Core77

[slippyfish]

Had an idea that maybe it would be fun to post up and discuss the newest of the new in the bicycle industry, specifically machines used by the 'pointy end' of the demographic, those racers for whom the physical/formal benefits are more than just marketing jargon. (Wins on Sunday, sells on Monday.) Also I would like a venue to call out and respect the teams of designers and engineers who meaningfully try to make a better connection between rider and machine for a given course; I'm reacting to the often ludicrous 'design project' bikes that sometimes hit the front page of design blogs.

Was motivated to post a few images of the new Pinarello Bolide time trial bike currently in action at the Giro D'Italia.

Aesthetically its typically Pinarello with a lot of baroque surfacing and lines that don't exactly make a clear gesture. In recent years 'aero' has become quite serious in research and methods so there's not much to dispute here. They claim 350 grams of drag reduction. Graphics are quite restrained which speaks to the Sky parent brand and also maybe the bike is too new/fresh off the molds for there to have been a concerted branding effort! There is some very nice blending of parts into the frame surfacing, around the rear brake especially.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/landa-t ... ime-trial/

[NURB]

Cool! I'll keep my eyes open for stuff. I occasionally see prototypes of new stuff on my commute, as my office is close to QBP.

[bngi]

Yes! This thread!

cant say i see a lot of the newest of the new around town or out on rides, but i'll try to contribute.

Landa isn't 100% used to the new one. : http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/rac ... deo-225556

[iab]

First, as a disclaimer, I am not on the pointy end of the demographic. Being such, I also hold the view, those who are not on the pointy end of the demographic (meaning those people who put food on the table from racing a bike and therefor maybe 1000 people on this earth), are ridiculous when wringing their hands about the latest tech. I would also define those not on the pointy end of the demographic and know more than "air goes in the tires" and "oil goes on the chain" are Freds. I am perhaps the Fredliest of all Freds in that I enjoy not only the latest tech of today, I am also fascinated by the tech of yesteryear.

That said, an article that will wring the Fredliest of hands, are wider tires faster?

http://velonews.competitor.com/where-th ... tires-fast

Personally, I have been riding a minimum of 25mm tires for the last 8 years. They were difficult to find back then (I ride tubulars). Now they are everywhere and a bit cheaper. Makes me happy. Also, I ride them for comfort as I don't put food on the table when I ride. But now I have to make new excuses for being old fat and slow.

[NURB]

I just picked up a new gravel bike (I know...) and swapped the stock 41's for 35's to make my commute faster. Also, fat and slow, but at least I'm comfortable.

[iab]

Yes, I also made a "gravel" bike. And technically, gravel bikes were the pointy end of marketing a couple years ago.

I used an Umberto Dei Sport frame from the mid 50s-ish. Italian Sport bikes were essentially city bikes but with a 3-speed cog in back and a single in front. Made for fat tires and fenders, tons of clearance.

I kept the single up front because it will be used on the fire roads of northern Wisconsin. Some hills, but no need for a double as I have a 12-25 ten-speed on the rear.

And pink because everyone should have a pink bike. And yes, those are pink Speedplays. $20 with cleats from CL.

Umberto Dei 01 by iabisdb, on Flickr

[iab]

OK, bringing gravel bikes back on topic instead of that tired old crap I have.

Pinarello Dogma K8-S

Paris-Roubaix bike with a suspended rear triangle. Stannard got a podium with it. I read some nonsense somewhere saying it is 5% "better" for Wiggo than last year's plain K8. Still cool. This picture has 27s, but it looks to have enough clearance for 30s. And on a side note, I picked up a couple pairs of Dugast PR 30s at the Madison swap for $40/pair. Glued, couldn't see any tread wear, valve cores were missing as they were used with extenders. Currently carefully stored in my dark dry basement. (Told you I am a Fred)

[rbid]

My bike I use for exercise. i like the flat top tube and the internally routed cabling

[NURB]

[quote="iab"Glued, couldn't see any tread wear, valve cores were missing as they were used with extenders. Currently carefully stored in my dark dry basement. (Told you I am a Fred)[/quote]

Shhh!!! It might get dust on it!!

[slippyfish]

Yes, I also made a "gravel" bike. And technically, gravel bikes were the pointy end of marketing a couple years ago.

I used an Umberto Dei Sport frame from the mid 50s-ish. Italian Sport bikes were essentially city bikes but with a 3-speed cog in back and a single in front. Made for fat tires and fenders, tons of clearance.

I kept the single up front because it will be used on the fire roads of northern Wisconsin. Some hills, but no need for a double as I have a 12-25 ten-speed on the rear.

And pink because everyone should have a pink bike. And yes, those are pink Speedplays. $20 with cleats from CL.

Love that you just went ahead and threw on some Dugast rubber for the artful dishevelment. What's the story with the chainring? Gorgeous.

[slippyfish]

A couple shots from the fat tire world. Whistler bike park opened this past weekend. Safe to say not all these riders are check-cashing pros, but are probably really good riders. Not all of the bikes are new, but I chose a few of the better looking setups. Tubing design and graphics integration are strong on these two. Commencal (based in...Andorra I think?) always looks good, they are careful with making visual sense of the abstract geometries that DH bikes often require. Giant has come a looong way in both bike production and their brand statements, and they take good risks in their yearly colorways. By way of contrast look at some of the other machines in this gallery.

Full gallery link: http://www.pinkbike.com/news/people-of-whistler-bike-park-opening-day-edition-2016.html

[slippyfish]

Personally, I have been riding a minimum of 25mm tires for the last 8 years.

Same here. Michelin Pro 2/3 all year round, and recently went to Specialized Armadillo Elites in that width because the local shop had them.

I like not getting flats, imagine that.

[iab]

Love that you just went ahead and threw on some Dugast rubber for the artful dishevelment. What's the story with the chainring? Gorgeous.

Thanks.

The chainring was a $10 swap purchase. Made for a 1/8 chain, I had to grind and file down the back of it for an hour to fit a 10-speed chain.

While it did not come with the bike, that chainring was "owned" by Umberto Dei. They used it extensively on their road bikes in the 30s, 40s and 50s.

[slippyfish]

Look 795 Aero 'Mondrian' edition. Look have done Mondrian bikes in the past - this one adds more velocity to the primary colors, which gets away from the true artistic intent but seems to hang together. The stance of the bike looks incredibly uncomfortable (AKA, bro do you even aero)

They make many of the sub-components including cranks and pedals, equally blinged out. Complete build is $14,500!

[iab]

What's with the chain routing to above the seat stay?