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Maybe the, errm, chunky stem is to compensate for the anorexic fork steerer tube?
[i]if it was that important why none of this sort of thing ?[/i]
Looks the same to me. With some stickers.
the brakes
mountainbiker in believing the hype shocker.
what diff do you reckon those brakes make? compared to say the diff GB can get by rocking those crazy skinny forks?
that's the first time i seen a photo of mr wiggins, how come he's got such skinny legs?!
wiggins?
skinny legs?
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he's looking fat by his garmin standards!
[i]mountainbiker in believing the hype shocker.
what diff do you reckon those brakes make? compared to say the diff GB can get by rocking those crazy skinny forks? [/i]
I'm not the one building the world most aerodynamic and ugly road bike. I'm only asking the question if aero is so critical that in needs flat bars and goping stems then why haven't they addressed the turbulence caused by the brake cluster, a well known issue for all performance bikes (so much so that on tt bikes they hide them behind the bb), like Ridley have with the fast bike.
Don't get me started on the 3/4 length leg warmers and short sleeve jersey..
Mmmmm.
I'm thinking he probably won't give a shit what anyone thinks of his choice of clothing.
ewwwwwwww, skinny legs does not look nice
makes sense thinking about marathon runners etc, but for some reason i had big legs/skinny upper body in my head
a well known issue for all performance bikes (so much so that on tt bikes they hide them behind the bb), like Ridley have with the fast bike.
but that's my point.
after all this wind tunnel testing and building for a non-commercial client... could you consider that hiding the brake is something of a TT gimic to sell frames, whereas skinnier forks, 1 inch HT etc might be a genuine improvement but less sellable?
they don't *really* look like this you know 😉
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[i]after all this wind tunnel testing and building for a non-commercial client...[/i]
so Ridleys claims are invalid because they are commercial.
bellville is the only bit of road racing i've ever watched, ever.
i feel a little let down now
after all this wind tunnel testing and building for a non-commercial client...so Ridleys claims are invalid because they are commercial.
no idea.
possibly tho eh? wouldn't be the first time the industry had thrown in some cool looking features to pep up sales a bit would it?
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Behind the forks here.
[i]With the Noah FB you save more than 20 Watt (14,11 + 6,08) compared to a normal road bike, while your heartbeat goes down by more than 4%. This means that the track test proves our windtunnel results, our FAST-concept bikes make professional riders faster and conserve energy..[/i]
pretty bold claims to make in a commercial market, and could easily be rubbished by Trek, Spesh etc.
so Ridleys claims are invalid because they are commercial.
I don't think Ridleys claims are invalid nor do I think the Wiggins bike is foolish for not sporting the latest trend in headtubes. Makes sense to me that you use the thinnest possible diameter headtube to reduce frontal mass, likewise with the forks. I think the brake thing with the Ridley is interesting, I think there's probably a minimal benefit to having the brake hidden away but its more marketing than anything else.
Personally I really like this sort of thing, where someone has developed something to be the very best it can be without an eye on whether it will be commercially viable. Bit like F1/Moto GP, these bikes won't be made to turn a profit but simply provide a platform for going as fast as possible within the UCI constraints.
Behind the forks here
Commercial frame though innit, anyone can buy a Grael (sp?). A lot of the big players are doing the hidden brake thing now - Cervelo, Storck, Trek, Scott and so on especially on TT bikes. I do wonder if its a 'Well XXX company has done it, so we need to as well or we'll look old hat' - how much actual power can be saved compared to say a proper TT helmet, a skinsuit or a decent position on the bike?
and is he paid to ride that bike or did he choose it himself?Behind the forks here.
BTW I've no idea on what is isn't best aero-wise or on who is more likely to tell fibs, or indeed who decides what equipment is used but just because something is done by several companies don't mean it's the right way and if it's used for material gain ("this new bike has backwards brakes come on folks form a queue") then that's a good reason to be atleast a little cynical
I am surprised they didn't have to remove the Dura Ace from the cranks. I thought all brands / logos were frowned upon.
BTW I've no idea on what is isn't best aero-wise or on who is more likely to tell fibs, or indeed who decides what equipment is used but just because something is done by several companies don't mean it's the right way and if it's used for material gain ("this new bike has backwards brakes come on folks form a queue") then that's a good reason to be atleast a little cynical
my point exactly. just cos ridley make an integrated brake in a big fork, doesn't mean integrated brake in a big fork is faster than a (decided by most folks on STW) ugly skinny fork with normal brake setup
the reaction on here, and even the title of this thread prove my point really, maybe the fastest design is a hard sell?
I saw this story this morning and was surprised as I'd assumed they would be riding the same bikes they used in the test event a couple of months back. I'd hope they've been tested on proper roads to make sure they won't fold the first time they hit a crease in the road surface. But I'm not aware of any occasion when they've been subjected to the stresses Cav puts a bike under in a bunch sprint.
Although, if the bike does decide to fold underneath him, Cav will be allowed to take it on a train.
[i]I am surprised they didn't have to remove the Dura Ace from the cranks. I thought all brands / logos were frowned upon. [/i]
isn't that good for you ? 😕
I think the brake thing with the Ridley is interesting, I think there's probably a minimal benefit to having the brake hidden away but its more marketing than anything else.
A cynic might suggest it's a way to tie people in to more expensive proprietry (sic) braking systems (rather than relatively good and affordable Shimano calipers.... though they themselves are going that way with the new twin bolt caliper mounting 'standard') for a given frame/fork manufacturer and/or simply doing the visual groundwork for hydraulic road calipers, with fully concealed hydraulic lines from lever/master cylinder down to the caliper, so bikes don't look too 'different' in one go......
thing is how do you sell your faster design? Everyone claims their bike is best, how do I know yours really [b]is [/b]faster, you don't expect me to believe your advertising do you?maybe the fastest design is a hard sell?
😉
cynic might suggest it's a way to tie people in to more expensive proprietry....
I think you're pretty spot on with that - just look at the various 'standards' that now adorn pretty much any bike you can buy. You have to wonder if BC did the testing and didn't think a reverse mount brake was worthwhile, or if they just overlooked it whilst concentrating on other things. The BC of 10 years ago might have done the later - with the current funding they have I'd say there's little chance they overlook anything...
sowhats this bolt for..??!:
Folding bike so they can get it on the tube, innit.
lets just hope nothing like this...
thing is how do you sell your faster design?
by adorning it with gimics! duhhh! 😉
how do I know yours really is faster, you don't expect me to believe your advertising do you?
Thing is, you could stick Aaron Gwin on a Demo 8 or Gt Fury and he'd still decimate the competition. I'm willing to bet that Wiggins et al could be riding their winter bikes and still put up a pretty good fight. How stock is Sagans 'Dale for example and he'll still be a threat...
hopefully for cav any aero advantage is going for about 20secs at the end of race.
pretty bold claims to make in a commercial market, and could easily be rubbished by Trek, Spesh etc.
Indeed, and they have been, both the new Madone and Spesh Venge make bigger claims.
And there's the issue of stiffness and weight, that Ridley has to deal with 100kg Fat Joe Public withour breaking, the UK Sport bikes only have to deal with the ~65kg most of the riders weight, and despite that aero road frames aren't known for being the stiffest. Thow a huge budget at building a frame for the exact rider weight and you'll come up with a better solution.
Tracknico's comment sounds the most plausible, that there was more to be gained by making the fork tiny than there was from making it big and hiding the brake inside it.
On the other hand maybe they just ran out of money, after all they're just slightly modified track bikes so a brake is an afterthought. Or somewhere between the two, they tested the integrated brake forks and found no advantage to developing something new over their existing track fork + brake setup so spent the oney elswhere.
Tracknico's comment sounds the most plausible
wahhhheyyyyyy *fist pumps*
On the other hand maybe they just ran out of money,
oh. *unfistpump*
So what is Wiggins going to be using for the TT? Anyone know?
hopefully for cav any aero advantage is going for about 20secs at the end of race.
I know what you're saying, but not entirely true.... if he can achieve any aero efficiency whilst riding at the speed of the bunch, then he's saving energy, for when he needs it (i.e. the last couple of K). As a general rule, he will a) be protested by another rider as much as possible (of WAAAAYYYY more benefit that where the calipers are) and b) rides in the drops whenever practical to make his body as aero as possible to save energy throughout the race (,again of WAAAAYYYY more benefit that where the calipers are).
biggest aero saving is to get the germans to do all the work and tuck in behind Greipel.
biggest aero saving is to get the germans to do all the work and tuck in behind Greipel.
true dat. you wouldnt even be able to see cav if he was tucked behind greipel (from the front)
true dat. you wouldnt even be able to see cav if he was tucked behind greipel (from the front)
I'm not sure about that, Cav does have a massive head
Article on Bicycling magazine website about them [url= http://bicycling.com/blogs/boulderreport/2012/07/27/britains-mysterious-olympic-bikes/1/ ]here[/url]
I'm not sure about that, Cav does have a massive head
...at greipels waist height.
I'm not sure about that, Cav does have a massive head...at greipels waist height.
With a bit of luck, it'll be Cav telling Greipel to '..suck on that..' at the end of the race tomorrow, rather than, ahem, the other way around..... 😉
Guardian/Bicycling story .....lots of it seems to be based on old stories
the UK Sport bikes only have to deal with the ~65kg most of the riders weight, and despite that aero road frames aren't known for being the stiffest.
Those bikes are plenty stiff enough. The carbon layup on them is engineered to put all the power down. They're not as stiff as the track bikes admittedly but then they have to deal with road surfaces and an athlete not shaken to pieces by the road vibrations is generally better at sprinting than one who's teeth have been rattled loose from just hanging on all day.
Don't be fooled by the basic looks of the front end or the fact that it's not a BB90.