Some lid at Halfords told me this is the first TDF with disc brakes, obviously they are more efficient, is there any advantage to not using discs other that weight?
Cycling thread
- Thread starter Bruce Wayne
- Start date
Black Belt Jones
Player Valuation: £25m
One problem is that the tolerance of the disk caliper and rotor is tighter than a rim brake, and you often get slight variances changing between wheels. So if a rider punctured and got a new wheel from the neutral service car, the rotor might not sit perfect and would rub. I presume this has been sorted in some way with agreed standards etc.
Other than that disks are superior in every way. The biggest deal is more for the amateur rider who might be on clincher tyres, where rim braking a carbon rim on massive alpine descents is just a fundamentally flawed design, due to the massive heat build up [can structurally melt the wheel]. Pros are usually on tubular tyres, though, where this is less of a problem due to the forces acting on the rim. Rim braking a carbon wheel in the wet is also dodgy - the pros have perfectly set up bikes so again it's not a big deal, but you often see club riders with terrible brake distances in the wet.
Thanks for the info mate, much appreciated and will help towards my next purchase
Thought this might be of interest - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jweia.2018.06.011
In the middle of a peloton, racing cyclists experience only five to ten percent of the air resistance they face when cycling alone. A new study, published in the Journal of Wind Engineering & Industrial Aerodynamics, based on wind tunnel research on a peloton of 121 cyclists may explain why so few 'breakaways' in professional cycling races, like this year's Tour de France, are successful.
"It turns out that current calculation models used by some race teams to determine the best time to escape are based on the wrong assumptions," explains lead author Professor Bert Blocken at the Eindhoven University of Technology & KU Leuven. "Perhaps these new results will lead to more successful escapes and partly explain why so few escapes succeed, and why the peloton often hauls in the riders that do escape," Dr. Blocken added.
It is well known that in the middle of a cycling peloton you ride 'out of the wind' and therefore experience less air resistance. How much less has never been thoroughly investigated. From previous research with smaller groups of riders, estimates have been made of 50 to 70 percent of the air resistance is experienced when compared to individual riders. Professional cyclists however, suggest that in a peloton you 'sometimes hardly have to pedal', which assumes that air resistance must be much lower.
The research team, led by Dr. Blocken systematically chart, for the first time, the air resistance for each rider in a cycling peloton of 121 riders. The results showed that in the middle and at the back of the peloton the drag is about five to seven percent of what is experienced by a single rider. "Put it another way: it is as if a rider is cycling at 12 to 15 km/h in a peloton that is speeding along at 54 km/h," Dr. Blocken added. "That's why it feels like riders expend so little energy at the back." Riders can now use these data to see what the best place is in a peloton.
But Dr. Blocken warned that "this does not mean a recreational cyclist can cycle along with the professional peloton. This might be possible for a short distance with a straight road on flat terrain, but as soon as bends are taken, the accordion effect sets in, and the peloton stretches out, causing the resistance to become much higher."
The study is a combination of computer simulations and wind tunnel measurements (including a complete peloton of 121 models), which independently gave the same results. Researchers examined two pelotons of 121 riders, where the distance between the rows differed slightly. Computer simulations amounted to 3 billion cells—a world record for a sports application—and required CRAY's American supercomputers and tens of thousands of software licenses from the company ANSYS. Simulations had to run for 54 hours for the calculation of a peloton, with a total of 49 terabytes of working memory.
"At the very back, the air resistance is very low, but there is less opportunity to react to attacks and chances increase greatly for getting caught in a crash," says Dr. Blocken. "So for classification riders or sprinters, the best position is in row six, seven or eight: there you are sufficiently shielded by other riders and you're near enough to the front."
The study also considered a peloton with a regular arrangement of riders, in order to allow clear conclusions to be drawn. The cyclists were static, not pedaling and not moving from one position to another in the peloton. There was no strong head-, tail- or side-wind. Only aerodynamic resistance was considered. The effects of these limitations will be investigated in follow-up studies by the researchers.
In the middle of a peloton, racing cyclists experience only five to ten percent of the air resistance they face when cycling alone. A new study, published in the Journal of Wind Engineering & Industrial Aerodynamics, based on wind tunnel research on a peloton of 121 cyclists may explain why so few 'breakaways' in professional cycling races, like this year's Tour de France, are successful.
"It turns out that current calculation models used by some race teams to determine the best time to escape are based on the wrong assumptions," explains lead author Professor Bert Blocken at the Eindhoven University of Technology & KU Leuven. "Perhaps these new results will lead to more successful escapes and partly explain why so few escapes succeed, and why the peloton often hauls in the riders that do escape," Dr. Blocken added.
It is well known that in the middle of a cycling peloton you ride 'out of the wind' and therefore experience less air resistance. How much less has never been thoroughly investigated. From previous research with smaller groups of riders, estimates have been made of 50 to 70 percent of the air resistance is experienced when compared to individual riders. Professional cyclists however, suggest that in a peloton you 'sometimes hardly have to pedal', which assumes that air resistance must be much lower.
The research team, led by Dr. Blocken systematically chart, for the first time, the air resistance for each rider in a cycling peloton of 121 riders. The results showed that in the middle and at the back of the peloton the drag is about five to seven percent of what is experienced by a single rider. "Put it another way: it is as if a rider is cycling at 12 to 15 km/h in a peloton that is speeding along at 54 km/h," Dr. Blocken added. "That's why it feels like riders expend so little energy at the back." Riders can now use these data to see what the best place is in a peloton.
But Dr. Blocken warned that "this does not mean a recreational cyclist can cycle along with the professional peloton. This might be possible for a short distance with a straight road on flat terrain, but as soon as bends are taken, the accordion effect sets in, and the peloton stretches out, causing the resistance to become much higher."
The study is a combination of computer simulations and wind tunnel measurements (including a complete peloton of 121 models), which independently gave the same results. Researchers examined two pelotons of 121 riders, where the distance between the rows differed slightly. Computer simulations amounted to 3 billion cells—a world record for a sports application—and required CRAY's American supercomputers and tens of thousands of software licenses from the company ANSYS. Simulations had to run for 54 hours for the calculation of a peloton, with a total of 49 terabytes of working memory.
"At the very back, the air resistance is very low, but there is less opportunity to react to attacks and chances increase greatly for getting caught in a crash," says Dr. Blocken. "So for classification riders or sprinters, the best position is in row six, seven or eight: there you are sufficiently shielded by other riders and you're near enough to the front."
The study also considered a peloton with a regular arrangement of riders, in order to allow clear conclusions to be drawn. The cyclists were static, not pedaling and not moving from one position to another in the peloton. There was no strong head-, tail- or side-wind. Only aerodynamic resistance was considered. The effects of these limitations will be investigated in follow-up studies by the researchers.
Valverde has looked good the last few days so my money is on him. The Movistar situation is fascinating, as Quintana's pedigree puts him as the leader, , yet the team is undoubtedly Valverde's, who doesn't really have the legs to win a GT, and you've got Landa well in the mix who has never led a team before, despite placing well in a couple of GTs. With Quintana a few minutes down, how will they play things?
The joker in the pack is Dumoulin, who is probably the best time trialist among the GC riders, and has nearly a minute on Froome, Porte et al. If he hadn't looked so goosed after the Giro you'd have to say he's in an amazing position, but how well will he respond after what was a very hard Giro?
Black Belt Jones
Player Valuation: £25m
I guess in principle a pro could ride the Tour buried in the peloton and barely break sweat, bit of effort over the mountains in the gruppetto but overall a very pleasant sojourn around France.Thought this might be of interest - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jweia.2018.06.011
In the middle of a peloton, racing cyclists experience only five to ten percent of the air resistance they face when cycling alone. A new study, published in the Journal of Wind Engineering & Industrial Aerodynamics, based on wind tunnel research on a peloton of 121 cyclists may explain why so few 'breakaways' in professional cycling races, like this year's Tour de France, are successful.
"It turns out that current calculation models used by some race teams to determine the best time to escape are based on the wrong assumptions," explains lead author Professor Bert Blocken at the Eindhoven University of Technology & KU Leuven. "Perhaps these new results will lead to more successful escapes and partly explain why so few escapes succeed, and why the peloton often hauls in the riders that do escape," Dr. Blocken added.
It is well known that in the middle of a cycling peloton you ride 'out of the wind' and therefore experience less air resistance. How much less has never been thoroughly investigated. From previous research with smaller groups of riders, estimates have been made of 50 to 70 percent of the air resistance is experienced when compared to individual riders. Professional cyclists however, suggest that in a peloton you 'sometimes hardly have to pedal', which assumes that air resistance must be much lower.
The research team, led by Dr. Blocken systematically chart, for the first time, the air resistance for each rider in a cycling peloton of 121 riders. The results showed that in the middle and at the back of the peloton the drag is about five to seven percent of what is experienced by a single rider. "Put it another way: it is as if a rider is cycling at 12 to 15 km/h in a peloton that is speeding along at 54 km/h," Dr. Blocken added. "That's why it feels like riders expend so little energy at the back." Riders can now use these data to see what the best place is in a peloton.
But Dr. Blocken warned that "this does not mean a recreational cyclist can cycle along with the professional peloton. This might be possible for a short distance with a straight road on flat terrain, but as soon as bends are taken, the accordion effect sets in, and the peloton stretches out, causing the resistance to become much higher."
The study is a combination of computer simulations and wind tunnel measurements (including a complete peloton of 121 models), which independently gave the same results. Researchers examined two pelotons of 121 riders, where the distance between the rows differed slightly. Computer simulations amounted to 3 billion cells—a world record for a sports application—and required CRAY's American supercomputers and tens of thousands of software licenses from the company ANSYS. Simulations had to run for 54 hours for the calculation of a peloton, with a total of 49 terabytes of working memory.
"At the very back, the air resistance is very low, but there is less opportunity to react to attacks and chances increase greatly for getting caught in a crash," says Dr. Blocken. "So for classification riders or sprinters, the best position is in row six, seven or eight: there you are sufficiently shielded by other riders and you're near enough to the front."
The study also considered a peloton with a regular arrangement of riders, in order to allow clear conclusions to be drawn. The cyclists were static, not pedaling and not moving from one position to another in the peloton. There was no strong head-, tail- or side-wind. Only aerodynamic resistance was considered. The effects of these limitations will be investigated in follow-up studies by the researchers.
Could never happen in reality, because you have to earn your jersey and race for the team, but no doubt there's plenty of easy days for the bulk of the peloton.
The Tour used to be notorious for having uneventful days (and the Vuelta still is), but they're actively trying to mix up the flatter days with crosswinds, cobbles or a few short climbs thrown in. Today's stage being a good example.
What this does of course is that it makes the green jersey a Sagan style comp rather than a Cavendish style comp. Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if Cavendish doesn't win another stage. Looks way off the pace.
Black Belt Jones
Player Valuation: £25m
I wouldn't completely count him out, as he's an extremely tough-minded competitor, but you're right the form looks nowhere near. Gaviria coming through is like two generations younger than him in cycling terms so it could be his time is now up. I think it was Armel who pointed out that his crashing left right and centre is a reliable sign that he can't react and follow the moves like he once did, so should probably take stock after this year's race.
Aye, he's nothing if not determined. The crashes this year have been odd, as you expect a bit of rough and tumble in sprints, but he's been crashing long before sprints are contested in the most innocuous of ways. I'm not sure he has it in him to remodel himself in the way Zabel and Boonen have in the past into a classics rider once their sprint legs have diminished a bit. How long is his contract with DD for?
Good effort by Dan Martin. A perfect climb for him really. Porte and Thomas looked strong, but a shame for Dumoulin as most of his advantage has been wiped out by a mechanical. Bardet lost some time as well.
Dumoulin has been hit with a 20 second penalty for excessive drafting of support cars as he chased back on, meaning he shipped over a minute to Dan Martin. Bad day for him.
Arteta2391
Player Valuation: £30m
I can't wait till the tour hits the mountains
froome is gonna destroy everyone. He doesn't grind out in long climbs he just spins away with a high cadence.
at the Giro he won after riding 80k solo ffs
froome is gonna destroy everyone. He doesn't grind out in long climbs he just spins away with a high cadence.
at the Giro he won after riding 80k solo ffs
Higher quality field at the Tour though. He'll find it harder going against Nibali, Quintana, Landa, Bardet et al as well as Dumoulin. Indeed, he might even struggle to get the better of Geraint Thomas given he's lost a minute to him already.
Black Belt Jones
Player Valuation: £25m
Wouldn't surprise me to see Froome getting partially dropped / gapped on 1 or 2 of the mountain stages this year - the Giro / TdF double is a huge ask, but overall his consistency and experience will be too much for the others IMHO.
Saying that, I was just looking at the profile of the time trial penultimate stage and that is one hilly customer (also short-ish at 30K). Very favourable for the less powerful testers like Quintana, Bardet, Yates etc. So that's another thing Froome (and Domoulin) will have to deal with, he can't rely on burying these guys in the TT like he normally would.
Saying that, I was just looking at the profile of the time trial penultimate stage and that is one hilly customer (also short-ish at 30K). Very favourable for the less powerful testers like Quintana, Bardet, Yates etc. So that's another thing Froome (and Domoulin) will have to deal with, he can't rely on burying these guys in the TT like he normally would.