This article explores the rapid advancements in aero cycling clothing, featuring an interview with Castelli's Steve Smith. Smith shares his journey from cycling enthusiast in Portland to working with top pros like Filippo Ganna and Remco Evenepoel in wind tunnels, ultimately shaping the iconic Aero jersey and Gabba jacket.
"With Remco, we’ve probably blown 20 hours of wind on him" — Castelli’s Steve Smith on kitting out the pros and the evolution of cycling clothing
Back in those days, it was when the McQuaids were publishing Winning Bicycle Racing Illustrated, so our coverage of the Tour of Flanders would come in July. Real racing seemed so far away, although Oregon had a pretty active local scene.I went through university and – as you do in Portland – after university I went to work for Nike. I was at Nike for 10 years, including a two-year stint at their headquarters in Amsterdam.
The first innovation you had a hand in at Castelli was the first Aero jersey – how did that come about? That was a time when you really could make a huge difference with product. Of course, then all the other clothing manufacturers then scrabbled to catch up. You mentioned earlier that, at Castelli, you always think everything can be improved. How can race clothing still be improved?
It’s kind of crazy because we work with Ganna as part of the Italian national team for Olympic and World Championships. And everything non-Olympic or World Championships, we work with Remco Evenepoel . These two guys are completely different. I can’t think of a single thing that we’ve found in the wind tunnel that works with them both – they’re dramatically differently.The wind tunnel doesn’t tell us how something happens, it just gives us an outcome.
So probably a lot of the difference between them is coming from the way the bodies are hitting the air and what happens after that. Unfortunately, at the highest level, to get the most effect, you have to customise clothing for every single rider. A suit can be amazing on one guy but you put it on another guy and it doesn’t work at all.Right now, we’re at a level where we can maybe do it for one guy at a high level, two guys at a medium/low level, and then three guys who are lower levels.
CYCLING AERODYNAMICS CASETTI STEVE SMITH SPORTS TECHNOLOGY
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