9 Carbon Nano-Tube Bicycle Technology

BMC SLC01 Pro

Just 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 material values by the admixture of microscopically small carbon tubes.
		Integrated Skeleton Concept permits good force distribution near the nodal points by using carefully selected reinforcing elements. Each tube transition can be perfectly adapted to the flow of forces.
		You can recognize them from the dropouts. Pro Machine frame with seamlessly integrated carbon dropouts. The only metal component on the whole frame is the thread on the bottom bracket.

The material was developed for frame tubing by the bicycle division of Easton Sports.

Carbon Nanotubes are a highly specialized area of material science research and people in the industry are just beginning to discover the properties and applications of the material.

What it is [Source]

The discovery of nanotubes remains a contentious issue, especially because several scientists involved in the research could be likely candidates for the Nobel Prize [Wikipedia].

A strand of CNT under a scanning electron microscope [Source]


How CNT Will Make A Difference [Easton]

When I look at this technology, I'm NOT thinking in terms of simple tensile strength or stiffness values. Those may be way high compared to traditional materials. There is more to be considered, as in application specific questions - How will a bicycle tube made of this stuff compare to a conventional carbon fiber tube in terms of high and low cycle fatigue strength? What is the strength of the joints? Etc... etc.. If there are only marginal improvements in these properties, I'll be looking to save my pockets.

For what people are saying about this material and considering the huge costs in producing it, I expect it to diminish and virtually eliminate all those catastrophic carbon failures we've been seeing around us for a while now. That much will be good, since I'm nervous about showing the UCI a sub 15 pound bike. I don't want to mess around with them. Too much bike related fatigue to deal with already...

Sigh...until some sensible dynamic test results come out, we're going to be stuck with ridiculously priced bicycles or complete show material.

7 BBC Giros 2008 : A Personal Summary

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 of repeated surges every 2 minutes, groups splintering all over the place, hill accelerations, and random attacks out of the blue, excuse me, out of the white - since I haven't seen anything around here lately but snow.

This is why I love doing these races. They are classic and TOUGH! Everytime you bend down to get your water bottle, the group in front of you rockets ever more forward into the chilly Buffalo air, destroying your rhythm and dispelling a combination of nose fluid and water bottle remains into the air in the process. If at any time you find yourself dropped, its crucial that you call on the gods of time trialling and yell every prayer you can to stay with the pack. Because if you can't hang on, its going to be a cold, lonely ride to the finish.

Putting such high intensities so early in the season equals some amount of serious pain, but the good side to that is that you can use these races to hone your fitness for something bigger in the weeks and months to come.

Which is what I exactly did.

To get an idea of the magnitude of how interesting this race has been for all of us out here in Buffalo, you must read this neat race report with almost poetic quality from the BBC website. An excerpt :

The morning's misty kiss was still on the pavement as the third episode of the BBC / Handlebars Giro broke free from the surly bonds of earth and vectored ever northward toward the uncharted wastelands of Niagara county. With somewhat decent weather, a stout field in the 20's or so left the shop at the stroke of 10:22, under the clock-steady Latin eye of sometimes Impresario Jim Costello.

After a dawdling warmup that led into a dawdling first few miles a series of attacks signaled the days festivities had begun. A group of series leader Halter, strongman Skalski, the ever present Ryan Nye and three time winner of Witch Weekly's "Handsomest Smile" John Roden were pulling away solidly only to be stopped by a red light, drat. After this regrouping, Jason Skalski took a nice dig, but was welded back by the pack. Halter broke free at that point, dragging Roden who provided limited horsepower and eventually they too were welded back, and so the tedium continued until the start of the final 5 mile loop when a promising group of 5 broke from the pack, containing none of the leaders. After some dawdling in the pack, a chase on the final few miles unfolded with Skalski, Roden, Nye and Ironman Steve Hoad slowing dragging the break back into sight. A final suicidal lunge by Costello closed the gap with 300m to go, setting up the field sprint. Skalski lead the sprint out with team mate Halter glued o his wheel and Roden stuck like chewing gum on a movie seat. Roden's grip slackened and Ben Willis galloped up the right, along with Frank Mesi, paying a visit to the pointy end for the first time all day. Halter tipped his hat to Skalski in the sprint and came off the leadout for his third win in three outings.

Anyway, here's how I did :

15 March : Lockport Circuit

Temperatures : Early 30's (F)

Total Miles - 45

Outcome : Did not complete the final loop. After a long, totally unnecessarily pull energy wise at the front, and with all the repeated surges, I was completely lung-fried with contrastingly numb, icy toes. I quickly faded off the back with some 10 miles to go for a nice solo ride to the finish, with another handy chap who thought he could play HE-MAN riding a fixed gear in a 30mph race. He soon learnt the pain of spinning out of gear and joined me to the finish line.

What I discovered was that not only was I indecently dressed for the weather, I was also not used to the concept of 10 AM punishment-on-bicycle. I'm usually in my BED in sound slumber at that time!!

Hence came a dire need to revise my body clock. Thankfully, all my training has now switched to early mornings, which means I'm the first college student to get out of bed in Buffalo. Sucks....

22 March : Lockport Circuit
Temperatures : Late 20's-30's (F)

Total Miles : 45

Outcome : Did not complete the final loop. I was pretty outstanding at this race too, outstanding as in OUT-OF-THE-PACK off the back in no-man's land. But what I gleaned from this shitty performance was that I was dropped with some 7 miles to go, which means I was able to hang in there for longer. But having taken a wrong turn and riding off the wrong way, I will now remain more committed to GOOGLE MAPS!

I was more rested, chose lighter tires, and wore tight fitting clothes as opposed to being Santa Claus, which I believe saved me some horsepower.

I kept a positive attitude and left content because these are training races in the middle of my BASE period. I'm not supposed to be doing super well, hey! VO2 max training and serious anaerobic building still to come!!!

One of the reasons I couldn't race Sundays was that I had a commitment to go to Church. But on the weekend of the 29th and 30th, I figured that if I go to my friends Church in East Aurora and get out from there earlier, I'll make it to the Marilla Course for the hillier race.

Which is exactly what happened. So I raced on Saturday and Sunday which was good because it almost reached a mini stage-race like proportion.

29 March : Lockport Circuit
Temperatures : 20's with sun (F)

Total Miles : 40

Outcome : Completed the RACE!!! Sweet! For the most part of the race, I stuck to the pack, going with the faster riders and ensuring that I didn't end up too back as to wake up and realize that no one is with me. With about 3 miles to go in the race, that hard last turn to the finishing stretches of Tonawanda Creek Road took a chunk out of my lungs and legs and I decided I didn't have much left to go. The good side is that I finished the race much much stronger than the weeks before and that had me pleased. Fitness is improving.

30 March : Marilla Circuit (Southtowns)
Temperatures : Late 20's with sun (F)
Total Miles - 35

Outcome : Finished in a chasing mid pack!!! The race on Sunday was certainly a first for me. The course was amazingly simple direction wise but there was a decent amount of climbing to do. My aim was not to stick with the faster riders as I knew that would surely blow me inside out too early, but to be wiser and ride with those at my fitness level. With some two laps to go, I dropped from the main pack like a slipping duck which wasn't due to having tired legs, but I caught the wrong wheel and it was considerably slower. When I realized that, it was too late and the main pack was strongly pulling away.

A handful of riders dropped out and slowed down considerably either because they pushed themselves too hard out in front, were too fat, or their legs were near to toast from the hard racing on the previous day.

For the most part of this ride, I rode with another guy, paying attention closely to the gears suitable for me on the different gradients, watching my eating and drinking, and using another rider to draft off. In the tail wind sections of the course, I could grit my teeth, achieve a very flat back and time trial at 26 mph for 2-3 minutes which I thought was pretty cool. We infact pushed ourselves to go hard enough that we caught up with two more dropped out riders in front of us.

When I finished that race, I had hardly anything left in me and the most joy I got out of it was the fact that I gave everything I had and had a good day.



In short, these were some solid training races for me. I have realized that I have a very good amount of endurance but I will need to step into high intensity workouts, particularly those attacking my LT, Anaerobic Endurance and VO2 max beyond living daylights!


DID YOU KNOW? In France, a peleton is a pack of bicycle racers out on the road. In Buffalo NY, we call it bulleton.

What motivates 30+ riders to come out and waste themselves in freezing temperatures, no one knows but this place sure has some hardy men, equally rivaling the Europeans on the eastern side of the Atlantic. I was proud to be a small part of that.

7 Design : Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll Pro

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 torque in the fluid chamber. The fluid chamber is separated from the roller chamber with the help of a glass like material. Such a gap with magnetic coupling has the potential to reduce vibration, wear and noise.

Courtesy : Cycling News


Magnetic Coupling

What that claims to do is eliminate chances of O-Ring failures and messy fluid leakages.

3 : Wide Base - Any solid structure should have a good base. With 120cm wide stability, this baby is an all encompassing beast.

4 : Rock and Roll Motion - A unique rock and roll motion is given to this trainer with the help of flexible rubber cones at the lower base-upper carriage junction.




How is this functional?



Courtesy : TRIGARAGE

Kurt Kinetic trainers are solidly built with a robust, durable design and a realistic ride feel.

However, in this quest for 'realism' ( however you want to define it), a question that has passed my mind is this : Why don't trainers have larger roller diameters? Perhaps the roller-tire interface can be made more like a road-tire interface, with less amount of tire digging into the roller?

Moreover,why can't a roller be made to mimic a more natural material like that of road asphalt instead of aluminum alloy, which is seldom the case for road biking? That'd be pretty cool, look wise and feel wise since there could theoretically be less tire slippage and could near the rolling resistance co-efficient of actual road. The idea I'm sitting on is to lessen the rolling friction because a major by-product of this tire-roller interaction is heat.

Or maybe I'm just wild with thoughts and the effects of these changes are so negligible that there's no point in increasing production costs to make a more 'realistic' trainer. (?)

Okay, its been a long day. I'll be racing this weekend, and doing a small training camp next week so expect little posts for 3-4 days. Enjoy!

2 Shimano Dura-Ace 2009

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 : BKW

Why electronic you may ask? Will it have any advantages or will it unnecessarily complicate a good design? I'll leave a post from Bicycle Design for you to read and challenge views. I do like the idea of two groupsets. Those who like electronic can go with that, and those who like their system the way it is can have that as well.

There's a nice video of the electronic shifters over at the Cycle To blog which features an input from a Skill Shimano racer. Check it out here. For more textual technical information on whats served in the 2009 electronic package, check out this discussion at Slow Twitch Forums.

Finally, to James Huang himself : Nothing shifts at the speed of light. Electrons are much slower, you'd be surprised. :)

0 Phil and Friends' Challenge Ride

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.

3 Click-Stand : Portable Folding Bicycle Stand

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.

Tom 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 stand out in one area - gradients! I also see it very practical in cases where there is no free standing structure to tie/lock your bike against.

Apart from the requirement that you would need to measure the height of your bike prior to buying, another must have is a Brake Band to prevent your bike from rolling away and tipping over. A set of three comes with every purchase of Click-Stand. More info here.


Simple and effective, vero (right)?

6 Milan-San Remo 2008

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 top sprinters of the world and some 150+ riders behind. Letting him escape would be the biggest mistake of the day.

Notice some of his race winning elements :

1. Being at the front of the race or in a break at the crucial time.
2. Being a world class time trialist.
3. Efficient cornering technique.
4. Catching riders unaware and bumping up speed.
5. Hitting the hammer at the right moment, reeling in an attack by Inigo Landaluze and counterattacking him when he had no legs anymore.
6. He finally accelerates, ensuring that he takes no rats with him in his solo move. Landaluze is fried.

Brilliant!

Thanks to user BURNIE87 for uploading the Rai TV segment. Boy, those helicopters did an amazing job!

Milano - San Remo 2008
Uploaded by burnie87

0 Giant Carbon Fiber Costs

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...

0 Frame Design by Terry Bicycles

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 think deserves to be linked from my sidebar menu on Design & Production.

Have a happy Easter!!!

0 Bicycle Flex Regions

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)

0 Trickster XDream Reality Bike

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 every movement, whether you put your foot down for a rest or stand on the pedals for a sprint. Unlike other simulator bikes, the XDream has sensors embedded throughout.

For example, pressure sensors in the seat detect when you stand up. the crankset sports a potentiometer (similar to the sensor in a joystick) that helps match the position of the virtual rider to yours.

XDream also responds to changes in the game's terrain. Slog through onscreen mud, and an opposing magnetic field inside increases the wheel's resistance. Luckily, there's no actual mud to dirty your $10,000 ride."

Here's another video, from Trixter North America, showing the thermal differences in the body between riding static and moving handlebars.




What do you think? The price may be way off your pockets, but is this a sacrifice you're willing to make in order to get that ultimate indoor cycling experience you've been missing for years into your gym?

I'm not so sure whether it'll appeal to the road cycling market. But there's nothing wrong in a change, hey you're riding in virtual mud! XC and mountain bikers better look out for this.


P.S : Attention PopSci editors : The website is www.x-biking.com and not www.xbiking.com, which is an empty link.

3 Graeme Obree's "Old Faithful"

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 degrees!! He named the machine 'Old Faithful'.

The rest is history.

Many thanks to user EVANS1978 on YouTube for the upload.

BATTLE OF THE BIKES

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5

PART 6

PART 7

FINAL PART 8

P.S : If you enjoy videos like these, you can lose yourself on YouTube. You can watch my collection here on VodPod, or watch random videos from the same on the left side of this page.

33 How a Bicycle Helmet Works

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 WORKS

Helmets 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 shock by gradually crushing to absorb impact energy. The outer shell will crack but still remain intact. The helmet's body, composed of fused polystyrene beads, is compressed as it absorbs energy to cushion the blow.

What Helmets Do : This picture will make you appreciate better how helmets save lives

A GIRO Helmet Construction

Cyclists realized early on that headgear was a good idea. In the 1880s, the direct correlation of bicycle-related head injuries with the increasing miles of hard-surfaced asphalt and macadam roads gave rise to riders wearing pith helmets. Pith is a crushable material that is able to absorb some shock, but it virtually disintegrates upon impact. Still, a disposable helmet was better than none at all.

Pith gave way to a padded leather covering--a design that lasted into the 1970s. Worn primarily by racers who referred to them as "hairnets," these helmets were quite attractive, with their soft Italian leather exterior attached to a foam liner. Unfortunately, they offered little or no impact protection, but they did save a rider's ears from being ground off as he slid over the pavement.

'Hairnet' Helmets

The soft shell helmet was the next major development. Looking like a salad bowl with few vents, this headgear used a shell made of polystyrene, a material similar to that used for picnic coolers. A Lycra cover and inner foam pads attached by Velcro were added later.

Bicycle helmet standards for impact resistance and strap retention were introduced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the mid-'70s. These and other performance parameters were drawn from various sources such as the Snell Foundation, the American National Standards Institute and the American Society for Testing and Materials. At the time, only light motorcycle helmets met the standards, but cyclists refused to wear them because the helmets were too hot and heavy.

Bell's Biker was the first bicycle helmet to meet the CPSC standards. It was constructed of an ABS plastic shell taped over polystyrene foam. Newer shell materials, such as PVC in lower-end helmets and polycarbonate in more expensive models, have since reduced weight without compromising performance. A denser form of polystyrene has cut weight as well as bulk. Helmets must have the integrity to withstand primary (initial fall) and secondary (getting hit by other bikes) impacts.

Stylewise, round shaped bicycle helmets are as out-of-date as Charo and the hoochie-coochie. Everyone is going with the low-profile angular look. Only a geek would ride around with something that looks like an overgrown walnut on his head. Vents are part of the style too, but their true purpose is to make the helmet cooler to wear. In case you hadn't noticed, there's a vent war going on. How many vents can you punch into a helmet? Limar's F111 ($155) introduced at this year's Interbike Show holds the record at 37 vents, up from last year's F107 model, which has 23.

A Limar F-111

Mountain bike helmet vents, such as in the Bell X-Ray, are larger and less aerodynamic than their road bike counterparts'. They provide for more passive sweat evaporation at low speeds under a hot sun. CoolMax liners, almost universal in helmets these days, also help to wick away moisture.

Helmets don't work if they slide back on your head or are ejected upon impact, so a lot of attention is being paid to a secure fit--especially at the back of the head. Bell has developed a Geared Positioning System to secure the back-of-head cradle inside the helmet. The Roc Loc--twin levers that lock onto a toothed strap--is Giro's answer to secure retention. And Limar uses a 10-position click-adjustment system to provide a snug fit across the board--this helmet comes in only two sizes.

Sportscope helmets depart from standard one-piece construction and use six segmented panels joined by a strong, flexible nylon mesh. The separate panels expand and contract for a customized fit. The design eliminates the need for fit pads and reduces the distance between the helmet and the skull, so the helmet is more stable.

A Sportscope Helmet

Bike helmets are a proven lifesaver. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 98 percent of bicyclists killed in 1999 weren't wearing helmets. In the event of a crash, wearing a bicycle helmet reduces the risk of serious head injury by as much as 85 percent. Helmets not only look cool, they are cool. Those aero vents on road bike helmets reportedly keep your head cooler than riding without one. And you know that other old saw--cooler heads will prevail.

Source : Popular Mechanics

5 Human Accidents Vs. Product Redesign

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, fingers, hands and even long hair should be kept away from spinning wheels and the sharp teeth of the chain ring. You can play macho and attempt to stop the bladed spokes of your rotating wheels with your fingers but chances are, the pain won't be fun.

Anyway, it seems to me that any fool might be aware of these things.

But consider the following situation. A passionate but slightly clumsy bike rider, wanting to either do something on his front wheel, tighten the front brakes or perhaps clean the area near the underside of the crown of the fork, whatever may it be, removes the wheel and places it aside. Also imagine that the area he's working around in is overcrowded, has little space to walk around etc. This may be a room in his house, a basement, or garage.

Filled with immense love for his bike and its shapely curves, he bends down towards the front hoping to do whatever he wanted before heading out on a ride under the beautiful sun.

In the heat of this affair between man and bike, this bike rider's supporting leg somehow slips, or he loses balance due to his bad core strength during the early part of the season. His center of gravity shifts towards the bike and off he goes, totally losing his balance.

We did mention he was clumsy. Unable to react quickly or stop his fall, the rider's head and neck goes straight towards the sharp edges of the fork dropouts.


I'd like to avoid the details of what happened an instant later, as I'm well aware you can all imagine how sharp metal contacting human skin would look like.

Such a situation seems very possible to me, although it can be rare in occurrence.

Now the interesting question is this : Should bicycle designers/manufacturers nevertheless be sensitive of such situations and implement safety in the redesign of say, the bicycle fork dropout (i.e more rounded edges, angled in a different way etc) or, like what may come to our mind first, should they not even care, leaving the rider to accept his awful injuries, learn a lesson in personal safety,buy a bicycle stand or head to the gym to do some serious core strengthening?


Plenty of engineering designs have been rethought and redone back on the drawing board due to failures. But I'm sure a good number of them have aimed to make the product in question safer to use.

12 Non-Circular Chainrings

Bobby with unconventional chain rings at TOC '08 : Courtesy Eddy58

Last 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 power delivery.

In the 360 degrees of circular pedaling movement, there are two "dead centers", each occurring when the crankshaft is near the 6 o clock and 11-12 o clock positions. In these spots, it is difficult for the human body to produce much crank power since the tangential pedal force direction (shown below) is perpendicular to the preferred force direction of the legs. Thus, when one leg is vertically up and the other down, tangential forces cancel and a situation known as "Power Vacuum" occurs for a very short period of time.

Non-circular chain rings aim at reducing the dead centers by changing the shape of the pedaling path and manipulating the gear ratios so that a rider can minimize time spent in these dead spot and approach pedaling power potential.

Pedaling Forces : Analytic Cycling

It makes sense to me but I can't speak for these types of chain rings since I don't have them. It seems to me that they must be custom made to a rider's pedaling technique to provide any objective feel for higher power. Otherwise, any noticed variation is simply an unwarranted placebo effect. Other known issues are linked to nonrhythmic movement of the knee, front shifting and chain suck.

Apart from the mechanical side, there's also a small self-esteem issue for me to be maverick at the local circuit and ride strange looking stuff. I'm not Cipollini, but neither do I have the capacities of Julich. At the moment, I like what I use and prefer the idea of fully developing my upstroke phase to accelerate through the bottom half of the pedaling circle. This should account for any power variations at the dead spots.

What do you think of non-conventional chain rings? If anyone has had a direct experience, it'll be nice if you share with us some numbers related to the improvements or any other disadvantages you may have observed.

8 Fausto Coppi's Code of Champions

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 Courtesy : Progetto Ciclismo

Those words should be printed on the back of every racing license, as Les Woodland, one of the best cycling authors of all time, noted in his 1975 book - Cycle Racing : Training to Win

12 Active Spokes : Dynamically Weighted Wheels (DWW)

Russel Kalil of Tarryan Technologies, an engineer 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. The applications for which this is more suited for are rolling type hill road races and triathlons.


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 sample calibrations can be found on the Active Spokes website.

Russ employed the help of Dr. Voelkel of RIT and a test rider to do a study in a hilly part of Skaneateles NY. The claims are that wheels fitted with active spokes outperform a similar wheel without the technology. Interestingly, famous cycling coach Joe Friel and his son Dirk have both endorsed the invention so that makes me some 10% more interested.

Left to right : John Cobb (BlackWell Research), Russ Kalil and Coach Joe Friel at the Serotta International Cycling Institute Conference (Jan '08)

But the questions are :


1. Won't the addition of more weight effectively counteract any difference in inertias achieved?
2. Does this work reliably under various conditions?
3. Will it make rattling noises when the wheel is in motion?
4. Will the pieces dent the rim?
5. Are the pieces and springs stainless steel? They are exposed to the elements.
6. What happens if the spokes break while riding up a hill (extreme) and you lose all your active spoke pieces down the road?
7. How about if I prefer my favorite wheel magnet on the non-drive side?
8. Wont they stir up some aero drag?
9. Will the UCI approve of it?
10. I have more area to clean now :(

Moment of inertia trouble a few cyclists daily but they only play a role mainly in acceleration. Some will argue that accelerations are not much in a bike race, but surging or attacking on straight roads are not the only scenario. Even while cornering your bike, you are technically accelerating since velocity changes with time.

Myriad questions aside, spending less than 200 dollars on Active Spokes while sacrificing some cleanliness as opposed to completely 'un-weighing' your wallet on a pair of Lews or Lightwheels may be an attracting factor for some.

17 Mavic R-Sys Failure

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 Watson

The photo was probably taken while the crash was happening (with a broken wheel before rider touches the ground) but the more optimistic of you might say that he's beginning to get up on his bike. Does anyone know how the crash happened?

There was another picture (apparently lost in cyberspace) of a crash involving a rider at this years Pace Bend Race(Texas). It showed his damaged R-Sys wheel in a very similar condition as the picture above.

I hope these riders are doing fine and back on their bikes. Human life values more than any combination of metal, nuts and bolts. Again, I'll take it that these types of failures are rare and the wheelset won't upset most people if rode safely.



UPDATE 1/13/2009 :

Take note. Front wheels of Mavic R-sys have been recalled as of Jan 5, 2009. To read more, click here.

2 Radiographic Frame Inspection

Source : TAZ,WW Forum

Though 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. It is attractive because it is a non-destructive means of inspecting a piece and the rays have good penetration capacities.

Shown in the pictures above is an Orbea Orca undergoing such a test. Take note that radiation can be damaging and only trained technicians can operate equipment.

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. They are also used in the aerospace and power generation fields.

Who says a bicycle can't make a visit to the doctor?