Recommended Protocol

General approach: Run a baseline first, update your calibration factor, then continue with your tests.

• Velodrome: At least 1500 m (≈6 good laps of a 250 m track).
• Out-back: At least 3 out-backs, each 600–1000m in length.

You can select valid laps in the CIQ app and read off the average calibration, or use Aeroportal / Aeroworkbook to do the same.

There are a few things to bear in mind based on test type.

Indoor Velodrome

Calibration is easiest on an indoor Velodrome because it there is no wind. A couple of points to watch out for:

• Ride alone: Other riders disturb the air, effectively giving you a false tailwind.
• Limit calibration laps: Only use the first ~5 laps for calibration (set under Advanced settings → Max calibration laps in the Aeroworkbook and under Edit run in Aeroportal). After that, you start creating your own “tailwind.” Think of the velodrome as a giant cup of tea and yourself as the spoon — circulation builds gradually, but eventually it affects your data.

Outdoor Velodrome

Outdoors you don’t generate your own tailwind, but you will almost always encounter some ambient wind.

• Collect at least 1500m of data (≈6 laps of a 250 m track).
• More laps generally improve reliability.

Out-Back testing

Two main issues affect out-back calibration:

1. Traffic: Passing cars, motorbikes, or cyclists disturb the air and create headwinds or tailwinds. The more traffic, the less reliable your calibration.
2. Consistency of start/end point: Local features (trees, buildings, hedges) influence wind patterns. If your “out” and “back” sections don’t overlap exactly, calibration accuracy suffers.

Best practice:

• Choose quiet roads and times with minimal traffic.
• Keep start/stop points, acceleration, and deceleration as consistent as possible.
• The more consistent your testing, the more consistent the results.