I thought April Fool's was past . . .

[BumbleBeeDave]

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/06/news/cancellara-calls-motorized-bikes-claims-stupid-as-uci-looks-at-scanning-bikes_119452

I thought I had seen everything. I was wrong . . . :crap: :D

BBD

[StellaBlue]

Yeah, because no one cheats in cycling..

[Kevan]

the 11.

[William]

The UCI, confirmed that there was no case against the Swiss rider. And the UCI’s technical chief, Jean Wauthier, told the Belgian daily newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws that it was unlikely Cancellara would use any kind of motor.

“The risk is simply too big. For him, his team and the bike manufacturers. A champion like Cancellara would not take that risk.”


The "risk" is too big to use PED's too. :rolleyes:




William

[Lifelover]

This is all a plant by LA and company to take the focus off them.

The people who made the video did a good job of picking clips that do make you wonder.

Also, for something that seems so obviously silly, it is getting a fair amount of press.

[JMerring]

it does indeed seem far-fetched, but as fabulous (and nice) as fabian is, his recent performances did look to be a little, um, superhuman.

[AFS]

Story made me think of this song:
:bike: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8T_PQoTC30&feature=related :D

[Louis]

You would think that the friction losses during the "non-driven" portions of the ride would way overcome any temporary benefit you would get during the "turbo-boost" portions. Unless during those portions you're drafting so you don't need that much power to begin with, so you can live with the friction.

Also, how long could the battery last, and how much could you actuall get from such a small battery and motor?

[MattTuck]

Also, how long could the battery last, and how much could you actuall get from such a small battery and motor?


Didn't Fabian change bikes like 3 times during Flanders? :rolleyes:

[WadePatton]

i heard he was barking the tire on gear changes.

[gemship]

This is a really super retarded thing to even consider at this point. I mean C'mon... think about it. It would have to be a electric motor with some serious power to overcome Fabian's power already transmitted which means that there must be a power source. So where in the f@ck is that battery? And even if it is what Cassani suggest how is a motor that is small enough to fit in a seat tube going to do all that?

Did I mention I'm not a engineer but common sense would ask the next question that how does a motor in a seat tube transmit power to the hub. Naturally there would be a whole host of gears/mechanism to make that connection.

Cassani and friends sound like a bunch of jealous meatballs with way too much time on their hands.

[tuscanyswe]

This got me thinking of indicars. Soon commentators will have to remember who used their push to pass button. Cycling might be even more tactical in the future :D

[Bruce K]

The have the telemetry on the push-to-pass in the TV booth.

It's generally such a non-factor at the Indy 500 that you don't hear about it much but at many other races they do tell you who has how many left as it becomes part of the racing strategy.

BK

[Rueda Tropical]

I understand these motors are not at all silent so the video was selective about its presentation of "evidence". Boonen may have got a bit suspicious if Fabian's attacks were accompanied by a loud buzzing sound coming from his bike.

Much safer to juice the rider then the bike.

[retrogrouchy]

I understand these motors are not at all silent so the video was selective about its presentation of "evidence". Boonen may have got a bit suspicious if Fabian's attacks were accompanied by a loud buzzing sound coming from his bike.

Much safer to juice the rider than the bike.

...and that's the (somewhat sad, but true) bottom line here. Well said.

[JMerring]

This is a really super retarded thing to even consider at this point. I mean C'mon... think about it. It would have to be a electric motor with some serious power to overcome Fabian's power already transmitted which means that there must be a power source. So where in the f@ck is that battery? And even if it is what Cassani suggest how is a motor that is small enough to fit in a seat tube going to do all that?


courtesy of someone across the hall: "OK, let me qualify this by saying I think the whole thing is 100% bs. Having said that, the KERS systems used in F1 are the size of a coke can, and generate 100 HP for 5 seconds. That is 74,569 Watts for those keeping track. So I am pretty sure that 100 Watts out of the size depicted in the video would be easily possible. Maybe not a coincidence, but the video claims basically 360,00 watt/seconds (100 watts for 1 hour), the KERS system would be similar. Some engineer can tell me why my math is FUBAR and not right, but in principle the technology is there. If you have an F1 budget. :) "

[goonster]

You would think that the friction losses during the "non-driven" portions of the ride would way overcome any temporary benefit you would get during the "turbo-boost" portions.
The gear driving the bb axle disengages when not in use.

[sailorboy]

when is serotta gonna start making these? I want (need) one.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . the very fact that anything like this would be discussed as even remotely believable just speaks to the fact of how low trust in the honesty of professional cycling and cyclists has fallen. Next we'll be hearing pro riders accused of pulling a "Rose Ruiz" and hopping a bus to get to the finish line first . . . :rolleyes: :(

BBD

[AFS]

. . . the very fact that anything like this would be discussed as even remotely believable just speaks to the fact of how low trust in the honesty of professional cycling and cyclists has fallen. Next we'll be hearing pro riders accused of pulling a "Rose Ruiz" and hopping a bus to get to the finish line first . . . :rolleyes: :(

BBD

It happened with trains in the early 1900's

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1904_Tour_de_France

[Louis]

The gear driving the bb axle disengages when not in use.

Yeah, I thought of that a while after posting my comment. Presumably using a solenoid or some such thing. More weight the carry around. A bike with a motor like that would be noticeably heavier than a "normal" one.

IMO the bottom line test is now much useful work can you get out of a battery that has to be so small that you can hide it inside the tubes of a bike? Can't be much.

[deechee]

I'm surprised Gruber (http://www.gruberassist.com/english/product/product-description/) isn't doing more advertising.

[BengeBoy]

I'm surprised Gruber (http://www.gruberassist.com/english/product/product-description/) isn't doing more advertising.

No need for advertising when you have Fabian Cancellara as a celebrity endorser; they'll let his race wins do the talking.

"Race on Sunday, sell on Monday."

[Louis]

Product attributes

• The electric motor is very light
• The propelling assistance is invisible
• Cycling becomes fitness cycling and is thereby healthier
• Thanks to its retrofit kit, it is almost irrelevant what brand of bike you have
• The pedal assistance brings speed on flat and power going uphill


So why exactly was cycling not "fitness cycling" before the motor was turned on?

[johnnymossville]

An extra 50 watts would be great at the end of Flanders, to the top of the Muur, and the fast ride from there to the finish.

[palincss]

So why exactly was cycling not "fitness cycling" before the motor was turned on?

Maybe here's a clue: "...The burning sensation in your thighs disappears – the healthy perspiration, however, remains." Burning in your thighs? Maybe those riders have the seat set too low.

[zott28]

I'm surprised Gruber (http://www.gruberassist.com/english/product/product-description/) isn't doing more advertising.
Truthfully I think this will be great for my buddy who has spina bifida. He can ride with me on flats as long as there is no headwind, but the slightest hill or headwind stops him in his tracks. He does one ways with me, and his wife picks him up to head home. I'm really going to be looking into this for him. Living in SF it's hard to map out a perfectly flat ride for him with no wind!

[jrflanders]

I watched the Zapruder-style video on YouTube. I honestly found the Paris-Roubaix video somewhat compelling, as he just absolutely drops the group on the flat and his cadence is all but unchanged. In the end, I fail to see how adding 4 lbs to gain 50 watts at any point in the race is worth it.

[Kirk Pacenti]

?

edit: sorry deechee, I missed your post before uploading this pic.