9 ways to go faster against the clock — without finding more watts

At time-trial speeds on a flat road, aerodynamic drag makes up the overwhelming majority of the resistance you're working against. Rolling resistance and drivetrain losses are small by comparison.

The catch is that drag rises with the square of your speed, and the power needed to overcome it rises with the cube. Riding 10% faster takes roughly a third more power. That's why drag savings are so valuable: they're watts you no longer have to find in your legs.

Your body makes up around three-quarters of the total drag of you and your bike. Head height, shoulder width and back angle change it more than any single piece of equipment.

Two adjustments to try on the bike:

• Get your head down. If you can, drop it below the line of your back. Imagine pushing your chin into your arms.
• Shrug your shoulders in. Bring them in tighter so your arms and shoulders present less frontal area.

This is general advice: an aero test is the only way to confirm what is fastest for you. W/CdA (power relative to drag) is the name of the game, so being powerful in your position is essential. A lower-drag position that restricts your ability to produce power won't be faster.

Any aggressive position feels uncomfortable at first. Train in it and you'll get more comfortable, and the power will often come back. But a position you can't hold for your whole race is worse than a less optimal one you can. Test changes in the real world with repeat runs on the same stretch of road.

Your helmet is one of the most individual choices you'll make. The fastest option depends on your head shape, your shoulder width, and how your head sits in your position, so a helmet that's quick on one rider can be slower on another.

That's why it's worth wind tunnel testing. Try a few helmets in your actual race position, with your suit on, and let the data decide. A helmet that looks fast but doesn't suit your shape can cost you time.

If you have access to multiple already, you can test them with out Aero Calculator Tool.

W/CdA - power divided by drag if the number you need to be chasing. You need to know both halves. A power meter gives you the power side.

It lets you hold a steady target on race day, and it lets you compare positions and kit on the same stretch of road by looking at speed for a given power. Without it, you're guessing whether a change helped or whether you simply rode harder that day.

Once your position is set, the next-biggest surface in the wind is what you're wearing. A loose jersey flaps; a poorly designed suit lets air separate from your arms and shoulders early, leaving a large, turbulent wake behind you.

A good TT suit does two jobs. It fits without a wrinkle in your riding position, and it uses textured fabrics on the arms and shoulders that keep airflow attached for longer. Ours are developed and tested at the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub.

Your feet and lower legs are among the messiest shapes on the bike. They're rotating cylinders and a blunt shoe, all in disturbed air. A textured overshoe trips the boundary layer so airflow stays attached for longer, which shrinks the wake behind them. The shoe cover smooths airflow around boa dials and laces.

Our Neo Aero Overshoes are double-layered, with an inner woven ribbed panel under an ultra-low-friction outer skin. A redesigned toe box with an enclosed heel cup keeps the airflow clean around the shoe. They reach the mid-point of the shin, which is the UCI limit, so they're legal for sanctioned racing.

Pound for pound, this is one of the cheapest watts in cycling.

On a TT bike your hands are the first thing the air meets, and fingers are a lumpy, irregular shape. A close-fitting aero glove with a smooth, windproof outer streamlines them — a small gain, but one that applies for every second of the effort.

Our TT Aero Gloves use a short-finger, long-palm cut. It feels unusual the first time you put them on. That's deliberate.

Textured fabrics only work where they're designed to sit. If a suit bunches at the shoulders or creases across the stomach when you're tucked, you lose the benefit and add drag.

Check fit in your race position, not standing up — a TT suit should feel snug on the bike. If you're between sizes, look at the size guide on the product page or email us at info@rule28.com before you order.

Going out too hard is the most common way to lose time in a time trial. An early surge feels good, but it burns energy you'll need later, and you give back more than you gained in the final third.

Aim for an even, controlled effort. Start slightly under your target power for the first few minutes, settle into it, and save anything extra for the end. Because drag power rises with the cube of speed, putting out a bit more power where you're slowest, such as climbs and headwinds, and a bit less where you're fast, such as descents and tailwinds, usually saves time overall. Practise your pacing in training, ideally on your race course, so race day isn't the first time you try it.