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BH G4 Broken Fork
2008-04-10 18:26:00
Picture Courtesy : Graham WatsonLatest pictures from yesterday's Ghent Wevelgem in Belgium. The carbon fork is sheared off, maybe halfway from midsection. Everything else appears pretty much intact.What is very interesting is that the manufacturer on its website claims : "This is quite possibly the lightest production frame on the market and it has a lifetime warranty. BH achieves this magical blend of low-weight, great ride and toughness using Nanotechnology resins."I'm not sure where exactly extra reinforcement was provided in the frame and fork. But this comes at a time when just a week or two back in an earlier post, we talked about this idea of how carbon nanotubes may help counter the very situation of catastrophic and brittle failures. This is either bad manufacturing, dum marketing or nanotechnology has just taken a stab in the back.The bicycle was ridden by Dion Renaud when he took a spill. Anyone know the details of the crash? I hope it wasn't a traffic island again.
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Gary Fisher : Design for Manufacturing
2008-04-09 22:27:00
Design is a highly iterative process and requires a great deal of research, ideas, the ability to communicate through writing and drawing and consistently testing prototypes to design a good final product. Constraints are often time, resources and design parameters. Function always leads form and the customer is king.A representative from Gary Fisher talks about going through the motions of a typical new project, from taking a idea on the drawing board to a virtual bicycle model in SolidWorks to finally building a working product that will satisfy the intended customer. Video courtesy USER RAFISILUK.You can also watch a good clip of the design behind the TREK Lime Bike.
More About: Design , Modern , Manufacturing

Odds of Dying in a Bicycle Crash
2008-04-09 06:33:00
Over the course of your life, it may be safer to ride a bicycle than to be a pedestrian!But the chances of dying in a bicycling accident is apparently more than that of going down in an airplane.This interesting picture showed up on the Pixdaus blog. Check it out.1 in 4919 (0.02%) is a lifetime probability that means that out of every 4919 instances you ride your bicycle, 1 of those times you'll certainly die. According to this website, this data was provided by the National Safety Council.But referring to the NSC's website itself, that number seems more like 1 in 4098 (2005). Interestingly, we are named 'Pedalcyclists'. I've never seen that before. Is there any other form of cycling other than pedaling? I guess you could technically 'cycle' drugs and steroids too but...Anyway, so is this picture reflecting new data?Bicycle death statistics can have various facets as an article on the CICLE blog says. It is suffice to say that riders who don't follow the rules will die muc...
More About: Dying , Crash , Odds

The Official Rules of the Euro Cyclist
2008-04-09 04:27:00
Two self proclaimed Euro 'Lords', Dom Guiver from the University of Ottawa and Mike Flavell of Carlton, CA created this Facebook group called "Official Rules of the Euro Cyclist". Having well over 3200 members, the leadership provides ample guidelines to dabbling cyclists on how to meet the ideals of Euroness through style, riding temperament and of course, equipment.There is also plenty of obvious scorn to items and individuals who don't.These rules create a science out of what we bluntly name 'Euro'. They lend expression to understanding how the men of cobbles and Alpine gradients work and presents itself as sort of a contemporary of the Code of Hammurabi.What do you like? I fancy rules 37, 50 and 53 but 36 works well with me too. 47 is to be duly noted!Read on or join the group here.THE OFFICIAL RULES OF THE EURO CYCLIST1. Image and style shall be your primary concern. When suffering, one must focus first on maintaining a cool, even composure, and second on performance. Winn...
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DaVinci Independant Drive System for Tandems
2008-04-08 02:35:00
Increasing the pedaling comfort and efficiency of the tandem drive train has been the main focus of performance tandem designers, davinci Designs.So what comprises the independent coasting mechanism or 'ICS'?"The main component of da Vinci Designs? ICS is an intermediate drive shaft six inches in front of the rear bottom bracket. The intermediate shaft has two single-speed freewheels on the left side that are independently driven by the cranks at twice the rotating speed and half the torque. On the right side of the shaft, four Hyperglide? cogs drive the bike. The chain rings are half the size as those on a conventional tandem because of the double rotation of the intermediate shaft. The combination of 12-, 18-, 24-, 30-tooth driving gears equals 24-, 36-, 48-, 60-tooth chain rings."Read more here.
More About: System , Drive , Davinci , How Its Made , Independant

This Week in Pro Racing
2008-04-07 20:31:00
MILAN SAN-REMO 2008"Fabian was capable of expressing an average output of about 700-800 watts on the last 2 minutes of the race."- Dr. Michele Ferrari, Italian Cycling CoachPicture Courtesy : Graham WatsonIn Fashion : This handy performance upgrade, called 'faith', may buy you anywhere from zero to an infinite amount of power. Since it exists only in the confines of the heart and mind, it is very quite lightweight and suited by many professionals.Picture Courtesy Tim de WaeleRONDE VAN VLAANDEREN 2008The infamous Koppenberg presents a behemoth 22% gradient. This makes it extremely difficult to negotiate even for top professional cyclists. Quite often, riders slow almost to the point of losing their balance (especially those at the back of the peloton) who have to dismount and scramble to the top on foot, pushing their bikes.Phil Liggett was right. You get off your bike in dirt and pain and keep fighting the question, 'why am I making a living like this?'Picture Courtesy : Graham...
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To Warsaw and Back
2008-04-07 18:45:00
Distance : 45 milesTotal Climbing : 5500 ftAvg. Temperature : 45 FWe headed to the town of Warsaw NY this past weekend. Along the way were some sick climbs and super fun providing cute tingly feelings in the legs. The fabled Centerline Road below East Aurora consistently pushes bike riders a few times to 'happy land'.I'm not sure if there was ever a flat section of road that Saturday.I love countryAndy Burke drops a bottle (he also rides aerobars up hills ... hardcore..)Here comes a sweet 1 mile climb, average gradient 8-10% at bestWarsawAll these hills can't be bad for Battenkill, "Queen of the American Classics". 2 weeks to go and time to PEAK with a juicy spicy taper.Guess who?
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SRAM Red Shifter Design
2008-04-04 19:59:00
"And in case you wonder where the whole Frog / Make the Leap thing comes from, it?s in the exceptionally simple/smart/durable shifting design where directional cable changes can be made using the single cylinder because the two engaging levers simply hop over each other depending on lever throw distance."Source : Charles Manatan, SRAM Red First Look
More About: Design , Modern , Shifter

A Question of Upgrades
2008-04-04 04:36:00
Don't buy upgrades; ride up grades.- Eddy Merckx
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Mavic Road Pedals
2008-04-02 20:36:00
Mavic has a long and colorful history in cycling. From first introducing aluminum rims to the Tour de France in 1935 to venturing into carbon fiber spokes a few years ago, they seem to be at the forefront of what makes us riders move fast.Mavic may believe its cup has overflowed and now wants to seek business in other areas, which is probably why they are rumored to introduce a new set of clipless pedals that will apparently be compatible with Look's Keo Cleats. A pair of the steel-axle version is said to weigh 288 grams.[Source]Prototypes?But why were their earlier pedals discontinued (the 646's licensed by LOOK) ?Source : SPEEDPLAY MuseumInterestingly, they are also set to go into their own line of cycling footwear,apparel and accessories for 2009. Whether the pedals will hit the markets then remains to be seen.Watch this neat video from Mavic's J.P Mercat (Head of R&D) on the engineering behind the R-Sys wheelset. We also hope he has a peek at the failure page.
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Carbon Nano-Tube Bicycle Technology
2008-04-01 03:27:00
BMC SLC01 ProJust when you're wondering which frontier the bicycle industry will push open next, SWISS bicycle maker BMC produced the world's first carbon nanotube (CNT) bike, a material that is now considered the strongest and stiffest material on the planet (..and I thought it was Boron Tri-Nitride) in terms of tensile strength and Young's modulus (elasticity). To improve toughness, the tubing is made in a proprietary process by adding a mixture of fine carbon nanotubes to the carbon-resin matrix. All the specific manufacturing related stuff is anyone's guess.If this bike were to be tested for strength to weight ratio, the figure would destroy the scales.Strength/Density Compared [Easton]A summary of the design from BMC's website :Throughout, we avoid using the traditional carbon optic. Using only carefully aligned unidirectional fibers makes for even more accurately defined rigidity distribution.The Carbon Nano Tube Composite developed by Easton achieves unprecedented materi...
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BBC Giros 2008 : A Personal Summary
2008-04-01 00:04:00
It seems to me as if everyone is doing race reports on other blogs and I surely don't want to be left out. I really wanted to be in a state of mind to write about my performances, so I thought that when the BBC (Buffalo Bicycling Club) Giro Series is over, I'll talk about it.The Giros are circuit races, 30 miles each held on the weekends. It began in early March and ended this past weekend. It was called "Giro della Primavera" sometime back in the past, now its just Giro. Next year, we'll simply call it the 'G', and the year after that, it'll be no more.They cleverly classify it as a "training race", which is the covering excuse for bunching up all the strong and weak riders alike together in freezing 20 degree weather with no class divisions whatsoever. This egalitarianism is very democratic but when you have a situation like that, it calls for some intense racing on flat (Saturday) and rolling/ hilly (Sunday) roads with plenty of spices and seasonings in the form ...
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Design : Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll Pro
2008-03-27 23:09:00
I'm not really sure whether the Kurt Kinetic trainer will roll, but they sure are heavy as rock. With almost 30 kgs under with the bigger 12 lb flywheel, there's no excuse NOT to do strength training for back and shoulder or save money on dumbells.But its nice to talk about a solid design like Kurt's. Again, this post is rolling off a recent article from Cycling News.1 : Color - They no longer have the old metallic grey color. This is a nice green. I'm young and I certainly want colors around me to reflect that. Oh c'mon, there must be more to this color change idea. What do you think? Most of those industrial machinery are a dull green, so is this to reflect the sturdy, powerful design?2 : Magnetic Coupling - This is cool. Instead of directly connecting the drive shaft to the impeller that will then rotate in the 'thermodynamically' stable fluid called silicone (popular breast implant material), they use magnetic coupling to connect the roller torque with the resulting shaft...
More About: Design , Rock , Roll , Rock and Roll

Shimano Dura-Ace 2009
2008-03-27 22:26:00
Two new Dura-Aces' are coming our way from the good people at Shimano , news and images courtesy of James Huang at Cycling News.1. Dura-Ace 7900 (prototype below), all mechanical actuation, 180g lighter, more robust shifting with increased cable and shorter shift lever throw (merely nudging the lever about 2mm or so will initiate a gear shift). Top of brake hoods feature a much flatter section for comfort. The groupset's chain will have a quick connect link, hollow pins and milled out side plates. Cassettes will be available with wider gear selection like a granny 11-28T. Nice.2. Dura-Ace Di2, electronic shifting,100 grams lighter than the current group even with a battery pack,optional remote shift buttons for time trial and triathlons, a 'crash' position that helps shield the rear derailleur from a fall, and an auto-trimming front derailleur.Courtesy : BKWWhy electronic you may ask? Will it have any advantages or will it unnecessarily complicate a good design? I'll leave a pos...
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Phil and Friends' Challenge Ride
2008-03-27 22:13:00
Even the greatest cycling journalist in the world rides a TREK and needs no helmet.Someone commented , "Where is Phil 's helmet??? This ride is to raise money for children injured in traffic accidents and he doesn't wear a brain bucket??? Baaaaaaaad example, Phil."As long as he knows what he's doing... Thats all I can say.
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Click-Stand : Portable Folding Bicycle Stand
2008-03-25 23:29:00
Its amazing that this post comes at a time when just two days back, I dreamt about the very same thing in the rapid eye movements of slumber - a custom made, convenient-to-carry, portable bike stand.Tim Nostrand from Aberdeen, Washington has engineered this little gizmo from Easton Expedition Grade Aluminum Tubing, divided into foldable segments. The length and diameter of the tubing depends on the height of your bike and the load you carry, and how much you want it to fold. So there's three variants of the stand from a standard Click -Stand Classic that folds to 10 inches to the low profile Click Stand Mini that folds to a handsome 7.5-8.5 inches, perfect for a jersey pocket. Each weighs about the same as an inner tire tube (75-90 grams).The idea is that this handy device will support the bicycle above its center of gravity, invoking more stability than traditional kickstands. Leaning your bike against another structure is always a free option but the Click-Stand is claimed to stan...
More About: Portable , Folding , Modern

Milan-San Remo 2008
2008-03-24 21:18:00
Here's for those who missed one of the most exciting classics of Spring - the Italian Milan -San Remo . The looming idea for any strong rider who wanted to win this baby was to get away on that last climb of the famous Poggio, essentially keeping the main pack at bay.After riding 180 miles, who the heck wants to give all the sprinters an easy victory?The tactic would be good, as chances were that a single rider or smaller group of riders would better maneuver around the dizzying narrow corners of the descent to the finish line at San Remo. All the top names were there off in the front break, including Cancellara and Rebellin whose racing is always a pleasure to watch since he's one of those amazingly persistent race campaigners that Italy has ever produced.While I frantically shouted 'forza Rebellin' during those final minutes, an unsurprising turn of events took place. Cancellara manned up, bit his teeth and decided to time trial to the finish line himself, emasculating all the t...
More About: Races , 2008

Giant Carbon Fiber Costs
2008-03-24 19:26:00
I obtained a nice newspaper clipping a while back. It gives clue to why carbon fiber is expensive and how bigger carbon frame manufacturers like Giant (literally a Giant) have a better hold of the material. The most interesting element I thought was C-Tech's President Kuan Cheng, a former Rocket Scientist, remarking how making bicycles is in someways more complicated than making rockets! Well read on...
More About: Fiber , Carbon , Carbon Fiber , Costs

Frame Design by Terry Bicycles
2008-03-21 17:52:00
Consider this : You're a frame builder and you have a valuable customer, of a particular shape and size, with her own set of preferences and challenges on the bike. There are numerous parameters to consider and important constraints to work around. Your tailored solution in the form of a well planned bicycle frame will help her enjoy the most out of her cycling experience. You as a frame builder will either always be remembered well or you will bear the onus of failed design, a dissatisfied customer and potential future losses in business. Thats really a make or break situation for both parties.Custom making a bicycle frame is a wonderful problem in design optimization as Georgena Terry of Terry Bicycles ( The first and Last name in Women's Cycling) will show you. She provides sound instruction on how she goes about with this typical design situation.While she gets the next installment out, you can check out another video from her titled "The Measure of a Bicycle Frame " which I t...
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Bicycle Flex Regions
2008-03-21 16:43:00
Much of the bicycle flex in high-force pedaling occurs not in the frame, but in the handlebars and crankset. The most significant potential increases in stiffness involve bracing those components more effectively. The upshot of this discussion is that,compared to current sport bicycles, reduced weight or enhanced stiffness theoretically should offer virtually no performance advantages and may not even be detectable by the rider.- Bicycling Science Chapter 10, David Gordon Wilson (MIT 2004)
More About: Regions , Flex , Bicycle

Trickster XDream Reality Bike
2008-03-19 20:07:00
We often like reality shows on TV. There is an element of connection between the story, the characters and us.Well, I certainly haven't seen any connection while riding an indoor stationary bike, which is the reason I try to avoid them. The downside is that the geometry is different, the feel from actual riding is way off and there is poor circulation of air unless you have two noisy fans blowing in front of you.The good side is that you'll be motivated to produce some fitness over the winter.So now if you have 10,000 dollars and want to elevate your status as an indoor rat, here's the new toy - The most realistic cycling simulator on the market. Turn your living room into a virtual bike path, and get a total body workout. This is called Immersive Virtual Reality . If pilots and F1 drivers can have it, why not bikers huh?According to the March edition of the Popular Science magazine lying here on my desk (page 25):"..A virtual rider on the XDream's video screen mirrors your ever...
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Graeme Obree's "Old Faithful"
2008-03-17 21:55:00
In July 1993, Graeme Obree broke the world hour record, one of the toughest things you can attempt in the world of cycling. Only the top names even dream of doing it.It was previously held for nine years by Francesco Moser, with a distance of 51.596 kilometres (32.06 miles). Obree's record lasted less than a week, being broken by Englishman Chris Boardman. Obree retook the record in April 1994 [Wikipedia].In the colorful documentary below, we get a glimpse of the healthy rivalry between a confident Boardman and the relentless Obree. Obree didn't have a team sponsor to provide him with a special bike for the event. It was crunch time then!The impetus made the hitherto unknown amateur cyclist an engineer, leading him to produce his own bicycle out of tubings from a friend's workshop, bearings from a washing machine and a single bladed fork designed by Mike Burrows. The super narrow bottom bracket would eliminate any conventional geometry so he angled his chainstays at a radical 45 ...
More About: History , Classic , Faithful

How a Bicycle Helmet Works
2008-03-16 01:14:00
Hi guys. I don't have too much time today on a detailed post. I raced today and I have a hilly one tomorrow as well. I imagine I'll be putting a good 70 miles in racing and close to 100 miles in riding on both these days alone.I think I need every bit of outdoor hills now, even if the weather is in the sub 30's. I believe I did mention that I'm racing the Tour of Battenkill in an earlier post. FYI, it has become the biggest one day road race in America! And its hardly a month away!Anyway, just in case you still didn't get it, here's a slightly old but nice article describing what a helmet is made of, how it works and a little bit of interesting history to go along with it. Enjoy!HOW A HELMET WORKSHelmet s work by bringing the head (and brain) to a relatively gradual stop upon impact. When an unprotected rider strikes his head against a hard surface, inertia causes the brain to slam forward against the skull, which can cause bruising and internal bleeding. Helmets soften the sho...
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Human Error vs Redesign
2008-03-12 19:50:00
Its quite needless to talk about the convenience of repair and maintenance afforded by a bicycle workstand.But there are many who don't have one and prefer to overturn their bikes, supporting it on the floor. And there is nothing wrong with that although we all know it can sometimes get difficult to work around some areas.Anyway, the support points while the bike is turned upside down are the floor, saddle and the brake hoods on the handlebar. While doing this, it is necessary to ensure the following :1. The handlebar is straight, preventing the bicycle from tipping to either side.2. All handlebar mounted electronics are either rotated away from the floor, or even removed such that they do not make contact, support the weight of the bike and get damaged in the process.3. If you have a nice expensive saddle, it'll be better placing it on a smooth clean cloth or piece of paper to ensure that it doesn't rub against the floor or get dirty.With the bike in this position, clothing, fi...
More About: Human , Redesign , Error , Perspectives

Non-Circular Chainrings
2008-03-10 20:01:00
Bobby with unconventional chain rings at TOC '08 : Courtesy Eddy58Last Sunday, as I watched the "Race to the Sun" Prologue TT on Versus, I observed Bobby Julich had the funky looking non-circular chain rings on his Cervelo. Okay, so whats new?There seems to be a very comfortable relationship between him and O.Symetric. Julich reported once that he believed the chain rings gave him an extra 5 seconds per kilometer in his time trial runs.Notice that in the beginning of this post, I said non-circular. Its safe to say that it is a custom made shape to Julich's biomechanical situation. There have been a few elliptical and oval models in the past. One of the best known initiatives was Shimano's oval Biopace of the 80's. Others who followed suit include the independently operated Power Cranks and Rotor Cranks with their elliptical Q-Rings. Another drastic idea was to use a spring mechanism with the circular crankset so that energy could be returned back at the dead centers to aid in po...
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Fausto Coppi's Code of Champions
2008-03-07 18:45:00
If you want a code to live by as a cycling champion,take these words that Fausto Coppi, the Italian campionissimo, wrote to the Carpano team in 1958. They quickly became known as the eight commandments of the champion of champions.1. Good manners are the first requisite of the rider.2. Show your education by the control of your tongue and by your bearing. A rider doesn't have to be a dandy, but he could be properly dressed.3. A rider must honor the engagements for which he has signed.4. Courtesy is the sign of a rider conscious of his responsibilities.5. Politeness is the foundation of all education.6. The journalist is the representative of public opinion. The rider is responsible in contact with the Press for his own standing, and he should help it to do its job without ever seeking flattery.7. Loyalty distinguishes a great rider, in competition and outside it.8. A rider must control his nerves in all circumstances and must accept good and bad luck with equal serenity.Picture Cou...
More About: History , Code , Champions

Active Spokes : Dynamically Weighted Wheels (DWW)
2008-03-07 00:32:00
Russel Kalil of Tarryan Technologies, who also happens to be an Ironman, dreamed up an idea that could make the best folks in the bicycle wheel business look dum.How about a wheel that could increase and decrease its moment of inertia according to your riding speed? As a cyclist rides up hill, weight transfers closer to the hub and while he descends with the added speed, the weights move out to the rim for the extra momentum.The concept is simple. You don't need a new wheel nor have to rewire your brain like pedaling on Power Cranks. Active Spokes uses small sets of weights (each weighing 0.5 oz) in 3 sections that fit onto the spokes of the non-drive side of your existing rear wheel. The choice of these sections depend on the average speed of the rider.With speed, the centrifugal force in the wheel moves the spring loaded weights far out towards the rim. The motion of the pieces can be manipulated with a choice of springs that have different constants. More on this technology and ...
More About: Wheels

Mavic R-Sys Failure
2008-03-05 20:27:00
Mavic has made some good wheels in the past. On the whole, they may not disappoint with the new R-Sys Wheelset.However, I also don't see much point in its carbon fiber spokes. Something more controversial is their cross section. A bicycle wheel typically has 24-30 spokes and while in movement they churn the air. The R Sys's bigger and rounder spokes depart from the norm in thinking about aerodynamics. What you end up getting is an expensive but stiffer wheel which eats a bigger percentage of aero drag than its cousins.Chris pointed me to a Mavic wheel "explosion" after a crash during Stage 1 of the Tour Down Under. This bike was ridden by Karl Menzies. Notice that the wheel has detached from the hub and the spokes jut out in a unique fashion. I wonder whether low spoke tensioning had anything to do with this. The wheel doesn't appear bent but its hard to see from this angle.Courtesy : Graham WatsonThe photo was probably taken while the crash was happening (with a broken wheel be...
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Radiographic Frame Inspection
2008-03-05 16:44:00
Source : TAZ,WW ForumThough X-Raying is mainly for medical applications, the famous ionizing electromagnetic radiation can also be put to use on composite frame tubes to catch any internal cracks or defects. Shown in the pictures above is an Orbea Orca undergoing such a test.This diagnostic procedure, along with others like ultrasonic, hydrostatic, dye penetrant tests etc are often used in the quality control stages of tubular type product manufacturing like tubing and pipes.Who says a bicycle can't make a visit to the doctor?
More About: Modern , Frame

How a Clipless Pedal Works
2008-03-03 22:13:00
Hey! Want to say screw off to your enemy at the races?Yes, just do it. Screw off.No no no hold it! Hold it ... I didn't mean THAT!!I meant : Take a screw off his pedal cleat when he isn't looking. Literally.Well, I'll come back to this in a sec. First lets see how a clipless bicycle pedal works. All the nerdy wordy descriptions aside, I'll let you look more at pictures.This is the Shimano PD-520 Pedal , a set of 3 year old beaters I have on my fixed gear. This version is made in Malaysia.1 and 2 are the clipping sites for the cleat, something you attach to the back of your shoe. 3 is the body, 4 the spindle, and 5 is the threading that fastens into a crank arm clearance.Member 2 is able to move back and forth (black arrows below), whose resistance to do so is set by tensioning a torsional spring 6.As one rotates an adjustment screw clockwise (purple arrow), the black spring 6 moves outward shown by the red arrows, clamping member 2 at its outer arms more tightly. The resu...
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