tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13887692.post8600215275713377632..comments2024-03-13T02:16:08.135-04:00Comments on Cozy Beehive: Ridley Dean : 'The Fastest Bike in The World' Part 2Ron Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394865788996482667noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13887692.post-77693862490384042132010-04-05T01:28:22.876-04:002010-04-05T01:28:22.876-04:00Ron, Ridley is made in Belgium... they might know ...Ron, Ridley is made in Belgium... they might know something about bikes there... ya think maybe???Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15848946002825534933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13887692.post-50711160653251983682008-08-15T13:21:00.000-04:002008-08-15T13:21:00.000-04:00Last year Lennard Zinn wrote a VeloNews Tech atric...Last year Lennard Zinn wrote a VeloNews Tech atricle about the split bladed forks. Sounds fast to me! I've got one.<BR/><BR/>http://velonews.com/article/13170Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13887692.post-87710559175568369492008-08-11T03:21:00.000-04:002008-08-11T03:21:00.000-04:00Those slotted forks have been around for 5-6 years...Those slotted forks have been around for 5-6 years. They were originally designed by John Cobb and manufactured by Oval Concepts.<BR/><BR/>http://www.ovalconcepts.com/productsGenereDett.php?idGenere=10&idCat=2Nick Schaffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08574745461296651933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13887692.post-36481374842383706852008-08-01T06:52:00.000-04:002008-08-01T06:52:00.000-04:00I worked just across the road from where the NZ Am...I worked just across the road from where the NZ Americas Cup Boat was maintained for the first cup defence which they won and it had a special surface coating as well. It looked like rough finish paint from where we were allowed to look. As for the behind the front fork brake, John Cob says this doesn't seem to make any difference. See his info at Blackwell http://www.blackwellresearch.com/articles.htm Also, if you look at one of those Oval A 700 or Tektro R725 brakes you will notice that the mounting bracket actually sticks out below the fork base acting like a little dam to any air coming across the wheel and under the fork crown. This is why Specialized have worked hard on this area on the new Transition in this area to flow this air onto the down tube.<BR/><BR/>KiwiAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13887692.post-71270027323413048752008-07-31T06:23:00.000-04:002008-07-31T06:23:00.000-04:00...assuming that there is a correlation between ae......assuming that there is a correlation between aero- & hydro-dynamics, let's not forget the coating developed by 3-m for the "<B>america's cup</B>" boats, a number of years ago...the concept was, using russ's term, to 'energize' the flow & thus lessen the drag or pull of the water on the boats surface...<BR/><BR/>...& we're all aware of the exponential increase in drag as velocity is amplified...water or air...<BR/><BR/>...i don't recall if the 'surfacing' was dimpled, beaded or scored in a particular pattern but it worked...<BR/><BR/>**********************************************************<BR/><BR/>...ron...you <B>do</B> realize, don't you, that the 'cute, little disneyesque' diagram you've used to explain airfoil slots is that of the <B>'me-163 komet'</B>, right ???...it was one of <I>"hitler's secret 'last stand' weapons"</I>, powered by a rocket motor & capable of flying at 550mph, which was faster than any fighter plane of that era...highly maneuverable although it's powered flight was limited to about 7 1/2 min, the plane had the capability to act as a glider at that point...<BR/><BR/>...the <B>me-163</B> would take off on a two wheeled 'dolly' that was jettisoned as it got up to speed & would land on the skid that is pictured below the plane, in your diagram...<BR/><BR/>...i apologize if i'm creating a redundancy but the <I>komet</I> is a good example because the slots were highly effective, by all reports...bikesgonewildhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01489983012589939600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13887692.post-69708926704768673712008-07-11T01:48:00.000-04:002008-07-11T01:48:00.000-04:00Russ and Tim : Thanks for the theory. Yeah, I have...Russ and Tim : Thanks for the theory. Yeah, I have noticed front brakes mounted near the bottom bracket before in a big race. Can't think of the name of the bike .... maybe Cervelo. Yeah its cool, and you can see the extreme to which you could go to be aerodynamic.<BR/><BR/>Gunnar : Good insight. For something exhausting like the Tour, any additional motivation even though how small it is can really make a difference I guess.Ron Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394865788996482667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13887692.post-84501186789792055932008-07-10T12:19:00.000-04:002008-07-10T12:19:00.000-04:00As for return on investment, for that particular m...As for return on investment, for that particular model, I doubt they will see one. But over their whole line-up, having a TDF winner sells a ton of bikes. <BR/><BR/>Now for the actual benefits of all these gimmicks. While most of these "tricks" may have some benefit, I doubt the numbers are as high as they claim. But the psychological edge they give a bike racers (or take away from a rivals) often fragile psyche, can be a huge boost! Many times, simply believing that you have (or don't have) the fastest bike is enough to make the engine all that much more powerfull.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13887692.post-39726997863400223102008-07-10T11:17:00.000-04:002008-07-10T11:17:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13887692.post-20673695332757784732008-07-10T09:37:00.000-04:002008-07-10T09:37:00.000-04:00Forget about the front brake being cool, I believe...Forget about the front brake being cool, I believe that the rear brake is just above (or below) the bottom bracketTim Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08436851138832762519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13887692.post-57259679540128756652008-07-10T09:10:00.000-04:002008-07-10T09:10:00.000-04:00Ron, I think you probably found this.http://www.ri...Ron, <BR/>I think you probably found this.<BR/><BR/>http://www.ridley-bikes.com/2008/catalogue/AeroBrochure_FINAL_EN_062508.pdf<BR/><BR/><BR/>your linked picture shows, the slotted wing, "energizes" the flow over the entire airfoil (in this case consider it an bicycle fork). By putting the slot in the middle you energize the flow where you would most likely start to see drag and turbulent flow begin. By introducing new energized flow to the fork at the center you eliminate the turbulent flow and drag. When the flow gets energized it continues on laminar flow. after the fork it creates a vacuum for the aft wheel which is rotating into the air rushing over the fork, essentially at 2x's the bikes velocity(similar to drafting). If the fork can keep the air laminar you have a better chance of creating a vacuum for the rotating wheel to run in to, instead of the rotating wheel slamming into the air for very high drag. <BR/><BR/>One question? is it common for them to put the brakes on the aft side of the forks for TT bikes? That is very cool.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13033755790922017710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13887692.post-69226461118662195672008-07-10T03:10:00.000-04:002008-07-10T03:10:00.000-04:00Sorry folks.... the fastest bike in the world is a...Sorry folks.... the fastest bike in the world is a Varna. Last time I checked, it was good for 81.00 mph flat out and 53 miles over an hour.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12032066987113524193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13887692.post-11097469212080334812008-07-10T00:37:00.000-04:002008-07-10T00:37:00.000-04:00Return on Income right?Yeah not sure.The last I ch...Return on Income right?<BR/><BR/>Yeah not sure.<BR/><BR/>The last I checked, Ridley was made in Taiwan if that means anything to you.Ron Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394865788996482667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13887692.post-4392803275739805172008-07-10T00:31:00.000-04:002008-07-10T00:31:00.000-04:00I wonder how many bikes must be sold in order to r...I wonder how many bikes must be sold in order to receive an economic payback for the cost of desig engineering and materials involved in developing this bike. Obviously they have run the numbers but an uninformed guy like me would think that the target market for such a machine would be relatively small.Spokane Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14322733412232169837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13887692.post-4187667918786751872008-07-09T23:56:00.000-04:002008-07-09T23:56:00.000-04:00there's more aero advantage to be obtained just by...there's more aero advantage to be obtained just by pulling out all those Ridley stickers from the frame and fork...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com