Alpe d'Huez TT Tech Talk Topic

[Mav54]

In that photo, his bike computer doesn't appear to be the usual HAC4.
Any clue what hes using?

[bobalou]

In that photo, his bike computer doesn't appear to be the usual HAC4.
Any clue what hes using?

It looks like a vetta v100 wireless from the fork mount.

[cadence90]

In that photo, his bike computer doesn't appear to be the usual HAC4.
Any clue what hes using?

From Christian Vande Velde:
"Counting grams
Prior to the start Roberto had to change his rear wheel as his bike was 100 grams under the legal weight. The climbers on the team have bikes with small wheels as well. Lance had a weight problem before the start as well and the Postal mechanics had to throw a couple of computers, or something, on his bike to bring it to 6.8 kg. I was pleasantly surprised that my stock race bike came in at 6.9."
http://www.velonews.com/tour2004/diaries/articles/6636.0.html

[bobalou]

I was pleasantly surprised that my stock race bike came in at 6.9.

What does he ride, I wonder?

[bobalou]

Wait... maybe I shouldn't have asked that. I think they're rebadged Giants (BH)!

[cadence90]

Well, he's on Liberty right?
So...a Giant/BH??? Please, let's not reopen that rebadge thing again!

[Adri]

It's been said before, but why doesn't Lance use a lighter seatpin or something, and then use a front STI. Maybe it's just for show or a psychological advantage. Those Trek frames can't be all that light if this is the case.

Why the brake at all? I doubt he was doing much braking today:D Isn't Lance known to go with what he knows and trusts, thus he uses the downtube shifter just because he's used to it?

the UCI demands the bikes to be fitted with 2 working brakes

[asphaltdude]

...because weight isn't all that important. In real life conditions no one is going to loose time over a few hundred grams.

Rough calculation: every 100 grams cost 3 seconds.......

don't you think that calculation is rather simplistic?

not all savings in weight are equal

rotational weight saves more than static weight by quite a large margin - I'll rather have a bike that weights 8 kilos with sub 1kilo wheels than a bike at 6.8 with wheels over 1kilo.

When riding with constant speed weight distribution doesn't matter.

[Adri]

Do you have cruise control on your bike?
Have you ever checked the speed readouts on a Polar graph?
Even on the flattest of surfaces your speed is varying all the time, thus although you are correct in theory , in practice the influence of the rotating mass (wheels) is indeed playing all the time .
Another theory vs practice thingie.

[C-40]

So did Lance ride the Madonne SSL or the SL on the time trial?

Once again Frankie showed his bike beofe the climb and said that he was using the SL but the SSL was made especially for this climb-

Does anybody know for sure??????

[tom2517]

So did Lance ride the Madonne SSL or the SL on the time trial?

Once again Frankie showed his bike beofe the climb and said that he was using the SL but the SSL was made especially for this climb-

Does anybody know for sure??????

I believe Lance rode the SL, SL is right on the limit already and there were some questions regarding to the rigidity of SSL. But of course, it's too difficult to tell from pictures since both bikes pretty much looked the same.

[Adri]

On Sporza they interviewed the mechanic where Lance gets his tubes and he said Lance used a frame especially made for this occasion with less fibers per square meter in the carbon .
He also said that Trek was thinking of commercialising this frame a rato of 6000€
There would also be a warning attached to it regarding the max weight of the rider.
About those tubes. They stay in a darkened room for 6-7 years to make them softer and less resistant thus better rolling. He only has 6 left . I'm not sure about the make of the tubes but it wasn't Vittoria , perhaps Clement.

Ulrich used a special frontwheel only to be used for uphill.

[Mr_Potatohead]

About those tubes. They stay in a darkened room for 6-7 years to make them softer and less resistant thus better rolling. He only has 6 left . I'm not sure about the make of the tubes but it wasn't Vittoria , perhaps Clement.

Jeez, it's like a fine wine or cheese.

[asphaltdude]

Wasn't Lance riding Dugast tubulars?

[Racing Aardvark]

aging tubulars is old-school man, all the big guns used to do that. I could see doing that to a set of Dugasts, heck yeah!

I've thought about aging clinchers, as I found some tires picked up flats earlier when they were new, then got tougher as they aged...or at least it appeared that way to me.