Apparel specialist Endura and the cycle aerodynamic experts at Drag2Zero have announced a new collaboration to develop a range of aero cycle clothing. The new alliance will commence with the development of aero-suits and overshoes for Movistar Team, the world’s number one ranked pro cycling team.
Endura’s technical clothing sponsorship of the Movistar Team started in January; however collaboration between Endura and Drag2Zero started many months prior to that – with Simon Smart, Technical Director at Drag2Zero (a division of Smart Aero Technology) and Jim McFarlane, Managing Director of Endura, both ‘intensively involved in shaping an extensive development programme’. This is in order to have sufficient wind tunnel testing and prototyping completed before racing commenced in 2014.
The immediate objective is clear; to deliver the fastest aero-kit in the World Tour peloton to the Movistar Team – and that is a very significant challenge in itself. However the collaboration has ambitions beyond this for the longer term and plans to use the ongoing aero-design knowledge from the Movistar work for a future aero-clothing range aimed at sportive riders and racers that will be branded as ‘Endura-Drag2Zero’.
Drag2Zero’s Simon Smart said “We have been looking at the gains to be made in cycle clothing for a number of years now and have seen in the wind tunnel how using the right fabrics and cut can see big improvements in performance.
“Teaming up with Endura is really exciting for us. They have a fantastic production facility here in the UK, which means that between us we have everything we need close by to develop things quickly. Endura also share our goal of developing products through necessity and giving cyclists what they need. “
Endura MD Jim McFarlane added “We’re very excited at formalising our collaboration with Drag2Zero; Simon is recognised internationally as the leading authority on aerodynamics in cycling and the facility at Brackley is arguably the best in the world. We have been working together for a number of months now and we seem to gel really well.
“The pairing of the Brackley cycle wind tunnel facility and Simon’s skills and experience in aero with Endura’s in-house ability to prototype and develop product rapidly in response to each set of test results puts us in a really strong position for aero product development.”
www.endura.co.uk
www.drag2zero.co.uk
