Great Britain Track Team Bikes

donrhummy
donrhummy Posts: 2,329
edited August 2008 in Pro race
Were they Boardman bikes? They looked like it but they were completely black with no logo! Does anyone know why? What a HUGE loss for whomever made those bikes!

Comments

  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    They're built by British Cycling specifically for the track team. They don't sell them commercially at all. Chris Boardman is the head of the team that builds them.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,816
    I have a relative in the BOD team. Their frames are now supplied with DOLAN bikes. Check out their website and you'll see them with the UK paint job.

    Some are using this bike in the UK team at Bejiing. (obviously not the ones you have seen the lads riding and Greame has posted on)



    http://www.bikes-dolan.uk.com/en-us/dept_75.html
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    I have a relative in the BOD team. Their frames are now supplied with DOLAN bikes. Check out their website and you'll see them with the UK paint job.

    Some are using this bike in the UK team at Bejiing. (obviously not the ones you have seen the lads riding and Greame has posted on)



    http://www.bikes-dolan.uk.com/en-us/dept_75.html

    I thought it was odd that Rebecca Romero was riding a red and blue Dolan in the women's points race, so thanks for that! It looked like she'd borrowed it from someone, as everyone else I've seen has been riding one of these black Team GB specials.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,816
    My sister was looking after the all the juniors in the BOD squad, two weeks ago, when they were having a weekend training session.
    There were 4 of these, stacked up in the kitchen! :shock: I just saw the £££££££ sign. :wink:

    Dolan-DF3.gif
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,786
    The bikes on the Dolan website don't look like the GB bikes I've seen at the Olympics. They seem to have totally oval seat posts whilst the Dolans have round to oval 'Wing' posts.
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    inseine wrote:
    The bikes on the Dolan website don't look like the GB bikes I've seen at the Olympics. They seem to have totally oval seat posts whilst the Dolans have round to oval 'Wing' posts.
    The all black bikes aren't Dolan's. They're special team GB bikes. It's the other bikes (like the one Romero used in the points race) that are Dolan's.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,786
    I haven't seen good pictures of the womens points but Romeros bike doesn't look like the one in the post. I know she rides a much bigger size but it hers doesn't look to have the bulge in the head tube and looks more like an ali frame to me. Not saying it's not a Dolan, just differnet to the picture posted IMO.
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    I haven't had a proper look at a picture of Romero's bike, but it definitely had "Dolan" printed on the top tube.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,816
    edited August 2008
    Take it from me. For once, I know what I'm talking about. :oops: :wink:
    Romero definitely rode a Dolan.
    Here is the proof.
    _DSC7027.jpg

    I don't expect you can buy their customised jobs. I'll ask and find out.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,786
    It has Dolan on it, that's for sure, just not like the photo.............but he does a few different models.
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    AFAIK The sprint and pursuit bikes are 'specials' build specifically for the team and are not commercially available whereas the Dolans are standard team issue bikes. Cav and Wiggo appear to be riding unbranded team issue carbon bikes for the Madison too - I would have thought they would at least be painted up as Giants
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    The plain black bikes are the hugely expensive bikes (I've heard talk of £60k ?) that we use in events where they are likely to make a difference. You're not gonna let the juniors loose on them, or let Romero ride one in the Points race that she'd not prepared for, and theres a far higher chance of crashing.

    The designer of the black bikes also works with boardman on his range of bikes that chris is selling through bikehut.
  • JC.152
    JC.152 Posts: 645
    His website tells you the name of the GB bikes creator but I'm not going to try and spell it http://www.boardmanelite.com/
  • agnello
    agnello Posts: 239
    That Katsanis fellow is an ex bike racer, expert in fluid dynamics and has designed CF parts for Formula 1.

    The sprint/pursuit bikes are kept under pretty close guard and not available to anyone other than team GB

    Typical of the attention to detail that gave us 7 out of 10 track racing golds in the Olympics.

    Did you see the BBC's velodrome medal table? Embarrasingly dominant 8)
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  • synchronicity
    synchronicity Posts: 1,415
    tut tut tut... Australian wheels on a British Bike... and crap ones at that...
    should've gone with gravity zero wheels instead. :wink:
    vertebr.ae | precision braking & shifting
  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    JC.152 wrote:
    His website tells you the name of the GB bikes creator but I'm not going to try and spell it http://www.boardmanelite.com/
    Thats a Boradman bike not the UK bike which was developed in University with assistance from aerospace company and others. The high cost is due to development and research costs not materials.
    http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll245/oldwelshman/
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5Bfqj5fxY
  • Daz555
    Daz555 Posts: 3,976
    I heard Boardman talking on the radio about the bike tech. Surprisingly (for me at least) he said that a track bike would remain in top level competion for as many as 8 years.

    I'm surprised they last that long. I'd always assumed that technological advances would render them defunct after only a few seasons.
    You only need two tools: WD40 and Duck Tape.
    If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
    If it shouldn't move and does, use the tape.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    oldwelshman - the dimitri guy worked on both the track bikes and the boardman range.
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    In todays Star they have a pic of Queen Vic on her bike and it shows the real secret to Team GB bikes, LH drive chain :roll: Will try and post the pic later.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • e999sam
    e999sam Posts: 426
    The black track bikes are built by a firm called Advanced Composites who are in Heanor Derbyshire.
  • synchronicity
    synchronicity Posts: 1,415
    redvee wrote:
    In todays Star they have a pic of Queen Vic on her bike and it shows the real secret to Team GB bikes, LH drive chain :roll: Will try and post the pic later.

    Yes don't you hate it when the papers reverse the pictures!

    The funny thing is, track cycling is behind everyone as far as technological advancement goes. I'm not at all suprised they last 8 years. Aren't they still using steel handlebars and square-taper bottom brackets mated to alloy crank arms? But it is good to see them not throwing things out just for the sake of it...
    vertebr.ae | precision braking & shifting
  • San Andreas
    San Andreas Posts: 2
    Hi see my post here http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... 2&start=15
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    th_65687_queenvic_122_708lo.jpg
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • media
    media Posts: 9
    cougie wrote:
    The plain black bikes are the hugely expensive bikes (I've heard talk of £60k ?) that we use in events where they are likely to make a difference. You're not gonna let the juniors loose on them, or let Romero ride one in the Points race that she'd not prepared for, and theres a far higher chance of crashing.

    The designer of the black bikes also works with boardman on his range of bikes that chris is selling through bikehut.

    The bike Rebbeca rode was custom built alluminium a week before the holding camp at newport as she could not get a good enough upright position by adjustments of here pursuit bike so it was decided to make a one off

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