Are we about to see ridiculous looking bikes at sportives?
Discussion
Was reading bikeradar news, and tucked into the bottom of the "UCI decides against resuming disc brakes" article is this...
(paraphrased to not break rules)
The UCI is doing away with the 3:1 tubing ratio rules. This rule basically says "no overly aero shapes".
So, with no restrictions anymore, are we about to see the return of extreme creations like these?
I realise that 2 of those are TT bikes and one is a concept, but all it would take is for Froome to use one in the TdF, and you just know that the next Ridelondon will have a smattering of em =)
(paraphrased to not break rules)
The UCI is doing away with the 3:1 tubing ratio rules. This rule basically says "no overly aero shapes".
So, with no restrictions anymore, are we about to see the return of extreme creations like these?
I realise that 2 of those are TT bikes and one is a concept, but all it would take is for Froome to use one in the TdF, and you just know that the next Ridelondon will have a smattering of em =)
Unlikely.
I watched at the side of the road for a while at ride london and most people were not riding time trial bikes, or even aero bikes. It will of course change what people in the TT scene ride more than likely, but can't see it making 'too' much odds to the day to day stuff. I mean, Cervelo s5 is already pretty far down the aero track!
I watched at the side of the road for a while at ride london and most people were not riding time trial bikes, or even aero bikes. It will of course change what people in the TT scene ride more than likely, but can't see it making 'too' much odds to the day to day stuff. I mean, Cervelo s5 is already pretty far down the aero track!
The 3:1 tube ratio looks like it's going to be dropped but bikes will still have to be 'triple-triangle' so some of the more outlandish frame designs of the '90s are unlikely to reappear in the pro peloton.
I think we'll see a lot of innovation on the front end of TT bikes. Aero base bars with super long aerofoils, like the TriRig Alpha, will be introduced in UCi events, and fork blades will most likely exceed the 3:1 ratio.
Frame head tubes will also be able to be made more aero without having to resort to the bayonet fork solution that Felt introduced a few years back.
I think we'll see a lot of innovation on the front end of TT bikes. Aero base bars with super long aerofoils, like the TriRig Alpha, will be introduced in UCi events, and fork blades will most likely exceed the 3:1 ratio.
Frame head tubes will also be able to be made more aero without having to resort to the bayonet fork solution that Felt introduced a few years back.
I have no idea about this so im asking just for my own education but with flat frames like in the pictures and fully disc wheels how does this effect handling from side winds? If I was to ride one of these bikes over long high elevation flats how concerned should I be about being blown into the center of a road.?
Mikeyjae said:
I have no idea about this so im asking just for my own education but with flat frames like in the pictures and fully disc wheels how does this effect handling from side winds? If I was to ride one of these bikes over long high elevation flats how concerned should I be about being blown into the center of a road.?
No idea but you'd look cool trying Mikeyjae said:
I have no idea about this so im asking just for my own education but with flat frames like in the pictures and fully disc wheels how does this effect handling from side winds? If I was to ride one of these bikes over long high elevation flats how concerned should I be about being blown into the center of a road.?
They're not great in high winds, that is for sure. Though most of that is the front wheel. My TT bike looks quite like the Felt on, and you would be mad trying to ride it in high cross winds with 90mm front wheel and disc.
If we accept that the least aerodynamic thing about a bike is the rider, and therefore hugely sculpted aero frames won't make a massive % difference (because the rider causes most of the drag - what % I don't know), at what point does the added weight of the streamlining (as in the red bike above, and the yellow at the top) cancel out the small difference in aero benefit?
mon the fish said:
If we accept that the least aerodynamic thing about a bike is the rider, and therefore hugely sculpted aero frames won't make a massive % difference (because the rider causes most of the drag - what % I don't know), at what point does the added weight of the streamlining (as in the red bike above, and the yellow at the top) cancel out the small difference in aero benefit?
The bike might only represent 10-20% of the drag but at TT speeds that's 10-20% of a significant amount of drag. Weight is considerably less important in all but the lumpiest of courses, when you would probably use a road bike anyway.
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