon. Complete build: 5.97 kg in size 56 with RED or Dura-Ace, which is 830 g below the UCI minimum for mass-start racing. Geometry: fit figures shared with the S5, 410 mm chainstays across the size run, bottom bracket drop adjusted for 29 mm tyres.

Published
6 November 2026
Reading time
4 min read
R5 — Dura-Ace Di2 / Reserve 34|37US$13,000

CervéloBikes

Cervélo S5: The Bayonet Fork, the V-Stem and 6.3 Watts

Reference build: 7.25 kg in size 56 without pedals, SRAM RED AXS E1 and Reserve 57|64 Turbulent Aero. Front end: bayonet fork with the steerer outside the head tube, one-piece HB19 cockpit in 15 size combinations. Aerodynamics: 6.3 W faster and 124 g lighter than the previous generation, with asymmetric seat tube and rear cutout profiles. Tyres: designed around 29 mm, with geometry adjusted to preserve trail.

Published
6 November 2026
Reading time
4 min read
S5 — SRAM RED AXS / Reserve 57|64US$13,000

ColnagoBikes

Colnago C68: Bonded Lugs, the Split Head Tube and 925 Grams

Construction: tubes and junctions cured separately then bonded, with the lugs integrated into the tubes rather than added to them. Frame: 925 g in size 48.5, assembled and finished in Cambiago; a titanium-lug version adds 10 g. Head tube: split into two halves that can be varied in length independently, widening the stack and reach envelope. Build: 6.95 kg without pedals, Campagnolo Super Record Wireless and Bora Ultra WTO 45 with a CeramicSpeed SLT headset.

Published
6 November 2026
Reading time
4 min read
C68 Road — Super Record Wireless / Bora Ultra WTO 45US$16,500

ColnagoBikes

Colnago V4Rs: Real-Dynamic Stiffness, the CC.01 Cockpit and ENVE SES 4.5

Reference build: 6.850 kg in size 530, Dura-Ace Di2 R9270 and ENVE SES 4.5 at 50 mm front and 56 mm rear. Aerodynamics: the CC.01 cockpit presents 16 per cent less drag surface than the V3Rs cockpits, and the complete bicycle is measured 17.5 W ahead of the V3Rs at 50 km/h. Structure: 4 per cent stiffer in the sprint position and 5 per cent stiffer seated, measured with Colnago's own Real-Dynamic Stiffness protocol; the frame module drops 47 g to 1,668 g. Headset: CeramicSpeed SLT with solid polymer and stainless-steel races; 408 mm chainstays, 32 mm tyre compatibility.

Published
6 November 2026
Reading time
5 min read
V4Rs — Dura-Ace Di2 / ENVE SES 4.5US$15,200

FactorBikes

Factor OSTRO VAM: TeXtreme, Biconvex Sections and the 15 mm Seatpost

Reference build: 6.70 kg in size 54 without pedals, Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 and Black Inc 48|58. Frame: 820 g painted, TeXtreme spread-tow with Toray pitch-based fibre, cured in Factor's own factory. Aerodynamics: NACA-derived sections with a biconvex nose, 15 mm seatpost, location-specific bottle cages; 250 g and 7 W removed against the first generation. Chassis: T47A threaded bottom bracket with CeramicSpeed bearings, 32 mm tyre clearance.

Published
6 November 2026
Reading time
5 min read
OSTRO VAM — Dura-Ace Di2 / Black Inc 48|58US$11,899

KaskAccessories

KASK Elemento: Fluid Carbon 12, Multipod and the Ventilation Trade

Reference mass: 260 g, the figure KASK publishes for the Elemento. Shell: Fluid Carbon 12, a composite technopolymer that absorbs and distributes impact energy, which allowed KASK to enlarge the internal channels while shrinking the external vents. Impact interface: Multipod, a 3D-printed elastomer padding that responds to linear and rotational loads regardless of their direction; OCTOFIT+ provides retention. Certification: CE and UKCA conformity to EN 1078, with a WG11 rotational impact test protocol developed by KASK.

Published
6 November 2026
Reading time
4 min read
Elemento Helmet — Fluid Carbon 12 / MultipodUS$400

Pas Normal StudiosApparel

Mechanism Deep Winter Bibs: Windtex Pro, Grid Fleece and the Cold Envelope

Reference garment: men's Mechanism Deep Winter bib tights in a three-layer Windtex Pro membrane, with a brushed grid fleece backer and a DWR finish. Composition: face 71 per cent polyamide and 29 per cent elastane; backer 92 per cent polyester and 8 per cent elastane; four-layer ultralight foam chamois. Thermal envelope: Pas Normal Studios rates the garment 6 of 6 for insulation and 5 of 6 for wind protection, the opposite end of the scale from its summer jersey. Price reference: $410 / €380; the membrane is wind- and water-resistant rather than waterproof.

Published
6 November 2026
Reading time
5 min read
Mechanism Deep Winter BibsUS$410

Pas Normal StudiosApparel

Mechanism Pro Jersey: Mapped Fabric, Race Cut and Heat Release at Intensity

Reference garment: short-sleeve race jersey in Pas Normal Studios' 4D stretch-woven fabric, built as a second-skin layer for high-intensity riding. Construction: structurally mapped panels place different textiles where the body needs stretch, compression or airflow, with laser-cut sleeve edges and three rear pockets. Thermal envelope: Pas Normal Studios rates the jersey 5 of 6 for breathability and 1 of 6 for insulation, which places it in warm conditions at sustained output. Price reference: $260 / €240; exact fibre blend and garment mass vary by season and colourway.

Published
6 November 2026
Reading time
4 min read
Mechanism Pro JerseyUS$260

PinarelloBikes

Pinarello Dogma F: M40X, the Aero-Keel Junction and Princeton Peak 4550

Reference build: 6.780 kg in size 530 without pedals, Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 and Princeton Peak 4550. Frame: Torayca M40X, specified for tensile modulus; the bottom bracket is rotated 3.5 degrees into an Aero-Keel profile for a measured 1.2 per cent drag reduction at that junction. Front end: head tube nose narrowed by 8 mm, elliptical steerer, differentiated bearing diameters, Onda fork with 47 mm rake, Talon Ultra Fast cockpit. Geometry: 542.4 mm stack, 383.3 mm reach, 545 mm top tube, 407 mm chainstays, 30 mm tyre clearance.

Published
6 November 2026
Reading time
5 min read
Dogma F — Dura-Ace Di2 / Princeton Peak 4550US$14,500

PinarelloBikes

Pinarello Dogma X: X-Stays, 422 mm Chainstays and 35 mm Clearance

Frame: Torayca T1100 1K, the same fibre as the Dogma F, distributed for a taller and longer-held position. Rear end: X-Stays split near the seat tube and fix at four distinct points, with an X-shaped bridge for torsional continuity; stays measure 422 mm. Clearance: a real 35 mm, opened by the longer rear centre rather than by a modified seat tube. Build: 6.98 kg without pedals, Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 and Princeton CarbonWorks Grit 4540.

Published
6 November 2026
Reading time
4 min read
Dogma X — Dura-Ace Di2 / Princeton Grit 4540US$14,500

Specialized S-WorksBikes

S-Works Tarmac SL8: Speed Sniffer, FACT 12r and the Rapide CLX II Build

Reference build: 6.620 kg in size 56, SRAM RED AXS and Roval Rapide CLX II at 51 mm front and 60 mm rear. Frame: FACT 12r, 685 g in size 56, with a 33 per cent stiffness-to-weight gain and 6 per cent more saddle compliance than the SL7. Aerodynamics: the Speed Sniffer head tube extends the leading edge past the fork crown; Specialized's comparison puts the SL8 16.6 seconds ahead of the Venge over 40 km at 45 km/h. Geometry: 565 mm stack, 395 mm reach, 32 mm tyre clearance.

Published
6 November 2026
Reading time
4 min read
S-Works Tarmac SL8 — SRAM RED AXS / Roval Rapide CLX IIUS$14,000

Specialized S-WorksAccessories

S-Works Torch: The I-Beam Sole, the Asymmetric Last and 448 Grams

Sole: carbon plate with an internal I-Beam, 20 g lighter than the previous S-Works sole and wider under the forefoot. Last: asymmetric Body Geometry shape with a built-in varus wedge and a metatarsal button under the first metatarsal head. Closure: two BOA S3-Snap aluminium dials, one over the instep and one over the forefoot, tensioned independently. Reference mass: 448 g for the pair in size 42.

Published
6 November 2026
Reading time
4 min read
S-Works Torch Road ShoesUS$450

Specialized S-WorksBikes

Specialized Roubaix SL8: Future Shock 3.3 and 828 Grams of FACT 12r

Suspension: Future Shock sits above the head tube and moves the contact points 20 mm vertically while the frame stays rigid. Frame: FACT 12r, 828 g in size 56, 50 g lighter than the SL7, with layup lessons taken from the Aethos. Aerodynamics: Free Foil library and dropped seatstays; the manufacturer claims a 53 per cent reduction in impact energy reaching the rider. Build: 7.28 kg without pedals, SRAM RED AXS with power meter and Roval Terra CLX II, 40 mm clearance.

Published
6 November 2026
Reading time
4 min read
S-Works Roubaix SL8 — RED AXS / Roval Terra CLX IIUS$14,000