Can a lackluster season be attributed to the bike???

[boots2000]

The bike could make a difference, wheels and tires too. But I don't think it accounts for "superform" vs. sucking.
I would say that his medical program was bang on during his best year.
He could totally telegraph his moves and they still worked- whatever he was doing medically really worked that year. Not good bike vs. bad bike.

[KWalker]

He also hasn't done well period for joining BMC. I don't think its necessarily all medical, but he has a different trainer now and the team clearly lacks alignment.

[Tinea Pedis]

A bike set up can effect how it rides and subsequently how well you race on it.

I think a lot of us can appreciate that different sized bikes, for a same sized 'us', will ride differently. Specialized actually have changed the design, so the lower HT bearing decreases as the size goes down - along with the tubing sizes. So that a 50cm size bike doesn't ride like a 58.

Does it all effect the feel, yes.

Would that be enough to cause a professional to have poor results? For road racing (not TT), I cannot see how it could. But cyclists are a superstitious bunch, so when form is down they will thy any sort of change to snap out of it.

[Antoine]

anyway Gilbert liked his Canyon apparently:



"Philippe choosed the Aeoroad over the CF10 because its geometry and behavior suit him better... As soon as he tested it he liked it and he kept it ... his bike is rigorously the same as the one for the public except the fork : rake can be changed up to 5 mm for the public and only 2.5 mm for him , and the paint scheme ... he had six bikes: 2 with teams colors, 2 with Fast Phil scheme and 2 with belgium colors."

that's surprising because the Aeoroad is not supposed too be very stiff.

this frame is very succesfull too with Rodriguez who is still using it and not the new CF

[boots2000]

Maybe BMC performs more of there own medical checks?

He also hasn't done well period for joining BMC. I don't think its necessarily all medical, but he has a different trainer now and the team clearly lacks alignment.

[elviento]

This is natural as they are forbidden by contract from saying anything but super positive things. Anything said to satisfy the curiosity of online forum members will be at the potential cost of getting criticized or paying a penalty.

TP - that is interesting re the comments from team members. Anything published on that?
For obvious reasons pros' real views on gear are hard to come by but very interesting.

[sawyer]

This is natural as they are forbidden by contract from saying anything but super positive things. Anything said to satisfy the curiosity of online forum members will be at the potential cost of getting criticized or paying a penalty.

TP - that is interesting re the comments from team members. Anything published on that?
For obvious reasons pros' real views on gear are hard to come by but very interesting.

Of course - as implied by the words "For obvious reasons" in my post.

I'm guessing English isn't your mother tongue?

Though still a lot better than my ____[insert language] ____ no doubt!

[gordon]

Gilbert's 09 Lombardy win was on a Canyon AL, so were a few of his other good wins.



http://cyclingweekly.media.ipcdigital.c ... T-WINS.jpg

[HUMP DIESEL]

And look at the saddle to bar drop, not a lot there.

HUMP

[jdp211]

I'll throw my .02 into the ring. To answer your question simply, yes. But it's not so simple a question. For you or me or whomever, really, if the fit is that wrong, it can totally throw a season. This season I purchased a frame I thought was super rad, it was, but turns out had a head tube about 3cm too short for me. Once I realized this, probably 2 months too late, and built up a frame more to my size, I saw a significant jump in wattage output and went from mid to back of the pack finishes to consistent top 10s. For a guy like Gilbert who works with some of the top fitters, coaches, etc. I don't see the bike as being the problem. Even if he was told to ride frame x in a size too small or large for him, the presumed drop in power and performance would be noticed rather quickly. I'd say with him it's not necessarily the bike, just a combo of other issues. What they are, I've got no clue.

[HUMP DIESEL]

I'll throw my .02 into the ring. To answer your question simply, yes. But it's not so simple a question. For you or me or whomever, really, if the fit is that wrong, it can totally throw a season. This season I purchased a frame I thought was super rad, it was, but turns out had a head tube about 3cm too short for me. Once I realized this, probably 2 months too late, and built up a frame more to my size, I saw a significant jump in wattage output and went from mid to back of the pack finishes to consistent top 10s. For a guy like Gilbert who works with some of the top fitters, coaches, etc. I don't see the bike as being the problem. Even if he was told to ride frame x in a size too small or large for him, the presumed drop in power and performance would be noticed rather quickly. I'd say with him it's not necessarily the bike, just a combo of other issues. What they are, I've got no clue.

Your post is exactly what I am trying to ask, you see that you were on a frame that was too small and now you are on one that is bigger and saw the gains.

I know in the past that pros picked the smallest frame they could because it was stiffer, and in the age of ferrous materials I can see that somewhat, but with carbon, is not the frame designed to be used for the intended size and weight of the rider, so I larger frame would tend to be stiffer than a smaller frame.

HUMP

[jdp211]

I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that IF the issue was the bike, a solution in that regard was like explored far earlier in the season, considering the number of people paid to observe those sorts of things.

[ghisallo2003]

I'll throw my .02 into the ring. To answer your question simply, yes. But it's not so simple a question. For you or me or whomever, really, if the fit is that wrong, it can totally throw a season. This season I purchased a frame I thought was super rad, it was, but turns out had a head tube about 3cm too short for me. Once I realized this, probably 2 months too late, and built up a frame more to my size, I saw a significant jump in wattage output and went from mid to back of the pack finishes to consistent top 10s. For a guy like Gilbert who works with some of the top fitters, coaches, etc. I don't see the bike as being the problem. Even if he was told to ride frame x in a size too small or large for him, the presumed drop in power and performance would be noticed rather quickly. I'd say with him it's not necessarily the bike, just a combo of other issues. What they are, I've got no clue.

Just to check jdp, your position was identical on the two bikes? And that with identical contact points, you saw a significant power increase? Small position differences can, we know, lead to big power changes, but the point here is to ask whether with the same position, but different feeling/weight distribution/stem length can lead to similarly large power changes.

[r_mutt]

there is no way a drop that big in performance can be attributed to the bike. you guys are drinking the advertising kool aid.

[KWalker]

I have power files to prove it. 5mm too high of a saddle or if the drop/reach is off then it can make a big difference for me. Others differ. Some aren't as functional on the bike, which can reduce their efficiency slightly. A 1% drop in gross efficiency can lead to almost 5% drop in power.