Category: Cycling

Race: 2026 70.3 Ironman Chattanooga

paschmann

Another year back in Chattanooga, I knew I wanted to come back after the swim leg of the triathlon was cancelled in 2025, and I really enjoyed the course and the city.

My mom and I arrived on Friday afternoon after a beautiful drive through the Appalachian mountains and a short stop at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. We stayed very close to the start/finish which was convenient since it was her first time attending an event like this. I stayed there the year before with Wes and it an absolutely prime location. Saturday after bike check in and info session I drove the bike course and did some sight seeing. We went up Lookout Mountain on the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway (Steepest part is 75% gradient!) and had a short walk around Point Park. After multiple visits to Mellow Mushroom for carbs, race morning came pretty quick. read more

Notio – Aero meter #CDA

paschmann

This did not end up lasting too long. Some interesting insights from the device, but accuracy especially with something like CDA is very nuanced.

Key take away, continue to use Best Bike Split (software derived CDA versus this physical device).

This was one of my test from Huntersville Business Park:

Test Conditions

  • Weather: Hot
  • Bike Setup: Fully loaded with 2 water bottles, no tools
  • Note: Rear radar moved during testing
  • Coefficient of Rolling Resistance (Crr): 0.004
  • Rider Weight: 190.08 lbs
  • Tire Circumference: 2136 mm
  • Calibration Factor: 1.39

Key Findings

  • Visor position: Down position saved ~0.007 CDA (Notio) / ~0.002 CDA (BBS)
  • Calf sleeves: Minimal impact – ~0.001 CDA (Notio) / ~0.009 CDA (BBS)
  • Direction matters: Counter-clockwise on this HBP loop showed higher drag in both systems
  • System difference: Best Bike Split consistently reads 0.044-0.092 higher than Notio
  • Best configuration: No sleeves + visor down = 0.222 CDA (Notio) / 0.2843 CDA (BBS)
    • read more

    OpenAero – A open source design system for Bike Accessories

    paschmann

    After designing, building, rebuilding, and re-printing dozens of accessories for my bikes over the last few years, I wanted to create and share a open source design system for accessories for bikes that allows myself (and a community) to innovate and collaborate on these types of products. Here is a snippet from the readme file:

    Our goal is to develop a modular mounting system for bicycle accessories — ranging from water bottle holders and lights to phone and cycling computers. Partially inspired by Gridfinity, this system provides a base platform and is intended to be stackable. The motivation behind the definition and open source nature of this project is to encourage community-driven design and innovation in the triathlon space. read more